Tag Archive for: tourbillon

https://www.hublot.com/ – Big Bang Tourbillon Samuel Ross

A Hublot ambassador since 2020, creative director Samuel Ross brings his unique graphic language to watchmaking for the first time with the limited-edition Big Bang Tourbillon Samuel Ross.

https://www.hublot.com/

A 40-year focus on the “Art of Fusion” has resulted in a meteoric rise for Hublot, seeing it catapulted to the pinnacle of innovative watchmaking. With the brand’s ability to combine seemingly diametrically opposed materials, plus an enduring drive to push the boundaries of what is technically and aesthetically possible, it has rewritten the rules of horology, leaving a new design language in its wake.

Fostering a desire to work with the most talented practitioners in alternate fields, the brand introduced its “Hublot Loves Art” initiative more than a decade ago. Hublot has since collaborated with some of the most talented artists and designers of a generation. Ground-breaking in outlook and highly collectable, the resulting watches offer new interpretations of time and timekeeping. The most recent creator to take up the mantle is Samuel Ross.

Mirroring Hublot’s trajectory, renaissance man Ross has experienced an equally breakneck rise to prominence. Describing himself as a creative director, the 30-year-old multi-disciplinary artist, filmmaker, and fashion designer graduated from Leicester De Montfort University in 2012 with a first-class honours’ degree in graphic design and illustration. Since then, he has collaborated with many brands and creative outlets – from Oakley and Nike to Dr. Martens and Mackintosh – launching his men’s Luxury Sportswear label A-Cold-Wall* in late 2015, and his design studio SR_A in 2019.

In 2019, Ross was awarded the prestigious Hublot Design Prize, and a year later he was announced as an official brand ambassador, an occasion marked by the unveiling of REFORM, a sculpture designed to encapsulate 40 years of Hublot. Combining an ancient, organic material (granite) with a modern, manmade one (steel), Ross created his own ‘Fusion’, uniting past and present in a production process that involved both traditional hand-finishing and cutting-edge machining.

The deceptively simple, industrial form of the 40cm high artwork has now been reinterpreted in the 44mm Big Bang Tourbillon Samuel Ross – Ross’s first wristwatch collaboration with Hublot. Ross’s signature use of colour and love of stark geometry and urban design, come together with the innovation and precision that prevail in the work of both Ross and Hublot.

The distinctive, stylised hexagon of the Big Bang case is reflected in the titanium honeycomb mesh used on the sapphire dial, case, case back and strap. A basic building block of nature (seen in environments from beehives and snake’s scales to pineapple skin and snowflakes) the robust and efficient shape, that can be repeated without gaps or overlapping, has been appropriated as a standard for modern-day construction and design thanks to the seamless fit of each unit.

Here the hexagon is a visual symbol of the functionality of the watch – a key strand running through all of Ross’s design. Although it may be a wearable sculpture, Ross never loses sight of the need for it to be durable and ergonomic, the lightweight, openworked titanium structure and malleable rubber strap ensuring its comfort on the wrist. A proponent of colour theory, Ross has chosen orange – representing energy and optimism – for the strap and accents on the crown and tourbillon bridge and lateral bumpers that protect the case, a glowing contrast to the sober grey of the satin-finished case and bezel.

The 282-component, manufacture HUB6035 calibre within beats at 3 Hz and gives 72 hours of power reserve. Just 50 pieces will be produced, each one a piece of art that brings a new perspective and a new visual language

to watchmaking. To celebrate the launch, Ross’s signature colours will envelop Hublot’s 5th Ave boutique in New York City. The takeover will be repeated in Hublot stores across the globe, bringing the Samuel Ross universe to the world of horology.

IN THIS CELEBRATORY YEAR MARKING THE 300TH ANNIVERSARY OF PIERRE JAQUET-DROZ’S BIRTH, THE MAISON UNVEILS AN EXCEPTIONAL UNIQUE PIECE RESERVED FOR THE “ONLY WATCH” CHARITY AUCTION.

For the ninth consecutive time, Jaquet Droz is proud to donate a unique piece of its own creation, designed exclusively for Only Watch, a charity sale to benefit the Association Monégasque contre les Myopathies (Monegasque Association against Muscular Dystrophy), and featuring a degree of technical ambition and aesthetic never-before achieved: A Grande Seconde Skelet-One Tourbillon adorned with a plique-à-jour enamel dial.

The original idea was to extend the initial purpose of the Grande Seconde to provide its owner with the finest and most accurate reading of the seconds—hence its largely dimensioned and off-center dial at 6 o’clock, exclusively dedicated to this effect. How could this precision be achieved? By adding a tourbillon. This escapement, itself a genuine watchmaking complication, aims to compensate for the harmful effects undergone by a timepiece that performs across multiple planes, all subjected to the force of gravity which alters its precision.

The tourbillon of the new Grande Seconde Skelet-One Tourbillon “Only Watch” was born of Jaquet Droz’s in-house expertise, but entirely reworked in the purest chronometric approach. Thanks to its realization in titanium and the elimination of the sapphire bridges, the cage has been lightened and optimized with regards to its chronometric functions. The balance spring and pallet lugs are made of silicon. Highly open to let light pass through, the tourbillon gives the illusion of being both large and lightweight all at once. Completely revised and placed at noon, it accords the piece a dedicated identity of strength and technicality.

The underlying aesthetic architecture is as technical as it is unique. The skeleton structure is brand new: while the original Skelet-One favored soft and supple curves, the Grande Seconde Skelet-One Tourbillon “Only Watch” focuses on straight lines, angles, modernity and perfect symmetry. This very contemporary skeletonization is as technical as its highly precise tourbillon movement can be, furthering the technical and aesthetic consistency of the piece. Its bridges, finished in black, confer a powerful matte appearance. The tourbillon cage follows the geometry of the skeleton movement, with a triple cross shape which, once a minute, aligns perfectly with its bridges.

For Only Watch, Jaquet Droz put to work its Ateliers d’Art as well, in order to produce a highly exclusive plique-à-jour dial, made specially for the famous charity sale. Once again, whereas the Maison’s most recent plique-à-jour creations featured curves and soft, slightly domed lines, the Skelet-One Tourbillon “Only Watch” is made up of various straight and geometric sections separated by white gold, thus forming a dial which has been entirely polished flat. The Maison achieved this unprecedented result by applying an extremely fine diamond powder polish to each area of the enamel, the only kind capable of achieving this thickness.

Every tone of enamel has been painstakingly selected for the model and fired at a very high temperature several times in a row. The choice of these colors therefore owes nothing to chance: a color chart was proposed by Only Watch associating different tones with certain characteristics. The Maison thus translated these variations of red, orange and yellow into an expression of happiness, passion, optimism and even energy—all values that support the cause championed by Only Watch.

An aesthetic and technical achievement, the first Grande Seconde Skelet-One with tourbillon, the first with plique-à-jour enamel, a new geometry of skeleton movement, a fully updated tourbillon… the Grande Seconde Skelet-One Tourbillon “Only Watch” is many things. It’s also the perfect match between an age-old complication and craftsmanship on the one hand, and an eminently modern technique and geometry on the other. A rare, precise balance, like any Jaquet Droz timepiece, which foreshadows all the ambitions of the Maison’s future Skelet-One collection.

Big Bang Integral Sapphir Tourbillon

BIG BANG INTEGRAL TOURBILLON FULL SAPPHIRE: A FEAT OF PURE SAPPHIRE

It is true that sometimes less is more – perhaps a lot more. With the Big Bang Integral Tourbillon Full Sapphire, Hublot has taken its Art of Fusion to its ultimate conclusion. A new integral bracelet and case custom-made from sapphire: this feat affirms yet again the technical proficiency and the exceptional expertise that Hublot has acquired in the working of sapphire.

 April 2021 – For some, this will seem a natural development. For others, it will be a total disconnect. The final result is a little of each. The Big Bang Integral Tourbillon Full Sapphire is the fruit of a long tradition. It is rooted in 2016, and the Big Bang Unico Sapphire, the first sapphire watch. With this piece, Hublot translated the expertise it had developed in machining very hard materials to create an exceptional series of sapphire watches. Today, Hublot is pushing these boundaries even further: the first Big Bang with an integrated case and bracelet, both of which are made from sapphire. A natural (r)evolution and a highly technical feat in equal measure.

Big Bang Integral Sapphir Tourbillon

Big Bang Integral Sapphir Tourbillon

” For such an exceptional creation, we opted for the new Automatic Tourbillon calibre with its sapphire bridges, the transparency of which creates a stunning spectacle. The act of creating an integrated case and bracelet from sapphire was, however, deemed impossible. But we were the first brand to gain perfect mastery of sapphire, industrialising it and making it reproducible in series production. It took us five years to bring our first sapphire cases to life – and almost as long for the bracelet. Producing both from sapphire and integrating them together is the pinnacle of the in-depth work undertaken by all of Hublot’s teams. We are proud to be the ones writing the first lines in this new chapter in the history of materials”. – Ricardo Guadalupe, HUBLOT CEO

Big Bang Integral Sapphir Tourbillon

Big Bang Integral Sapphir Tourbillon

Watchmakers are sometimes the only ones to know certain details of their watches. With a case and bracelet made entirely from sapphire, all secrets are revealed: the movement and casing fuse, and every aspect is visible.

The case of this new Big Bang Integral Tourbillon Full Sapphire has been reconstructed in its entirety to house the Automatic Tourbillon movement. The goal: to remove almost all of the visible screws, overhaul the general geometry of the case to integrate it with the sapphire bracelet, develop a new case profile to house the sapphire bracelet, and rework the bridges and main plates to give them the illusion of being suspended in space. Hublot also developed inserts and attachments which were reduced to their simplest expression, to allow light through every component. The case is thus composed of no fewer than 37 components, five of which are made solely from sapphire.
Big Bang Integral Sapphir Tourbillon

Big Bang Integral Sapphir Tourbillon

The bracelet was also a complex challenge: it alone comprises 165 components, 22 of which are made from sapphire. Each component had its own industrial process. A third of these were specially designed to provide unique harmony with the transparency of the case, and to offer fluidity and flexibility. Of particular note are the titanium inserts Hublot developed, ultra-reduced to ensure they do not protrude either side of each bracelet link – a first for the manufacture, and probably for watchmaking.
Big Bang Integral Sapphir Tourbillon

Big Bang Integral Sapphir Tourbillon

In terms of the movement, the HUB6035 automatic manufacture calibre, entirely designed and manufactured in-house, is the beating heart of the piece. It demonstrates a perfect balance between the micro-rotor at 12 o’clock and the tourbillon at 6 o’clock, and also with its three transparent sapphire bridges, exclusive to this new Big Bang. The components appear to be literally suspended in space. Each gear train is not only penetrated by light coming in from the dial side and passing through the skeleton movement on the other side: now, and for the first time, light enters the heart of the Big Bang Integral Tourbillon Full Sapphire from all directions. It is diffused, refracted, reflected, twisted and twirled – a fragment of light encapsulated on the wrist.
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The Tourbillon with HUBLOT’S signature codes Spirit of Big Bang Tourbillon 5 day power reserve carbon white

“The Spirit of Big Bang Tourbillon White… different, yet resolutely Hublot. It combines the distinctive codes of our brand: 6 H-shaped titanium screws, “sandwich” case construction, the Art of Fusion with carbon fibre and composite inclusions, an HUB6020 skeleton tourbillon manufacture movement custom-designed for its tonneau case, a jewel of innovation and expertise showcasing the aesthetic approach to movement design central to the Hublot philosophy, and, lastly, strap interchangeability thanks to its patented One Click system.

In the seven years since its launch in 2014, the singular and distinctive Spirit of Big Bang has been cultivating its differences whilst incorporating the signature Hublot codes – 6 H-shaped titanium screws, a “sandwich” case construction, and a demonstration of the Art of Fusion.

Spirit-of-Big-Bang-Tourbillon-5-day-Power-Reserve-Carbon-White-3

Spirit-of-Big-Bang-Tourbillon-5-day-Power-Reserve-Carbon-White-3

With the Spirit of Big Bang Tourbillon 5-day Power Reserve Carbon White, Hublot combines black with white, proving opposites attract. The 42-mm case, case back and bezel are crafted from carbon fibre featuring white composite inclusions. These white inclusions are formed of glass microfibres created as a non-woven fabric (NWF), used mainly to improve the breaking strength of composites: This NWF is then co-impregnated with the carbon fibres using tinted epoxy resin when the composite preforms are created in a special mould.

Released in a limited edition of 100 pieces, the Spirit of Big Bang Tourbillon 5-day Power Reserve Carbon White plays with contrasts and transparency with a sapphire case back and dial which reveal the ultra-aesthetic architecture of the HUB6020 manufacture movement. A skeleton tourbillon specially designed to sit within the tonneau case of the Spirit of Big Bang. A power reserve of 115 hours, hand-wound, with a 5-day indicator set at 8 o’clock. At 6 o’clock, the tourbillon cage completes one rotation per minute. Off-centre hours and minutes can be read at 3 o’clock.
Paired with a white lined rubber strap, the Spirit of Big Bang White embraces interchangeability thanks to its patented “One-Click” system.