Among all of the various materials Hublot uses to create its watches, SAXEM is easily one of the most high-tech and unusual. Similar to sapphire, SAXEM is incredibly hard and transparent, although the colors that can be achieved with it are more rich and vibrant than what is possible with synthetic sapphire. Hublot first started working with SAXEM in 2019, and while the brand has only produced a few watches made from this inherently modern transparent material, the Nyon-based manufacturer has just announced a new SAXEM model as part of its novelties unveiled at LVMH Watch Week 2024. Created as a limited edition of 100 examples, the new Hublot Big Bang Unico Green SAXEM takes the core blueprint of the brand’s 42mm Big Bang chronograph and gives it an entirely transparent green external structure, which extends to both its case and rubber strap.

The first Hublot watch to feature a SAXEM case was the green SAXEM Big Bang MP-11 from 2019, and just last year in 2023, Hublot announced a neon yellow SAXEM version of the Big Bang Tourbillon, which was easily one of my favorite new releases of the year. Originally developed for the satellite industry, SAXEM is essentially a cousin of sapphire, and both materials feature aluminum oxide as the basis of their composition. Sapphire is colored using metallic oxides, while SAXEM colors are created using rare earth elements (SAXEM stands for “Sapphire Aluminum oXide and rare Earth Mineral”), and while sapphire has a three-sided crystalline structure, SAXEM has a cubic (four-sided) form that enables it to appear the same shade and intensity of color when viewed at multiple angles. Similar to the MP-11 from 2019, the new Hublot Big Bang Unico Green SAXEM (ref. 441.JG.4990.RT) showcases a vivid shade of translucent green, and it almost appears as though the entire case is crafted from a solid block of intricately-cut emerald. 

Despite its highly novel case material, the actual design and construction of the new Hublot Big Bang Unico Green SAXEM is very similar to what you will find among the standard-production models from the series, and it measures 42mm in diameter by 14.5mm thick, which means that it will offer a similar wrist presence to the core-collection 42mm Big Bang Unico watches. Just as you would expect, clear sapphire crystals are fitted to both the dial side of the watch and its display-style caseback, while the green SAXEM case components are held together with black titanium H-shaped screws. Some of Hublot’s 42mm Big Bang watches with metal or ceramic cases are able to provide users with 100 meters of water resistance, although the new Bang Unico Green SAXEM is accompanied by a 50-meter depth rating, which is the same level of protection that is offered by the clear sapphire model from the 42mm Big Bang collection.

Rather than being paired with a black strap like the inaugural green SAXEM watch that debuted in 2019, the new Hublot Big Bang Unico Green SAXEM is fitted with a matching transparent green rubber strap that has a linear grooved texture running along its outer surface. Just like the rest of the current-production Big Bang Unico series, the strap connects to the case with the brand’s proprietary One Click system, which allows users to quickly swap out the strap by pressing the two trapezoid-shaped buttons that are located on the top surfaces of the watch’s integrated lugs. The clear green rubber strap is completed by a black-finished titanium deployant clasp that operates with a double push-button release, and while I imagine that most owners will exclusively end up wearing this watch on its matching green strap, any of the other One Click straps for the collection will also be compatible with the new Hublot Big Bang Unico Green SAXEM model.

The full-green theme of the Hublot Big Bang Unico Green SAXEM extends to its display, and while the actual design and layout is identical to the rest of the models from the series, all of the various markings and design elements now appear in a bright shade of green to match the case. Featuring a largely skeletonized appearance with polished black composite resin dial elements, the hands and frames for the hour markers are matte black, and they are filled with a specially formulated luminous material that is the exact same shade of green that appears throughout the rest of the watch. Beyond its black and green colorway, the rest of the dial is largely the same as what you will find among the standard 42mm Big Bang Unico models, with a running seconds subdial at 9 o’clock and a skeletonized 60-minute counter for the chronograph at the 3 o’clock location, which also incorporates a date window into the transparent surface of the register. 

Just like other models from the collection, the new Hublot Big Bang Unico Green SAXEM is powered by the brand’s manufacture HUB1280 UNICO 2 automatic flyback chronograph movement; however, its components have been given a black PVD finish to better complement the colorway of the watch. Consisting of 354 parts and fitted with a skeletonized tungsten oscillating weight, the 43-jewel Hublot Cal. HUB1280 UNICO 2 movement runs at a frequency of 28,800vph (4 Hz) with a power reserve of approximately 72 hours. In addition to its skeletonized date display and flyback functionality, the HUB1280 movement also showcases its column wheel on the front side of the watch, which allows owners to view its motion through the open-worked dial at 6 o’clock whenever they operate the chronograph complication.

As someone who is already a big fan of Hublot’s various sapphire watches, I naturally find its SAXEM models incredibly appealing, since they offer everything I already love about its sapphire cases, but turned up a notch with more vibrant and saturated colors. While I’m partial to the insanely fluorescent hue of the brand’s neon yellow SAXEM material, which could best be described as crystalized and sculpted Mountain Dew, I also very much enjoy the darker and more restrained shade of its original green SAXEM, which offers greater aesthetic versatility and a slightly more luxurious overall appearance. With its bright green transparent case and matching strap, the new Hublot Big Bang Unico Green SAXEM looks like a mix between the wristwatch that the Green Lantern superhero would conjure for himself and something that Dorthy and her crew might spot on the Wizard’s wrist while visiting the Emerald City in the The Wizard of Oz.

As a 100-piece limited with an official retail price of $116,000 USD, the new Hublot Big Bang Unico Green SAXEM (ref. 441.JG.4990.RT) is undeniably a rather expensive and exclusive timepiece, although it’s significantly more affordable than the neon yellow SAXEM model from last year, which featured a skeletonized micro-rotor movement with a flying tourbillon and cost over 80% more than this latest green SAXEM model. While I am objectively a fan of green SAXEM, we have now seen a few different pieces that have used this particular shade of the material, and as someone who loves brightly colored transparent watches, I can’t wait to see what color of SAXEM Hublot creates next. For more information on the Hublot Big Bang Unico Green SAXEM watch, please visit the brand’s website.