Hublot Big Bang Unico Golf: A Mechanical Scorecard for the Wrist

Hublot is a brand indisputably associated with sports — from partnerships with the NBA’s Miami Heat and Dwyane Wade, Olympic sprinter Usain Bolt, and football teams of both the American and international variety, to a Hublot logo gracing Floyd Mayweather’s boxing trunks — but one sport that the brand has thus far not had its hand in is the relatively genteel game of golf. That changes with the release of the new Hublot Big Bang Unico Golf, a timepiece specifically created to calculate golf scores for players on the course.

Golf, according to Hublot is “the ultimate precision sport,” making the creation of a precision timing instrument devoted to the game’s scorekeeping both wholly appropriate and, for an often-experimental, non-risk-averse brand like Hublot, perhaps inevitable. Unlike other watches made with golf in mind, this one is not only lightweight so as to not to impede one’s golf swing (just 97.93 grams), but also features a module, integrated into its MHUB1580 Unico movement, powering a counting mechanism that allows golfers to keep track of their strokes in the dial’s aperture displays. (For the record, Richard Mille’s RM 27-01 watch, a timepiece actually worn during tournament play by PGA star Bubba Watson, clocks in at an even more super-lightweight 19 grams, though its signature feature, a tourbillon, is decidedly less utilitarian for a golfer than a counting mechanism, and its price tag is substantially bigger.)

The 45-mm case of the Big Bang Unico Golf achieves its robust yet lightweight character through its use of Texalium — an amalgamation of carbon fiber and aluminum that is exclusive to  Texalium is used for the upper layer of the case, bezel, and caseback, while carbon fiber makes up the lower layer of those components; polished titanium is used for the pushers and the H-shaped screws that bolt the bezel to the case.

The counting mechanism of the Big Bang Unico Golf works on the principles of a chronograph, with return-to-zero heart-piece cams that ensure the robust and reliable performance. A putter-shaped pusher at 2 o’clock activates the mechanism for displaying the number of strokes taken and counts the strokes per hole. The pusher at 4 o’clock resets the stroke counter to zero when the wearer is ready to move on to the next hole. The counter at 6 o’clock displays the total number of strokes played and simultaneously updates. Another tee-shaped pusher at 8 o’clock resets all the counters to zero at the end of the round; during play, the wearer can lock it by rotating it by 45 degrees to ensuring that it is not activated accidentally. Like all Unico movement’s the MHUB1580 is fully skeletonized and on display through cutouts in the matte-black dial with luminous-treated, rhodium-finished hour markers.

The watch comes with two interchangeable straps, each equipped with Hublot’s One Click quick-change system. One is made of white leather sewn onto rubber and designed to echo the look of a golfer’s glove, while the other is made of technical fabric with a Velcro fastener (below) for a perfect fit on the wrist. Both attach by means of buckle clasps made of black ceramic and black-plated titanium. The watch, introduced on October 23 in Shanghai alongside Hublot’s announcement of current #1-ranked golfer Dustin Johnson as its newest “brand ambassador” — will be available at retail next year, priced at $31,500. What do you think? Is the Big Bang Unico Golf really (as Hublot’s release states) “A stroke of genius?” Let us know in the comments section below.

 

Big Bang Ferrari: three new limited series featuring the prancing horse

Following the success of the two first Hublot Big Bang Ferrari in 2014, the watchmaker has recently presented to Geneva three new limited series: Big Bang Ferrari Carbon Red Magic”(1,000 copies), the Big Bang Ferrari King Gold Carbon (500 copies) and finally, the Big Bang Ferrari Ceramic (1,000 copies).

“This is a wonderful first year of collaboration between Ferrari and Hublot which just ended” ensures the watchmaker in its release. Important successes, both in the commercial with the two first Big Bang Magic Gold, the famous first scratch gold invented by Hublot, promotional with more than 130 events level and titanium.

A success which rejoice Jean-Claude Biver, president and Ricardo Guadalupe, CEO of Hublot, and who are already calling three new models that are always – of course – the Big Bang 45 mm family. Here they are. The Big Bang Ferrari Carbon Red Magic’ is the new emblem of the advancement of the brand to its vertical integration with its box and its movement 100% designed, developed and produced to by Hublot in its manufacture.

The movement is the Unico 100% designed, developed, machined, assembled by micro-mecaniciens, engineers and watchmakers by Hublot. A chronograph Flyback (circulation to zero possible at any time) unique in the watch industry, two pushers, with indication of the date and including the particularity is the positioning of its mechanism with dual-clutch and the famous “column wheel” visible side dial.

Its development has been the subject of an original approach and comes out of the beaten paths: for example, the hour meter is driven directly by the barrel and there’s no Saltire in the chronograph mechanism. This simplification provides a gain in reliability and robustness. Its anchor and escapement wheel are silicon, pledge of performance car lighter, and fixed on a removable escapement.

Its construction with only 330 components was simplified to the maximum to win, there again, in robustness. This result is the fruit of a continuous development since 2009, year of its launch, carried out jointly in the manufacture by the technical Office, laboratory and Service.

Its frequency of 4 Hz/28 ‘ 800 vibrations per hour and its meticulous finishing are also a guarantee of good chronometric qualities. Finally, its automated production, for example the robotisation for the machining, the driving of stones, oiling and many assembly operations, also provides a constant and controlled quality. Its power reserve is approximately 72 hours.

Its box carbon fibre is also 100% designed, developed and manufactured by Hublot thanks to a team of specialists integrated two years ago that masters perfectly all the stages of realization of its components. The main peculiarity lies in the forging of the components on the principle of the multilayer carbon fiber: stacking several sheets of carbon (up to 12 for the thickest part), pressed in the mussels form arranged in curing ovens.

The advantage of this principle: no bubbles so very good homogeneity of the material as well as greater mechanical resistance. The ‘in-house’ machining is done on machines five axes specially adapted. Each component of the box and the movement is the subject of continuous controls throughout the manufacturing process. For example, each watch is checked three times to seal during Assembly.

Finally, the Red Sapphire for this model underwent a color layout directly in its mass with the addition of chemical components during the growth of the material. Thanks to this process, the color is read-only. The watch comes with two bracelets, one leather schedoni black or red stitched saddle on black rubber that confers flexibility, comfort and greater durability.

The Big Bang Ferrari Carbon Red Magic’ is an edition limited to 1,000 numbered watches. It is also presented in a version “King Gold Carbon” edition limited to 500 pieces and ceramic Black Edition limited to 1,000 numbered pieces. Each watch is delivered in a setting specifically developed for the Ferrari collection, equipped with a Watch Winder, integrated winding of the watch system in the setting through a battery of more of two and a half years of autonomy.