Hublot
Introducing The Big Bang Integral Minute Repeater Ceramic the first Ceramic Minute Repeater in the world, the first
Hublot
Introducing The Big Bang Integral Minute Repeater Ceramic the first Ceramic Minute Repeater in the world, the first
The Low-Down
As a material, ceramic presents some teething challenges for the watch creator so that there aren’t many companies that will do a lot with it, or anything too complicated. For one, it is an extremely hard material to machine and to finish. Colouring too presents difficulties as the base expectation is nothing short of perfect homogeneity. Anything short of that requires the whole laborious process to be restarted from scratch, patching is not an option.
For this reason, Hublot is trumpeting yet another first in the company’s healthy list of materials innovations, this time producing a tourbillon minute repeater fashioned entirely in ceramic. There have been ceramic minute repeaters from other manufactures, but in a choice of black or white, the Big Bang Integral Minute Repeater Ceramic is the first minute repeater to feature a ceramic case with integrated ceramic bracelet.
For good measure, Hublot has added visual spectacle to the aural treat, in the shape of a tourbillon, here housed in its manual-wind MHUB801 with a lusty power reserve of 80 hours.
IMHO
Ceramic being such a hard material should make a better amplifier of sound; where our ears can tell the difference is another matter. It does make for a watch with a different colourway from metal and something very light and wearable that should, barring shattering impact, ride comfortably above the scratching of everyday existence and remain pristine. The Big Bang Integral moreover with its integrated bracelet comes off a might dressier than its rubber-strapped siblings, while bearing the company’s signature Big Bang face.
Tech Specs
Functions: Hours, minutes, tourbillon, minute repeater
Case: 43mm ceramic case in black or white, case height of 14.15mm, water resistant to 30 meters, tourbillon
Strap: Ceramic bracelet with titanium clasp
Price: USD 295,000 (limited edition of 18 pieces for each variant)