This year at Watches & Wonders, Hublot celebrated the 20th anniversary of its iconic Big Bang collection. After Carlo Crocco, who founded the brand in 1980, stepped down from management in the early 2000s, Jean-Claude Biver joined replica Hublot in 2004. Based on the brand’s philosophy of “Art of Fusion,” he creatively combined the maximalist design that was popular at the time with disparate materials such as gold, ceramic, rubber, tantalum, carbon, and Kevlar to launch the Big Bang in 2005. The Big Bang was enough to capture the attention of those looking for a new type of luxury sports watch to open the 21st century, and it quickly became a bestseller that changed the fate of the brand, gaining explosive popularity among socialites, global stars, and executives, especially in Europe and the United States. As its name suggests, Big Bang burst into the world with a bang, and in just 20 years, it established itself as the protagonist of an undeniable success story.
In 2025, Hublot will celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Big Bang collection with a total of five anniversary editions. Based on lightweight and human-friendly titanium, King Gold, Hublot’s exclusive 18K gold alloy, red ceramic and black ceramic that show the technology of the “magician of materials,” and Magic Gold, the first patented 18K gold alloy that is scratch-resistant, the collection’s unique design tradition continues with a combination of black ceramic, black-coated titanium, and colored rubber.
And all five models feature the serrated edge detail of the bezel border seen on the early Big Bangs, while the dial features a carbon-patterned dial reminiscent of a Formula 1 racing flag. While inheriting the signature carbon fiber dial of the original Big Bang, it is expressed three-dimensionally like a 3D pixel, with the protruding sides finished with satin brushing and the fine sides with black lacquer, creating a subtle tone-on-tone contrast. Meanwhile, the center of the crown is engraved with the ’20 Years’ logo commemorating the 20th anniversary of the Big Bang collection, letting you know at a glance that it is an anniversary edition.
Regardless of the material, all models have a case diameter of 43mm and a thickness of 13.2mm, and are practical with a water resistance of 100m that you can use with confidence not only in everyday life but also in various leisure sports activities. And, with the patented “One Click” system that was not available in the original Big Bang 20 years ago, you can easily replace the strap with an extra one from the case.
All models are equipped with the in-house automatic chronograph movement MHUB1280, commonly referred to as UNICO. The movement configuration is the same as the existing 3-day (approximately 72 hours) power reserve caliber HUB1280 with column wheel parts and flyback function, but some processing and finishing are different. The main plate and bridges are ruthenium-plated, which has a darker gray color, instead of the usual rhodium plating, and the openwork rotor made of 22K King Gold with the H initial logo in the center and engraved with ’20 Years Hublot Big Bang’ is added, once again emphasizing that it is a 20th anniversary limited edition through the transparent sapphire crystal case back. In addition, the date window that is revealed on the dial surface is placed at the 4:30 position, showing that this is also a faithful reproduction of the original Big Bang from 20 years ago.
The rubber strap also features a repeating diamond-shaped geometric treaded lozenge texture pattern instead of the traditional striped pattern. This is also the result of an effort to inherit the iconic details of the early Big Bang from 20 years ago. The rectangular pushers on the clasp with rubber tips are the same.
Regarding the Big Bang 20th Anniversary Edition, Hublot’s new CEO, Julien Tornare, says: “The Hublot Big Bang is undoubtedly one of the modern icons of 21st century watchmaking. This year, we are not only looking back at all that Hublot has accomplished, but also at the potential and possibilities that it holds. The Big Bang 20th Anniversary Collection connects the nostalgia of 20 years ago with the capabilities of the Hublot Manufacture today and in the future, and shows us what we can achieve in the future. I look forward to the next 20 years!”
In this way, the Big Bang 20th Anniversary Edition shows the evolution of a 21st century modern icon by grafting cutting-edge watchmaking technology onto the signature design of Hublot’s representative best-selling collection. The Big Bang 20th Anniversary Edition is a limited edition of all models. The titanium ceramic version (Ref. 431.NM.1337.RX) is limited to 500 pieces and the domestic release price is 34.6 million won, the king gold ceramic version (Ref. 431.OM.1338.RX) is limited to 250 pieces and the domestic release price is 56.25 million won, the red ceramic version (Ref. 431.CF.1313.RX) is limited to 100 pieces and the domestic release price is 46.58 million won, the all black ceramic version (Ref. 431.CI.1340.RX) is limited to 500 pieces and the domestic release price is 36.91 million won, and the full magic gold version (Ref. 431.MX.1330.RX) is limited to 1,000 pieces and the domestic release price is 59.47 million won.