The Hublot Spirit of Big Bang West Coast Ceramic Black and White appears at first glance very much like something Created by Richard Mille, with the skeletonized dial up and tonneau-shaped case. This is a chronograph watch, although such isn’t immediately apparent as a result of discreet black pushers and also a lot of detail about the dial which initially can distract the eye in the chronograph’s registers. Featured at 3 o’clock is the 30-minute counter, followed closely with a 12-hour counter at 6 o’clock, also operating minutes at 9 o’clock, which is also signed with Hush’s name. An exposed date ring runs the periphery of the dial, framed with a perforated white border at 4:30. The fundamental second hand features a Hublot-logo counterweight and black-plated tip with a thin strip of white luminescent material, which also includes on the chronograph enroll hands and hour markers.The instance of the Hublot Spirit of Big Bang West Coast Ceramic Black and White is made from micro-blasted black porcelain, which ought to offer the watch with great scratch resistance. Maintaining the monochromatic theme is a contrasting white ceramic bezel, affixed to the case using six titanium screws with a polished black PVD coating. The case measures 42mm in diameter and is 14.10mm thick, and although Hublot haven’t specified the case span, I expect this watch will wear quite significant. The case can also be water-resistant to 10 ATM (approximately 100m) which combined with the tough ceramic should make this a competent sports watch. Note, however, that while ceramic is very hard, it’s also brittle, which can be an issue for a watch which stands 14.10mm tall and can thus be more prone to knocking against things.
Hublot has unveiled a pair of limited edition Classic Fusion wristwatches created in collaboration with the late Nelson Mandela’s foundation, with a portion of the proceeds from their sale going to the charity.
The House of Mandela, a charitable foundation set up by the former South African leader, worked with Hublot to develop the limited edition Classic Fusion. Limited to 95 pieces, the Classic Fusion House of Mandela is available as a 45mm men’s watch or in a 42mm case set with 1.15 carats of diamonds for the ladies. Both versions are made of King Gold, an 18k red gold alloy developed by hublot watches 38mm Replica with a colour even more pink than the typical rose gold. The bezel is engraved with Mandela’s signature between 12 and 1 o’clock.
The dials have a vertical brushed finish with the House of Mandela logo, a bee with wings resembling the branches of a tree. The bee is a reference to Mandela’s Xhosa name, Rolihlahla, translating as “he who is brave enough to fetch the honey from the honeycomb” and meaning “challenge the status quo”, while the branches are meant to symbolise a family tree.
Part of the proceeds from the sale of each watch will go to the House of Mandela, which supports charitable projects in South Africa. While the support for a good cause is admirable and should be encouraged, it is hard to reconcile this flashy, pricey timepiece with Nelson Mandela’s image as a humble, forgiving and gentle leader.