VIDEO: The Hublot Spirit of Big Bang Meca-10 Black Magic watch is horological sorcery on the wrist
Hublot is a brand that does not always get its horological due. The movements that the brand does not produce in-house are horological footnotes compared to the movements that they do. At their core, Hublot are a bold, brave and forward-thinking manufacturer, and an excellent example of this temerity is the Meca-10 movement. As its name suggests, the caliber provides a long-lasting 10 days of power reserve and offers a distinctly Hublot aesthetic in form and finish. It’s quite the marvel in the metal, and a feast for the eyes for even the most seasoned gearheads. This is why it is proudly displayed front, back and centre of the Hublot Spirit of Big Bang Meca-10 Black Magic. Measuring 45mm in diameter and 14.5mm thick, the black ceramic case is horological sorcery on the wrist. A sizeable watch, with the industrial feel of the Empire’s Death Star, this is surprisingly one of the more tame designs from Hublot. While they are more than capable of injecting colour into their ceramic creations, here they have elected for stealth appeal through an almost entirely black aesthetic. The only deviations from black can be found in four aspects of the watch. The H-shaped screws,…
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This year has held a lot of change for almost everyone who populates this planet. Some people have been able to take positives out of their respective lockdown experiences, free-time opportunities, or even just spending more time with those immediately around you. But ultimately I don’t believe anyone could say that it has been easy. For me, among other things, 2020 was the year I joined Time+Tide. This involved its challenges, as I’ve only been a watch enthusiast for about two years now, and I’ve had to learn fast. Being lent the occasional new watch to review was, of course, an exciting experience when I first earned some trust, but one of the year’s highlights has been meeting the characters behind this website that I’d first started to explore as YouTube recommended me more and more horological content. I may have embarrassed myself in my first editorial meeting over Zoom by forgetting to change my background beforehand (the description of the photo I’ll take to my grave), but I’m glad to say that I feel totally welcomed. In no particular order, here are five of my favourite Time+Tide articles from the year, which I think sum up the people I’m…
If you missed Part 1 of this series looking at some of the best titanium watches, you can take a look right here. While for some the notion of titanium is beholden to large divers and the cutting-edge of the tool watch spectrum, Part 2 might surprise you with a lesser known and far dressier side to the story. Brace yourself for some exquisite Haute Horlogerie and James Bond references dressed up in the armoured finery of titanium. Laurent Ferrier Opaline 40mm The last place you would expect to find titanium is in a beautifully simple, haute horlogerie dress watch from the ex-Patek Philippe master Laurent Ferrier. Like the rest of his perfectionist portfolio, the Classic Origin Opaline is pebble-smooth, and though you might do a second take wondering why the exposure in the shot made the case look a bit dark for steel, titanium still does not present itself as an immediate answer. I will stress again the fact that titanium is not easy to work with in making mirror-like round polished surfaces, but clearly Mr Ferrier took it on as a challenge, lending a flyweight air to what is consummate elegance embodied in a round case. The silvery white…
Editor’s note: This year at Hublot has focused heavily on celebrating the 40th anniversary of the brand, but there was another important new chapter in the history book of the masters of fusion. The in-house Meca-10 movement, a caliber that has been restricted to the classically round Big Bang case, was set free into the tonneau-shaped Spirit of Big Bang case for the first time this year. With a truly remarkable 10 days of power reserve, it’s no surprise that Hublot have pulled out all the stops in these new watches, producing them in several materials, including King Gold. Let’s take a closer look at the Hublot Spirit of Big Bang Meca-10 King Gold. The advent of Hublot’s Big Bang essentially put the provocative, innovative and disruptive brand firmly on the horological map. The brainchild of horological mega-doyen Jean-Claude Biver, the Big Bang arrived on the scene way back in 2004, and since then, it has not only reinvigorated but redefined what Hublot stands for. The evocatively named, plus-sized timepiece has been the wrist-worn proving ground for myriad material and technical revolutions that have broken boundaries and exceeded expectation time and time again. Not all Big Bangs are equal though,…