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Watches & Wonders 2022: Hublot Squares Big Bang

Hublot adds a square-cased collection with Square Bang Unico, a series of five chronograph watches set with the watchmaker’s HUB1280 Unico Manufacture movement. While we’ve seen barrel-shaped Spirit of Big Bang Hublot models in recent years, the new collection is Hublot’s first with four corners.

The new Hublot Square Bang Unico, here in King Gold and ceramic.

The new Square Bang Unico series features a ‘sandwich’ construction that offers the wearer the same deep, architectural profile as most Hublot watches. And, just as aligned with Big Bang designs, the new Square Bang Unico features a largely sapphire dial to offer a clear view into the Unico movement, notably its column wheel (seen at the 6 o’clock position) and the date wheel. Even the hands here echo those seen on Big Bang models.

Up close on the dial of the Hublot Square Bang Unico, here in titanium.

Other parallels to existing Big Bang models include the 42mm case size, the six (functional) screws on the bezel and the case protectors on the crown side and the left side of the case.

Hublot also extends its proven One Click strap-change system with two fixed screws to the new Square Bang collection. Hublot designed new textured pattern for the rubber strap that includes four rows (like the four sides of the case) of raised squares (like the bezel on the case).

The Hublot Square Bang Unico, in titanium and ceramic.

As noted above, Hublot will kick off the collection with five models. Three are in solid titanium, black ceramic or King Gold and the other two are cased in blended titanium or King Gold with a black ceramic bezel. One collection, the Square Bang Unico All Black, will be made as a limited edition of 250.

The Hublot Square Bang Unico All Black.

Prices: All Black (limited to 250 pieces): $26,200. Titanium Ceramic: $24,100. Titanium: $23,100. King Gold Ceramic: $39,900. King Gold: $43,100.

The Hublot Square Bang Unico King Gold.

 

Additional Hublot Watches & Wonders 2022 highlights include:

The Hublot Big Bang Tourbillon Automatic Purple Sapphire. A limited edition of fifteen pieces in translucent purple (a composite of aluminum oxide and chrome), which Hublot says is an industry premiere. Price: $200,000.

The Hublot Fusion Orlinski Bracelet, the first bracelet for the artistic collaboration. The 83-part titanium bracelet is faceted and bezeled to match the case. Price: $15,700 in titanium with white dial (below) or black dial.

Four additional colors in the Hublot Big Bang Integral Ceramic collection. Look for new models (below) in Green, Indigo Blue, Beige and Sky Blue. Price: $24,100.

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The Watches

Breitling Teams with Triumph for Ice Blue Chronograph

Breitling has teamed with British motorcycle brand Triumph to launch the Top Time Triumph, a sporty 41mm steel-cased chronograph with an ice blue dial.

The new Breitling Top Time Triumph.

The new watch is characterized by a brushed blue dial finish in the bow-tie motif inspired by 1960s-era café racing culture. A solid steel caseback features an engraving of a sketch depicting a Triumph parallel twin engine.

To further reinforce the partnership, the Breitling and Triumph logos are prominently featured on the dial of the Top Time Triumph, framed by a retro-inspired high-contrast tachymeter scale.

Breitling Top Time Triumph

At the same time, Breitling will make 270 ‘owner’s’ versions of the Top Time Triumph watch that will be offered to buyers of a special motorcycle from Triumph called the Speed Twin Breitling Limited Edition.

These limited edition watches will feature engraved casebacks identical to the Top Time Triumph, but will add an engraving of the same unique serial number as the owner’s motorcycle. These owner’s limited edition models will also sport its ice blue dial with a sunray-pattern, which differs slightly from the brushed, bow-tie pattern dial of the Top Time Triumph.

The Breitling Top Time Triumph Speed Twin Owners’ Limited features a sunray pattern blue dial.

“Triumph’s heritage and modern-retro aesthetic are just two of the many things we have in common,” said Georges Kern, CEO of Breitling. “Their blending of tradition with technology is completely in sync with what we do.”

The blue color on dials is as retro as the watch’s case and mushroom pusher style. The color is inspired by a blue Triumph Thunderbird 6T from 1951, and a rare, blue-dialed Breitling Top Time Ref. 815 from the 1970s, according to Breitling.

The Breitling Caliber 23, a COSC-certified ETA Valjoux 7753-based chronograph movement, powers both watches. Prices: $5,500 and $5,700 (Owner’s Limited Edition).

 

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The Watches

Vostok-Europe Recalls the Space Race

By Gary Girdvainis

Vostok-Europe launches into orbit with its new Space Race edition. Celebrating the years 1957 through 1975 (as etched on the case back), the watch touches both sides of the Cold War-era of the last century.

The Vostok-Europe Space-Race, quartz chronograph model.

The critical dates and the events in the challenge to get to the moon occurred in this eighteen-year window. From Sputnik to Gagarin to John Glenn and Neil Armstrong, all these events and related personalities made their marks within those fateful dates. This is all honored in the new Space Race watch.

The Vostok-Europe Space-Race, automatic model.

Vostok-Europe is a boutique watch brand based in Vilnius, Lithuania, with seventeen years on the market. They build mostly sport and recreational watches, particularly dive watches.

The Space Race won’t be the only watch in their collection with ties to space travel. The Lunokhod II is inspired by a series of lunar rovers the Russians put on the moon. The N1 Rocket and the Energia both celebrate two of the most complex and largest rocket systems ever built.

The Space Race series features two models. One is driven by a YN55 automatic movement and the other is powered by a Miyota quartz chronograph movement. The case size is 47mm by 17mm, so these are not small watches.  A K1 glass system protects the watch. With a 200-meter water resistant design, this is nearly a professional grade diver, save for the required rotating bezel.

The Space Race comes in eight different color dial options. The strap is an extra thick leather and there are also mesh and rubber bracelet options.

Prices range from $369 to $549 and are available at www.R2Awatches.com

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Alpina

Alpina Limited Edition Chronograph Hits the Slopes

Geneva-based Alpina re-affirms its deep connections to the sporting world by introducing an eye-catching, affordably priced quartz chronograph in partnership with the snow sport Freeride World Tour.

The new Alpina Alpiner Quartz Chronograph Freeride World Tour Limited Edition.

The new limited edition Alpiner Quartz Chronograph Freeride World Tour 2022 commemorates Alpina’s fifth year as a partner of the ski and snowboarding competition series.

To be produced as a limited edition of 100 pieces, the 42mm steel watch is designed to recall the original 1938 Alpiner4, complete with Alpina’s red triangle logo at the base of the seconds hand.

Like the original Alpiner4, this new model also combines the four primary features that typically define a sports watch: anti-magnetism, shock resistance, water resistance and a steel case.

This limited model, however, incorporates the Freeride World Tour ‘alpine peaks’ logo at 12 o’clock and on its solid caseback (atop an engraving of the Swiss extreme skiing mountain Bec De Rosses). The watch also adds a chronograph, which is displayed here on the black dial via three counters, each framed by a silver circle.

Alpina touts an impressive four-and-a-half-year battery life for its quartz movement.

Price: $1,295.

 

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The Watches

Porsche Design Celebrates Fifty Years

To commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of Porsche Design, which was founded by Ferdinand Alexander Porsche in 1972, Porsche Design is launching the Chronograph 1 – 1972 Limited Edition, a reinterpretation of its first product, the original Chronograph 1.

The new Porsche Design Chronograph 1 – 1972 Limited Edition is a reinterpretation of its first product, the original Chronograph 1.

Long considered the first all-black watch, the Chronograph 1 design was directly based on the matte-black design of Porsche sports car dashboards. Porsche Design’s use of black PVD on steel (as well as employing the then-new Valjoux 7750 automatic movement) set an example emulated for decades afterwards by sports watchmakers across the globe. Early examples of the pioneering Porsche Design automatic chronograph are highly collectible.

Honoring the watch’s pioneering role in late 20th century watchmaking, Porsche Design launches its Chronograph 1 – 1972 Limited Edition with the original’s dial and 40.8mm case measurements while bringing it up to modern technical standards.

As on the original, Porsche Design places its historic logo on the dial, crown, clasp and case back. In addition, the tachymeter scale and date display retain the 1972 font and the watch’s baton hands bear the original rectangular shape. The movement, however is now the COSC- certified Porsche Design caliber WERK 01.140.

The COSC-certified Porsche Design caliber WERK 01.140.

Porsche Design will make the watch using the same high performance titanium for the 40.8mm case and strap as it uses in nearly all Porsche Design timepieces today. And new SuperLuminova will enhance the watch’s visibility in the dark.

Also new is where the Chronograph 1 – 1972 Limited Edition and its movement are manufactured. As of 2014, all Porsche Design Timepieces are produced in-house at Porsche Design Timepieces AG, the brand’s own timepiece-manufacturing facility in Solothurn, Switzerland.

The Porsche Design Chronograph 1 – 1972 Limited Edition is limited to only 500 pieces worldwide and is now available at Porsche Design stores and online at www.porsche-design.com.   Price: $7,700.

Porsche Design will also offer a second example of the watch, the Chronograph 1 – 911 Edition 50Y Porsche Design (with an open caseback), exclusively to owners of the new limited edition Porsche 911 sports car, with both car and watch limited to 750 pieces globally.

The Chronograph 1 – 911 Edition 50Y Porsche Design for Porsche 911 owners has an open caseback.

In addition to the anniversary timepieces and vehicles, Porsche Design is also offering a wide range of its products with special fiftieth anniversary touches. The products include sunglasses, fashion, sportswear, accessories, bags and luggage.

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