Hublot’s innovative curiosity allowed them to make large investments in the industrialisation of the sapphire. Being one of the most challenging materials to manufacture, Hublot was able to produce sapphire in a variety of colours which included transparent, black, yellow, blue and red. A road-block they faced, however, was offering an emerald green in the sapphire material due to the complexities involved in its creation. It’s safe to say this didn’t stop the brand from trying, with Hublot exploring many different avenues to be able to come up with a solution.
Today Hublot has achieved what many thought was impossible, with the brand taking a new approach to the very technical and contemporary design of the MP-11 model. The Big Bang MP-11’s casing has been shaped in innovative material which is a first time ever for watchmaking. This is the Sapphire Aluminium oxide and rare Earth Mineral (SAXEM) which achieves an unparalleled shade of green that can even compete with the most beautiful emeralds.
To be able to achieve such a green sapphire material, Hublot manufacturer has mixed the fundamental component of sapphire (aluminium oxide) with rare-earth elements such as holmium, thulium and chromium.
The result of this process is that the final material achieved is harder than that of emerald and has a brilliance to it that is greater than sapphire. The cubic crystalline structure of SAXEM ensures the type of green, and its intensity in colour stays constant, regardless of the angle in which the watch case is viewed from.
The movement used in Hublot’s Big Bang MP-11 SAXEM green is the manual-winding skeleton manufacture calibre HUB9011. The outstanding feature of this calibre is its power reserve, lasting almost 14 days! Hublot has achieved this feat thanks to the movement’s seven barrels which are connected in series. These barrels can be seen directly from the dial, which adds a level of complexity to the aesthetic appeal of the movement. On the left of the barrels, the power reserve is displayed on a rotating cylinder, which counts down the number of days left on the reserve. The primary time component of the dial has been shifted up to allow room for the barrels. On the skeletonised dial, the time is still easily readable with the hour and minute hand along with the hour indexes given a green luminescent plating.
The Hublot Big Bang MP-11 SAXEM green comes with a black rubber strap which matches the skeleton movement and serves well to break up the colour, to let the sapphire casing do all the talking.
Hublot has indeed nailed the art of innovation by combining state of the art materials found in high-tech applications (satellites) along with its manufacture movement which achieves extraordinarily levels of performance. Bringing together new levels of aesthetic appeal with real-life practical use, Hublot is undoubtedly changing the Art of Fusion. The Hublot Big Band MP-11 SAXEM green is limited to only 20 pieces worldwide with a retail price of$127,000.00 USD ( around $190,000.00 AUD).
