Discovered in 1901, the Antikythera Mechanism has long been called one of the earliest computers. For years scientists had no idea what it did, ascribing it with almost mystical functionality. Through the use of advanced imaging techniques, we now know that this lump of crusty, corroded brass was actually an astronomical computer that allowed ancient Greeks to predict the passage of the planets.
Watchmaker Hublot has recreated the mechanism using modern techniques and shrunk it down to nearly postage-stamp size. The new watch – a one of a kind – features the full mechanism as historians and scientists understand it along with a standard three-hand tourbillon as well as a date register. → Read More
I am not always sure what Jean-Claude Biver is thinking. The machine-gun minded Swiss CEO covers so many bases when deciding what new Hublot watches are made that it can be almost impossible to predict what will come next. However, I do know one thing: Mr. Biver is watch lover. It might sound ironic, or silly, but when a watch lover runs a watch brand, it is a good thing. And trust me, not all watch brand CEOs are watch lovers. → Read More
The horological highlight from Hublot this year was the long-named “Cathedral” Minute Repeater Tourbillon and Column Wheel Chronograph watch. In a King Power style case, this watch boasts a case formed out of carbon fiber and a very complex movement that has (Yup, you guessed it!) the time, a tourbillon, a minute repeater, and a chronograph. → Read More
Last year Hublot released their first watch with a colored sapphire crystal. The crystal itself was tinted red on the very cool Hublot King Power F1 Monza watch. It was shared with me that more tinted crystals watches would come. Hublot is thus far sticking with red, but more colors will come soon – no doubt. Here for you is the Hublot Big Bang Red Magic collection for 2011 – that sport red tinted sapphire crystals, as well as the Hublot Big Bang All Black Green watches for 2011. I thought it was neat to put the red and green watches together. → Read More
If you aren’t familiar with the movement in the La Cle du Temps, let me explain it. It starts with a tourbillon based movement, where the tourbillon juts out of the bottom side of the watch. This is called a vertically mounted tourbillon. You can see it in the picture looking like some space age propeller. The watch dial, to tell the time, is on the upper right of the dial. The lower left of the dial is a power reserve indicator (looks like 5 days worth in the manually wound movement), and above it is the selector for speeding up for slowing down the time. This is where it gets interesting, and Hublot has clearly changed the format of the dial a bit from the previous watch. Using a crown on the left of the watch you can alter the time to run fast or run slow. A fun, but gimmicky way of “controlling time.” The neat part is that the movement always retains knowledge of the correct time – so you can always switch it back to “normal” mode and the time isn’t all screwed up. → Read More
Hublot goes tonneau. Fans of the brands have been asking for a non Big Bang or King Power inspired watch for a long time. Something is finally here, and this is just the first of more to come. This is the first Hublot Masterpiece collection (Ref. MP-01), and will be a range of higher-end Hublot timepieces with in-house movements that will be positioned between standard Hublot watches and the ultra high-end Confrerie Hublot timepieces. The Masterpiece MP-01 will be limited to just 100 pieces. → Read More
Have you been to the Gstaad Palace? No? Well then I am sorry to say that you probably don’t know about GreenGo – the popular club that is now celebrating its 40th anniversary. I don’t think it has changed since it was created. According to their site (and images), the club remains in its 1970s era fittings. Looks like what would happen if you built a lounge in an underground pool that just happened to double as a dungeon. Though for this Californian, the name of the ‘hot spot’ is just “gringo.” What is more funny is that the watch almost has the colors of the Mexican flag on it. → Read More
The two limited edition Ayrton Senna watches from Hublot are quite interesting. Hublot here has been able to showcase a few new things. The first of which are all carbon-fiber versions of their King Power watch cases. Often times cases will have carbon fiber inserts, but theses 48mm wide cases are in all carbon fiber, though part of Hublot’s typical sandwich construction. This in a sense is Hublot’s answer to Audemars Piguet’s forged carbon cases on some of their Royal Oak Offshore watches. While the cases are carbon fiber, the bezels are in matte ceramic and made to look like disc brakes. The screws and crown are PVD black titanium. → Read More
Hublot really did something special with this watch, and it looks just great. Totally epitomizing what fresh Hublot designs can feel like. In addition to the great King Power model based design, this watch has two special innovations that you will really like. First, is a world’s first developed by Hublot – a red sapphire crystal. A few years ago Rolex developed a green colored sapphire crystal for their Milgauss watches. Hublot has done the same but with red. How cool does that look? Of course the crystal is just slightly red, so as to still be transparent. → Read More
The myth of Jean-Claude Biver is as much a man, as the man himself. While many people wouldn’t necessarily consider the CEO of a watch brand a celebrity or an icon; to watch lovers and people working in the industry, few people have the level of respect and close to attention that Mr. Biver enjoys. And enjoy it he does. The prize for the man’s calculated efforts is a sense of pride and a pat-on-the-back attitude that comes naturally. Bright faced and wide-eyed, Jean-Claude Biver (JCB) often has the enthusiasm of a teenager. Nevertheless, Jean-Claude prefers the simple joys in life, and is approachable in a way that can’t be said for most men at the helm of high profile brands. Aside from his deeds as a watch maker, Biver is amusingly known second best for his famous cheese making – a true Swiss, he does not disappoint. → Read More
When Hublot first launched the Big Bang I was totally down with the watch. It had a unique style and size as well as a nice pedigree and cost about $15K, not horrible for a watch of this caliber. Now they’re just getting greedy.
The King Power is just a fat watch with a weird, all-black face that almost renders it useless. This model has a ceramic bracelet, which is unusual, and is water resistant to 10 ATM. It’s basically using a standard jumping hands split-second movement from La Joux-Perret. How much is all of this pleasure? $22,000, not counting the gazelle-like Russian models you have to hire to walk into the shop so you can look sufficiently douchey when you pick this up. → Read More
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