Tattoo artist Maxime Plescia-Büchi is back to make some noise in what will be his third collaboration with Hublot, and it’s called the Spirit of Big Bang Sang Bleu Sapphire. Expect high-tech materials, insane geometry at play, and complex craftsmanship loaded into a 42 mm diameter of the barrel-shaped dial that traps the Spirit of Big Bang. From hexagons, diamonds, and triangles, this timepiece sure knows how to make mathematics look appealing. The sandwich construction of the timepiece lends it a 3D effect, further enhanced by brushed finishings and polished surfaces.
The transparency of the sapphire makes it perfect to suit all wrist sizes, both feminine and masculine, despite the generous proportions. The skeletonized automatic chronograph features the HUB4700, with a date at 4:30 and a 50-hour power reserve. In order to adjust to the Sang Bleu style, the oscillating weight was redesigned and caters to the playful relief and depth through which Maxime gives the timepiece a striking new personality. Most of the credit goes to the change in design that now extends the sapphire from the dial to the case and the bezel.
The flawless timepiece captures the sapphire’s transparency, known as a fascinating and highly demanding material, to deliver a perfect finish achieved through 3D machining, requiring 100 painstaking hours of work. For the dapper yet careless watch owners, the good news is the Spirit of Big Bang Sapphire Sang Bleu is practically as hard and scratch-resistant as a diamond. The only non-transparent elements that add some visual weight to the watch are the crown, the push buttons, the screws on the case, and the 6 H-shaped screws on the bezel, made using titanium.
The $143,000 Big Bang Sang Bleu Sapphire is limited to 100 pieces and is a stellar addition to a connoisseur’s collection. For those who want more opulence than offered in the all-sapphire version, the collection offers two high jewelry versions in 18K white gold and 18K king gold set with 243 baguette-cut diamonds totaling 3.6cts. Sultry black rubber straps allow the dazzling dial to shine in all its diamond-studded glory and are retailing for $396,000.
