Press release
This is a unique piece, a one-off, an even wilder gamble, a breathtaking expression of expertise providing a level of purity, colour, cut, finish and uniformity of the whole piece which is a truly rare feat.
More than 13,000 hours were needed to cut the stones (with 45 gemcutters working non-stop for 1 month), which then took 2,000 hours to set.
Each diamond in the piece could adorn a ring. Those set in the centre of the wristlet weight more than 0.40 carats.
A secret project, the 2 MILLION € BB started life as a simple design hand-sketched around the table in Jean-Claude Biver's office at the Hublot stand at BaselWorld last year, as a "light-hearted confidential challenge" between Hublot's CEO and our master gemstone setters.
Finished the day before BaselWorld 2011 opened, it would take no less than 12 months to bring this exceptional piece to life, made up of 637 baguette diamonds and a rose cut diamond on the crown, and featuring a Vendôme Tourbillon movement to appeal to lovers of fine watchmaking.
A tour de force of patience and perfection, it was a long process. It consisted firstly of bringing the gemstones together, selecting them one by one to achieve perfect uniformity in terms of purity and colour (the diamonds selected by Hublot are of a remarkable quality, with colour graded as TOP WESSELTON and clarity of A VVS), then cutting each of them to the technical designs of the piece, and finishing by patiently setting each of them in a "Clou de Paris" setting, an extremely meticulous process, taking the master gemstone setters 9 months.
All the diamonds used in this watch come from the same mine, located in Yakutsk in the Russian Far East, on the same latitude as Beijing and a 9-hour flight from Moscow. More than 270 carats of rough diamonds were chosen from a lot of 1500 carats, and from these the stones used were selected. For about a month, the expert hands of 45 gemcutters worked hard to create 637 baguette diamonds, totalling just over 141 carats..
Today, at BASELWORLD 2011, the result is something which surpasses all expectations, a piece which crystallises the considerable creative and emotional investment, rendering it a true masterpiece, a perfect symbol of the fusion between jewellery and watchmaking.
Before going on to achieve its ultimate destiny, as hinted at by the two little Vendôme columns on its dial which symbolise the most beautiful place in the world, the ultimate symbol of international luxury, the piece shall first go on display in the Hublot boutique at 10 Place Vendôme. A celebration of the creativity, ingenuity, skill, confidence, madness, perseverance and passion… needed to make the wildest dreams a reality.
2 Million € BB
Unique piece: Over 140 carats of baguette diamonds, Vendôme Tourbillon movement
Reference: 305.WX.0099.WX.9904
Case: 18 K white gold set with 72 baguette diamonds, 20.85 carats
Bezel: 18 K white gold set with 72 baguette diamonds, 11.14 carats
Crystal: Sapphire with interior and exterior anti-reflective treatment
Case-back: 18 K white gold with sapphire crystal, interior anti-reflective treatment
Crown: 18 K white gold set with 24 baguette diamonds and one rose cut diamond, 1.02 carats
Dial: 18 K white gold, Palladium 150, set with 116 baguette diamonds, 8.87 carats, dial on two levels with 2 Vendôme columns
Hands: Faceted, rhodium-plated skeleton hands set with diamonds
Movement: HUB 6003, mechanical hand-wound tourbillon
Dimensions: Diameter: 13 ¼ ''' (Ø 30.00 mm)
Thickness: 7.10 mm
No. of components: 148
Number of jewels: 24
Bridges: Decorated with baguette settings
Balance: Gyromax regulating inertia block
Vibrations: 21,600 Vib/h (3Hz)
Tourbillon Cage: Ø 13 mm
Power reserve: Approximately 120 hours
Bracelet: 18 K white gold set with 353 baguette diamonds, 102.62 carats
Clasp: 18 K white gold deployant buckle
