Several new members of the Hublot Square Bang watch are coming for 2023 including these two versions featured in either mostly black ceramic or mostly white ceramic. Last year in 2022 Hublot debuted the “Square Bang” watches and aBlogtoWatch went hands-on with the first of the interesting angular interpretation of the iconic round-cased Hublot Big Bang UNICO here. Ceramic was certainly a material that was used in most of the debut Square Bang watches, but these versions are stylistically a bit different adding more flavor to the growing Square Bang collection. 2023 marks the first use of white ceramic that looks very cool on the Hublot Square Bang Reference 821.HX.0170.RX that matches it with black accents for chic Star Wars Stormtrooper look. The Hublot reference 821.CI.0170.RX “Black Magic” is similar to last year’s “all black” Square Bang watch but with a lighter, more legible dial.
The most high-end version of the Square Bang that Hublot will release in 2023 is an all-transparent sapphire crystal version that costs just shy of $100,000 USD. These versions are just over one-quarter of that price but are still high-end luxuries with prices over $25,000 each. The bold looking square-version of the Big Bang case continues to satisfy wrists and eyes even if it is Hublot’s daring effort to create its version of the Cartier Santos. The highly architected and shapely Hublot Square Bang case is 41mm wide and 12mm-thick with 50 meters of water resistance. I would have liked 100 meters of water resistance as that would at least put it on par with the round version of the Big Bang UNICO. Indeed water resistance is more challenging with a square versus round crystal – but we are talking about a rather high-end timepiece here and I Hublot should move in the direction of water resistance parity with the rest of the Hublot Big Bang UNICO collection.
Inside the watches is Hublot’s very impressive second-generation version of the UNICO known as the caliber MHUB1280 UNICO 2. The automatic movement has a 12-hour flyback chronograph, further displaying the time and date. The movement operates at 4Hz with 72 hours of power reserve and is a rather complicated movement comprised of 354 parts. The UNICO 2 movement is also smaller than the first-generation caliber.
Like the round version of the Hublot Big Bang UNICO, the Square Bang has the brand’s “One-Click” strap removal system which makes it easy to change straps (but only with compatible ones sold by Hublot). Especially on the Black Magic version of the Square Bang, a large variety of strap colors could complement it well. Dial design for the watch is very much a square interpretation of the open-work dial of the round analog of this product. Given the large level of design in the case, I am starting to want to see a bit more discipline in the dial design, which right now is still a legible set of hands and hour markers against a more or less entirely open view of the movement. Maybe my eyes are just seeking a bit more symmetry.
I still very much like the titanium chronograph pushers given their unique look, attractive design, and comfortable tactile experience. With that said, in most ways, the Square Bang is just that, an angular alternative to the Big Bang for those who just want to see it in a new shape. I like the look of the case so much I already want Hublot to start changing the direction a bit away from the code of the round Big Bang UNICO and to play with new dials and complications. We will see what interesting square things Hublot has in store for us in the future and the aBlogtoWatch team looks forward to trying out these new white or black ceramic versions of the Hublot Square Bang soon. Price for the Hublot reference 821.CI.0170.RX Square Bang Black Magic is $27,000 USD and the price for the reference 821.HX.0170.RX Square Bang White Ceramic is $26,200 USD. Learn more at the Hublot watches website here.
