Hublot in joint partnership with Berluti has created a stunning new limited edition timepiece. Hublot’s partnership with the famous men’s fashion house brand started back in 2016. Just recently they have given us a result of their collaboration, a new timepiece that brings together fashion watchmaking, leather, and titanium.
The base model chosen for this collaboration is the Big Bang Unico, with this edition being limited to a run of just 100 pieces, as with every model that the two houses have worked on together in the past.
Ricardo Guadalupe, the HUBLOT CEO, loves this new creation and states that “This new Big Bang Unico Berluti Aluminio isn’t quite what people were expecting – so, of course, that’s why we made it! In an urban style, it reflects the smooth, satin tones of the concrete that adorns the greatest cities. Understated but technical, monochrome but packed with nuance, it explores some very minimalist creative ground that we are not used to travelling. A piece that many will find surprising!”
Design:
The Big Bang Unico Berluti Aluminio comes in a 44mm satin-finished and polished titanium case, which matches nicely with the overall surrounding colours used by Berluti. The dial is semi-open-worked, with the hour indices portion being covered in genuine patinated Aluminio Venezia leather. The leather on the dial is held between two pieces of sapphire glass, where the cut in the middle reveals the open-work portion of the dial through to the Unico movement underneath. This same leather is used for the sub-counter at 3 o’clock and the bezel insert.
Aluminio is known to be one of Berluti’s signature patinas. The house of Berluti says that “This Big Bang Unico Berluti Aluminio is a new expression of our collaboration with Hublot. Working in monochrome is a very demanding exercise in patina, finish and play of light to give the watch its volume. Once again, the combination of our emblematic Venezia leather and Hublot’s watchmaking expertise brings about a unique, subtle and contemporary result.”
To fit the Aluminio Venezia leather into the bezel, Hublot created it as a two-part design. The first piece of the bezel which is in leather (around 1mm thick) is inserted onto the second piece (in grey titanium) and held with the help of sticky rigid resin. The two pieces are then screwed onto the case of the watch. This process allows the leather to patinate over time.
Hublot has used their vast knowledge and expertise in utilising different materials in watches to blend the Aluminio Venezia leather with the surrounding mechanical pieces. Hublot has used titanium for the case and clasp, resin for the central horn, tungsten for the oscillating weight and satin-finished rhodium for the hands.
Movement:
The movement used inside the Big Bang Unico Berluti Aluminio is the brand’s own Hublot MHUB1280 movement. This self-winding UNICO Manufacture chronograph flyback movement puts out a frequency of 4 hz (28, 800VpH).
The power reserve is estimated to be a minimum of 72 hours. The MHUB2180 movement can be seen from the case back through the sapphire crystal. Engraved around the case back is also the inscription “LIMITED EDITION 100NUM” and “BERLUTI”.
For admirers of fashion and watches, the Big Bang Unico Berluti Aluminio certainly ticks the right boxes. Understated appearance with a touch of elegance and mechanical prowess, the 100 units of this limited edition piece certainly won’t last long!
