If the traditional, self-aggrandizing “watch enthusiast” were in charge, we would all be awash in sober, 39mm no-date references with colorless matte dials, integrated stainless steel bracelets, and nonsensical hand-wound movements. And because of this, not a day goes by that I don’t thank the powers upstairs that the peanut gallery holds no such power, that we have brands like Hublot, which has built its entire brand ethos around ignoring the traditionalists and going against the grain. The latest release to breathe a little life into the dog days of summer is this new Big Bang Unico carved from a brightly anodized turquoise aluminum — a colorful, clever twist on a classic reference that Hublot usually renders in ceramic or titanium.
After all, what’s more “summer” than a bright turquoise tile fresco at the edge of a pool, or the cool teal waters of the Caribbean lapping the warm sands of the Mexican Riviera? Tapping into this inspiration is the Unico ‘Summer,’ a Hublot e-commerce exclusive that’s limited to 200 pieces.
Personally, I think a sunburst anodized teal dial would have really helped bring home the colorful summer vibes with this particular release, but Hublot seems pretty set on the Big Bang Unico having skeletonized dials (apparently most Hublot collectors prefer skeletonized dials, so Hublot is content to give the people what they want, so to speak), offering the wearer a partially unobstructed view into the HUB1280 movement — a column wheel-actuated flyback chronograph built in-house by Hublot. The movement is also visible in greater relief through the caseback, where its brushed and matte gray finishes offer a pretty neat contrast to the cool blue exterior of the surrounding case. That said, it’s an impressive modern chronograph movement used exclusively across Hublot’s Unico line, and one that the brand routinely does not get enough credit for having produced.
Specifications:
Brand: Hublot
Model: Big Bang Unico Summer
Dimensions: 42mm
Water Resistance: 100 meters
Case Material: Satin-brushed & polished anodized turquoise aluminum with titanium mid-case
Crystal/Lens: Sapphire
Movement: Hublot HUB1280 UNICO (in-house manufactured automatic flyback chronograph with column-wheel actuation)
Frequency: 4Hz
Power Reserve: 72 hours
Strap/Bracelet: Integrated turquoise nylon with hook & loop closure & anodized aluminum buckle; also includes integrated turquoise rubber
Price & Availability: $20,900 USD (Online exclusive), limited to 200 pieces
As a whole, aluminum is quite an interesting metal from which to create watches. It’s roughly one-third the weight of stainless steel, making it dramatically lighter than even titanium, which is only around half the weight of steel. However, all that lightness does come at a price — it is quite a bit less dense than both of the aforementioned, making it a bit more susceptible to heavy impacts, so maybe just do your best to keep it away from the speedboat handrails if you’ve got some open-ocean joyriding plans in the future. But the Big Bang Unico is built around a modular case design, sporting a titanium mid-case to maintain lightness while adding strength where needed. It’s finished with Hublot’s “One Click” interchangeable strap system that makes swapping out the look as easy as pressing the oversized button between each of the screws at 12 o’clock and 6 o’clock, respectively. This reference includes two straps: a teal, leather-backed nylon affair with Velcro closure and a matching anodized aluminum buckle, as well as a traditional integrated rubber strap that should fare much better if you intend on putting the watch’s 100 meters of water resistance to the test.
Unlike last summer’s equally bright Big Bang Unico white and “Sky Blue” ceramic, Hublot has opted for the smaller 42mm Unico case on this new Summer Edition, which implies this particular colorway option is intended as more of an unambiguous unisex release compared to the former, which was rendered in a 45mm case. Sure, due to the Unico’s relatively short lug-to-lug footprint, it’s a case that wears quite comfortably even at the larger size, but it’s quite a treat at 42mm, so this should come as great news for Hublot collectors.
The price of the Big Bang Unico Summer Edition in turquoise aluminum starts at $20,900 USD, and it’s available exclusively from Hublot’s own e-commerce shop. You can learn what it’s like to order directly from Hublot in our exclusive e-commerce buying guide here, then get to know the Big Bang Unico and other Hublot watches at hublot.com.
