29 January 2024

BIG BANG UNICO GREEN SAXEM

Hublot unveils a new version of its revolutionary material, SAXEM. Closely allied to sapphire, SAXEM is equally resistant, yet offers even more luminosity.

“Some simple ideas have an instant effect. Others require a great deal of ingenuity and technical skill. This has been the case for SAXEM. It took almost two years of R&D to successfully create the uniform, homogenous colour of this chemical compound. While as perfect and resistant as sapphire, the finish differs. This is something collectors appreciate as the new green SAXEM captures the essence of Hublot: first, unique and different.”

Ricardo Guadalupe

CEO of HUBLOT

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With cousins, you can tell they come from the same family but they do have distinctive differences. The same can be said for sapphire and SAXEM, their connection is clear as they come from the same Hublot lineage. The Manufacture in Nyon is credited with bringing them both into the 21st century, to the point of establishing them as hallmark materials. Even so, their profiles are quite distinct. Sapphire is made of aluminium oxide, to which metallic oxides are added to provide colour. In contrast, SAXEM is coloured with rare earth elements. Sapphire has a trigonal (three-sided) structure, while SAXEM has a cubic (four-sided) form.

Chemical details? Maybe, but ever since Hublot established itself as an integrated Manufacture, R&D has been the key focus of its operations. This was true when the Nyon Manufacture was inaugurated in 2009, and, 15 years later, remains so today. The new Big Bang Unico Green SAXEM is further proof.

Creating an unprecedented shade of SAXEM is a challenging process. It’s a process Hublot has been working on since 2019, when it was first introduced for the Big Bang MP-11. Since then, the Manufacture has developed two shades:yellow and emerald. While as resistant as sapphire, it has a different shine: a brighter one. Its structure has fewer strains, it is more uniform and seamless. Hublot is exploring the future with a SAXEM that offers new technical and aesthetic perspectives.

The Green SAXEM of the new Big Bang UNICO highlights a number of these innovations. The 42 mm case is solid and robust. It packs all the power of SAXEM into a dense, compact diameter. The material does not receive light, but creates the illusion of emitting it. The Green SAXEM is diffused into the smallest contours of the case and bezel, which are studded with six of Hublot’s iconic titanium H-shaped screws. The One Click system patented by Hublot for its interchangeable straps can be found at 12 and 6 o’clock.

For the movement, Hublot has opted for another Manufacture design: the UNICO 2 calibre, a new-generation flyback chronograph, the HUB1280. This is a first as the micro-rotor HUB6035 powered the previous Big Bang SAXEM. The movement is still self-winding, but now offers collectors the added benefit of a high-performance tungsten oscillating weight, visible through the back of the Green SAXEM case.

Combining advanced technology and a robust design, the HUB1280 calibre features the iconic column wheel at 6 o’clock, UNICO’s technical and aesthetic signature. Another distinctive aspect is the date disc, entirely visible around the movement, with the aperture set in the centre of the 60-minute counter at 3 o’clock.

The movement is finished in black PVD, as are the crown and its two push-pieces. For the index and the hands’ luminescent material, Hublot has successfully reproduced the exact shade of Green SAXEM. This is a first, and will remain highly exclusive as only 100 Big Bang Green SAXEM watches will be produced.