We tried one of the lightest tourbillons ever on the wrist, it is the Hublot Big Bang Integrated Tourbillon Full Carbon introduced in 2023. It is not often that we get this feeling when trying a watch on the wrist, but in this case we were more than surprised.
The Art of Fusion according to Hublot
As we’ve told you, this brand is a pioneer in the Art of Fusion, the art of fusing materials that may be close or at antipodes, to give rise to very special creations. The Hublot Big Bang Integrated Tourbillon Full Carbon is a perfect example of this philosophy. Two materials are in fact combined, one very well known which is Carbon, and one decidedly less well known, which is Texalium.
Carbon is a well-known material that is frequently used in the industry today. Although it had several technical difficulties when it was first introduced into watches, it is very much in vogue today. The main difficulties arise from the joining of the carbon fibers, which must be joined with several tons of pressure so that they do not separate over time and with use.
Texalium is a fairly unfamiliar material, except in the aviation and aerospace fields. It is an extremely lightweight fiberglass base that is bonded to an aluminum surface, which gives it this shimmering effect on the outside.
A curiosity that few people know is that Hublot’s founder, Carlo Crocco, bought a stake in the Italian design brand Locman in 1990, which in turn introduced the world’s first carbon fiber watch in 2003.
The Fusion in the Big Bang Integrated Tourbillon Full Carbon
In the Big Bang Integrated Tourbillon Full Carbon, Hublot combines these two performance materials in the same watch. The result is a timepiece with an integrated bracelet weighing only 68 grams and a 99.99% scratch-resistant surface.
As we told you on Youtube, the Big Bang Integrated collection launched last year embodies the latest trends in watchmaking: integrated bracelets (the name even says so), smaller sizes, and reduced thicknesses.
In the case of the Full Carbon Tourbillon, a bracelet is integrated for the first time, which, as the brand says, can be regarded as a complication in its own right. The difficulty lies in creating such fine links that complement each other, not adding other supporting elements. The bracelet is one of the lightest around, weighing only 26 grams.
At the caliber level, we have an automatic manufacture tourbillon. In developing this mechanism, Hublot opted for a special construction to make it as light as the case. The architecture is based on a sapphire plate and three bridges (making for an even more skeletonized effect) and a micro-rotor at 12 o’clock on the front, to give it winding.
Now imagine putting 68 grams of tourbillon on your wrist…you will be really surprised despite the 43 mm diameter. Should you ever have a chance to be in Milan and be able to visit the Hublot Boutique in Pisa Orologeria, we highly recommend you do so to try this watch. We bet you will be as amazed as we are.
Price and Availability
This edition was produced in only 50 pieces worldwide, and sold at a list price of 132,000 EUR.
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