"For such an extraordinary creation, we opted for the new Automatic Tourbillon calibre with its sapphire bridges, whose transparency creates a breathtaking spectacle. The concrete realisation of an integrated sapphire case and bracelet seemed impossible. We were the first brand to master sapphire workmanship, industrialising the process and making mass reproduction possible. It took us five years to bring our first sapphire cases to life and almost as many years for the bracelet. Producing both of these sapphire components by joining them together was the culmination of extensive work by all the Hublot teams. We are proud to be the ones to write the first pages of this new chapter in the history of materials". These are the words of Ricardo Guadalupe, CEO of Hublot, on the launch of the new Big Bang Integral Tourbillon Full Sapphire, with its 42 mm case and bracelet made of sapphire. It is precisely the case of the new Big Bang Integral Tourbillon Full Sapphire that has been entirely rebuilt to house the tourbillon movement. The aim was to remove virtually all visible screws, revise the overall geometry of the case to integrate it with the bracelet, develop a new case profile to accommodate the sapphire bracelet, and rework the bridges and plates to give them a seemingly floating appearance. Hublot also developed inserts and attachments, reduced to their most essential form, so as to facilitate the passage of light through each component. The case thus features no fewer than 37 components, five of which are made entirely of sapphire. The bracelet was also a very complex challenge: on its own, it consists of 165 components, 22 of which are made of sapphire. The movement is the IWC-manufactured automatic calibre HUB6035 (sapphire bridges, ruthenium plate, 22-carat white gold skeleton micro-rotor visible from the dial side at 12 o'clock, tourbillon device at 6 o'clock, 243 components, 21,600 vibrations per hour, 26 jewels, 72-hour power reserve), entirely designed and manufactured in-house. The watch is produced in a limited edition of 30 pieces.
Price: 416,000 euro.
