Hublot goes back to the fundamentals of watchmaking with the MP-10 Tourbillon Weight Energy System Titanium.
One of the most exciting and coolest releases from this year’s LVMH releases has to be the latest update for Hublot’s MP collection. Starting off the year with a bang, Hublot’s MP collection is all about bringing together unique designs with revolutionary movements, and this latest MP-10 Tourbillon Weight Energy System Titanium is just that: a timepiece with no dial, no hands and no oscillating weight.
“Born with innovation in mind, the models of the MP collection represent the fusion between revolutionary movements and spectacular designs. Embodying pure prowess, they invite us to look at time in a new light.”
HUblot MP Collection
One of the key concepts that make up the MP collection is that the mechanical and aesthetic power of the watch is inseparable. The MP-10 Tourbillon Weight Energy System Titanium embodies this ideology as the timepieces come with an attention-grabbing design, starting from the case. The edges of the titanium case are smooth and rounded, while the majority of the middle parts are hollowed out so as to see the mechanical movement inside.
For a piece to be part of our MP collection, it must not only reinvent existing complications; it must create something exclusive, invent, build and open up new avenues in watchmaking R&D. I gave our designers and watchmakers carte blanche, and this is the fruit of their labours. From now on, people will talk about the MP-10 Tourbillon Weight Energy System in Titanium in terms of ‘before’ and ‘after'”
Ricardo Guadalupe Hublot CEO
The sapphire crystal design is of unparalleled complexity as it matches and flows with the case design. While the case construction is termed fairly simple by Hublot as it’s only just two pieces, the middle part and case-back, made in shiny micro-blasted titanium, the sapphire crystal is on a different level of construction altogether. Hublot states that this is the most complex sapphire crystal construction they’ve undergone to date, as it combines inclined planes on three axes.
Although the MP-10 Tourbillon Weight Energy System Titanium looks like a concept timepiece, it is anything but. The timepiece is a complete and practical watch, limited to a run of just 50 models worldwide. Creating 50 models of this mesmerising creation is impressive, but the incredible feats don’t stop there. The MP-10 Tourbillon Weight Energy System Titanium comes with a total number of 592 components, five years of R&D, two linear weights, one inclined tourbillon, and, lastly, a circular power reserve.
The unique construction of the MP-10 Tourbillon Weight Energy System Titanium is that it has no hands and no dial. The movement is the face and soul of this timepiece. This latest MP-10 features an architectural design that gives the whole dial a three-dimensional structure, one that is also visible from the side of the case.
While the dial has a unique and complex structure, the time is still easy to read. Instead of the traditional hour, minute and second hands, four rotating displays showcase the time. The hours and minutes are shown in the upper third of the dial, combined with an invisible magnifying glass. A circular power reserve is shown in the central third of the dial, with a clear green and red zone for power levels. On the lower third of the dial is the seconds, showing directly on the tourbillon cage. The tourbillon cage is made from monobloc aluminium, suspended and inclined. A patent application is pending
for this unique mechanical configuration.
The four rotating displays show the time in a super easy, readable manner. The first display shows the hours, while the second display showcases the minutes. These displays rotate in an anti-clockwise manner, with time elapsing from left to right. The seconds display is shown as mentioned on the tourbillon cage, and unlike the hour and minute displays, the seconds rotate clockwise.
The watch does not have a crown at the standard 3 o’clock position due to the ergonomics of the case design. Instead, the timepiece is wound manually via the crown at 12 o’clock, while the time is set using a second crown nestled on the case-back side to preserve the fluidity of the design.
The movement that makes all of this possible is the HUB9013 automatic calibre. Operating at 3Hz (21, 600 VpH), the movement can give a power reserve of 48 hours. One of the coolest features of this movement is how it’s wound. Unlike the traditional automatic calibre, there is no oscillating weight on the back. Instead, the genius engineers at Hublot have verticalised this oscillating weight and displayed it directly on the dial for all to see and be mesmerised.
On either side of the central architecture displaying the time and power reserve are two blocks of white gold arranged on a vertical axis along which they are free to move up and down. To prevent these blocks from colliding with the upper and bottom banks, Hublot developed a system of shock absorbers. These two vertical weights engage a rack and can wind the movement bidirectionally – an exclusive Hublot development for which a patent is also pending.
Final Thoughts
Everyone has their own personal opinion on avant-garde timepieces, on whether they are too outlandish or downright cool. However, seeing the oscillating weight turned into a vertical axis whereby blocks build up the energy to power the movement is something I think every watch aficionado will appreciate. It’s not just innovative but downright aesthetic to look at.
Upon first seeing the MP-10 Tourbillon Weight Energy System Titanium in pictures, it instantly reminded me of the incredible MP-10 Ferrari timepieces created by Hublot. These timepieces made me fall in love with high-end watchmaking, seeing the gears and mechanisms on the dial work brings pure delight. This all-new Hublot MP-10 Tourbillon Weight Energy System Titanium does just that.
Reference: 910.NX.0001.RX
Specification
- Case: 54.1mm length x 41.5mm width x 22.4mm thickness.
- Case Material: Shiny Microblasted Titanium Case H-Shaped Titanium Screws.
- Dial: N/A
- Crystal: Transparent sapphire glass with anti-reflective treatment
- Water resistance: 30m (3 Bar)
- Movement: HUB9013 Manufacture Automatic movement, showing power-reserve and skeleton tourbillon
- Movement Frequency: 3Hz (21,600 VpH)
- Power reserve: 48 hours
- Bracelet: Black structured rubber strap with titanium deployant buckle.
