Housed inside Hublot’s tonneau-shaped Spirit of Big Bang case, the famed watchmaker has released its stunning new Spirit of Big Bang Gold Crystal. To celebrate the Swiss brand’s recreation of gold crystal in its labs, Hublot has released a pair of limited edition watches available in 39mm and 42mm versions. The dial of the watch boasts 24-karat gold crystals that have been set with 20 layers of transparent lacquer that were applied by the hand of a master dial-maker. To achieve the natural state of gold for the watch’s dial, Hublot developed a unique technique for reproduction. Hublot heated pure 24k gold to its melting point of 1064.18 degrees Celsius before the temperature is reduced to allow crystals to form. The process currently has a high rejection rate, with only 20% of crystals being suitable for use.
“Fusing and creating new materials is nothing new for Hublot: it is part of the brand’s very essence,” said Hublot CEO Ricardo Guadalupe in a statement. “But now, the manufacture has entered a new universe—the transmutation of metals—with its metallurgy laboratory and R&D department reproducing the rarest form of gold on earth: the crystallized native gold known as gold crystal.” And while the gold crystals that adorn the watch’s dial shakes things up, it also adopts the traditional design codes of the Big Bang series from the H-shaped screws on the bezel to the lugs on either side of the case. Hublot has chosen a satin-finished and polished black ceramic case to highlight the dramatic dial. The watch runs on Hublot’s HUB1710 movement, which achieves a 50-hour power reserve. The Spirit of Big Bang Gold Crystal watch features a strap made from black alligator skin stitched onto rubber.
For another recent release by Hublot, check out the Big Bang DJ Snake.
