The Big Bang Unico Sapphire Galaxy evokes the Milky Way with its constellation of stars and the invisible material that makes up the universe and its design has been inspired by the billions of stars found in the solar system. Symbolising the different nuances of stars; young blue stars emitting hot radiation and older red stars that emit cold radiation the bezel of the timepiece has been set with 48 baguette cut precious stones. Amethysts are followed by sapphires in rose, orange, fuchsia and different shades of blue to create a constellation of stones in perfect colour transition. Sourcing matched stone colours to evoke the hues of the galaxy was a challenge and required a meticulous attention to detail and precious stone expertise.
Inspired by the invisible material that makes up most of the galaxy, Hublot decided to further innovate using sapphire crystal to craft a case. Since 2016, the brand has been pushing the boundaries in watchmaking by using sapphire crystal, which is a very demanding material to work with. With special expertise, team creativity and perseverance Hublot has made strides in the use of sapphire in watchmaking by launching coloured sapphire cases. The material is difficult to work with and requires precision but yields itself well to watchmaking, as it is the most scratch resistant material after diamonds.
In the spirit of innovation Hublot has created two versions of the Big Bang Unico Sapphire Galaxy with a 45mm sapphire case in clear sapphire crystal and a version in all black. The smoked sapphire crystal results in a striking all black case bringing to life the night sky. The two watches embody the duality of the visible and the invisible. With a skeleton dial and transparent sapphire crystal case the UNICO HUB1242 manufacture movement is in full display with the gear train and column wheel on the dial side revealed.