By Kien Lee
In a coming together of haute horlogerie and haute joaillerie, Hublot unveils at the LVMH Watch Week 2023, the Hublot Big Bang Unico Integrated Rainbow & Big Bang Unico Time Only Rainbow - both fully paved with gemstones from case to bezel to bracelet.
Precious stones take their place alongside the most stunning minerals: ruby, amethyst, blue topaz, tsavorite, as well as a whole spectrum of sapphires – pink, orange, blue and yellow. Each radiant gemstone with its own unique hue, the subtle nuances of which have been paired, one by one, by the master stone-setter at the Nyon manufacture.
There are 174 gemstones in total for the Big Bang Integrated and 176 gemstones for the Time Only, and the bracelet for each piece features 768 and 748 set gemstones respectively.
Both timepieces are cut from King Gold, mastered solely by its own manufacture. This alloy offers a warmer gold colour than traditional 18K 5N gold. Containing platinum, it lends itself perfectly to all the polishing and satin-finishing operations used to full effect on these two variations, alternating flat satin-finished surfaces and polished chamfers whose brilliance sparkles in harmony with each of the gemstones set on the piece.
Finally, the two pieces share the same completely black dial: main plate, flange and date window. These elements are cloaked in an intense black which offers the perfect monochrome backdrop to showcase the full radiance of the rainbow setting.
Two large skeleton hands and a gold crown over-moulded with black rubber positioned on either side at 3 o’clock and 9 o'clock.
The Big Bang Unico Integrated Rainbow is a chronograph, equipped with the Unico Manufacture self-winding movement – the original movement from the Hublot Manufacture – a skeleton calibre offering a power reserve of three full days. This prestigious mechanism beats within a large 42-mm diameter case.
The Big Bang Unico Time Only Rainbow is housed within a 40-mm diameter case, marking the first time this diameter has been available on the Big Bang since it was unveiled in 2022. The movement, three hands and date on this "Time Only" are the perfect fit for the case which fills the whole space. The timepiece also boasts a thickness of 9.25 mm, making it a comfortable, yet eye-catching fit on the wrist.
