An all-new Hublot has arrived in the form of the Sailing Team – a Carbon Fiber Big Bang Unico with interchangeable straps, done in conjunction with Swiss sailor, Alan Roura and his yacht, IMOCA.
Hublot’s association with the sea may not be all that evident at first glance to many, but the Swiss brand has long had ties with the ocean – in fact it’s right there in the name, Hublot means Porthole in French. Naming conventions aside, Hublot has a strong R&D arm, Hublot Xplorations which was set up primarily to assist with exploration dives and discoveries under the waves, one of which is the Antikythera Shipwreck, which we covered here. So it’s no surprise that Hublot has partnered with Swiss professional sailor, Alan Roura since 2022 and this year, brings out a limited edition piece that has both nods to his vessel, IMOCA and also Hublot’s origins.
The first thing you notice about the Big Bang Unico Sailing Team is the design and colours. Hublot has opted to mirror the colour combination of Alan Roura’s boat, IMOCA with the black carbon fiber case and pops of bright yellow on the dial and the strap. This colour combination is also a bit of a nod to Hublot’s heritage, with the black and gold colouring bringing back notions of the Hublot Classic Original of the 1980s with the gold case and black rubber strap.
Hublot has kept the Big Bang Unico DNA with this piece and adapted it to suit the needs of Alan Roura as well as the aesthetics of the IMOCA. You still have the open-worked dial which is a staple on the Big Bang Unico with the date wheel peeping through the outer track, small seconds at 9 o’clock and the minutes counter at 3 o’clock. The chronograph hand has a distinctive pop of yellow to easily track the chronograph seconds on the rehaut as does the minutes conter.
The Carbon Fibre case keeps this piece ultra light, which is what you want when tackling the open ocean and darting back and forth on a sailing yacht to keep it under control. The Big Bang Unico Sailing Team is in the 42mm size variant, which I feel is the sweet spot for the Unico range – not too big, not too small. The 14.5mm thickness is negated really by the lightness of the watch, not to mention the all-black carbon fibre design – you know what they say, black is slimming!
“This is the third year running that I’ve worked with Hublot. I’m impressed, as always, by their ability to
Alan Roura
constantly push their own limits. I have been sailing with a Big Bang Original since 2022, but this Unico
Sailing Team is even lighter and more robust. In racing, everything comes down to precision and reliability. I
need to be able to count on my equipment 200%. It’s the fusion of the skipper and his equipment that makes
the difference.”
Personally, I’m a sucker for a yellow and black combination watch. There is something about the way the yellow contrasts with the black, and on the Hublot Big Bang Unico Sailing Team, this is no exception. While the watch comes with a black fabric strap with a velcro fastener, I had to swap it out for the yellow rubber strap and folding buckle when taking these photos as I feel that this combination works so well. The great thing is, Hublot gives you both options included in the set so using the quick change mechanism, you can easily swap one for the other depending on how you feel on the day.
Turning the watch over, peering through the display caseback is the HUB1280 in-house flyback chronograph movement. This is one of Hublot’s in-house movements they developed from the ground up and one that I have said numerous times is one of the best chronograph movements on the market today – don’t believe me, then head into a boutique or retailer and give one a go, you will see what I mean! Hubot has kept the all-back aesthetic for the movement and has the Hublot Sailing Team emblazoned across the crystal.
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Initial Thoughts
We didn’t spend a major amount of time with the Hublot Big Bang Unico Sailing Team, but enough this time around to get a good sense of the watch, what it represents and how it will potentially wear in the longer term. For those who like the ultra-sporty look, especially the black and yellow colour combination, this watch will tick a lot of boxes. Having the option to make it pop on the yellow rubber strap, or making it a little more subtle on the black fabric strap also makes this piece a little more flexible.
Like most Hublot collaborations, the Sailing Team is limited to 100 pieces worldwide and will, like most other collaborations Hublto does, sell out fairly quickly. Personally, this is a piece that is great to wear and looks good on the wrist. It is probably not your everyday piece, but you wouldn’t want it to be as you will want to appreciate it for what it is – a light, robust sports watch designed for the outdoors. Or as we are starting to warm up here in Australia, on the yellow strap, a good summer watch and if you happen to be a sailor, well then that is a bonus!
Reference: 441.QX.1149.NR.ARA24 – limited to 100 pieces
Specification:
- Case: 42mm x 14.5mm thick
- Case Material: Shiny black carbon fiber
- Dial: Matte black, open-worked dial with chronograph seconds and minutes, date at 3 o’clock
- Bezel: Shiny black carbon fiber
- Crystal: Sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating
- Movement: In-house HUB1280 Automatic caliber with a flyback chronograph movement. Beating at 28,800 VpH / 4Hz and pivoting on 43 Jewels
- Case-Back: Sapphire crystal
- Water resistance: 100 metres / 10ATM
- Power reserve: 72 hours
- Strap: Black fabric with velcro and black ceramic sports buckle. Additional black and yellow lined, structured rubber strap with a black ceramic and black-plated Titanium deployant buckle.
