Hublot is now a brand known for taking the safe path. The brand is practically defined by its unconventional avant-gard attitude, and a love of collaboration. The seven-year-long partnership with Maxime Plescia-Büchi, founder of Sang Bleu is an example of just where this attitude of openness can get you.

Hublot is always an exciting and surprising brand, and with Sang Bleu, we see just what the brand is capable of achieving. Sang Bleu is — much like the watches they’ve helped design — a multifaceted beast, but perhaps best known as a tattoo, one defined in no small part by Büchi’s bold geometric vision. In 2016 we saw the first three-dimensional instalment of this ideology on the wrist. Traditional hands were replaced by geographic shapes, and these lines extended into a particularly sculptural take on the Big Bang case. Already this relationship between the two creative brands was stretching the boundaries of Hublot’s established form. In 2019, those barriers were pushed even further with the second instalment, which morphed the structural silhouette even further, and challenged what was technically possible with some very unconventional (and heavy) chronograph hands.

Today, seven years after the initial release, we get the third instalment in this dynamic trilogy — the Hublot Spirit of Big Bang Sang Bleu. The tonneau shape of the Spirit is a perfect platform for Büchi’s creative vision, and the faceted, structural 42mm case takes on a three-dimensional creation that is the perfect fusion of Hublot’s technical ability and Sang Bleu’s vision. Released in several versions including titanium (200 pieces), All Black ceramic (200 pieces) and King Gold (100 pieces) — along with two fully diamond-set examples, this latest piece curves to hug the wrist, with exceptional form and ergonomics that should serve as a reminder that all watches need to be considered as sculptural objects rather than just a dial in a case. Speaking of, one of the most striking elements of this design is the faceted dial, which, thanks to a trompe de l’oeil effect on the case extends — diamond-like — to the very edge of the case, a shape that is echoed and accentuated through every other element of the watch.

The open sapphire dial offers a clear view of the automatic skeleton HUB4700, a chronograph bearing Sang Bleu’s famous disc hands. Hublot’s work with creative designers like Maxime Plescia-Büchi, Samuel Ross and Richard Orlinski showcases one of the most exciting sides of the brand. In these partnerships, the traditional, familiar Hublot form is molded through this creative process, and comes out the other side stronger and more dynamic, yet still undeniably Hublot. The Hublot Spirit of Big Bang Sang Bleu is a perfect case in point.

Tech Specs

Hublot Spirit of Big Bang Sang Bleu Titanium, All Black, King Gold and Titanium, Titanium Pavé, King Gold Pavé

Movement: HUB4700, Self-Winding Skeleton Chronograph, 50 hours of power reserve
Functions:
Case: Satin/polished, titanium, King Gold, black ceramic, depending on model, 42mm x 15.7mm, water-resistant to 100M
Strap: Black smooth rubber
Price and Availability:Titanium limited to 200 pieces, 26,900 CHF; All Black ceramic limited to 200 pieces, 28,900 CHF and King Gold limited to 100 pieces 47,900 CHF, Titanium Pavé, 45,900 CHF, King Gold Pavé, 66,900 CHF