HANDS-ON: The Hublot Spirit of Big Bang King Gold Rainbow is drenched in multicoloured gems

Fergus Nash

Rainbow watches are possibly the most divisive sub-genre around. They’re loud, they’re blingy, and the word ostentatious barely even begins to cover them. Yet no matter how many people swear they would never be caught dead wearing one, I would bet that there’s a nagging voice in the back of everyone’s minds just wishing to try one on and see. You might not be a world-class rapper or footballer, but the Hublot Spirit of Big Bang King Gold Rainbow in 39mm could potentially make you feel like one. It’s certainly not the first watch to be absolutely drenched in multicoloured gems, but it is definitely one of the most psychedelic takes on the theme, with the 18K King Gold case shod with a mesmerising rainbow gradient strap.

The case

If you can look past the bedazzlement for a moment, Hublot’s Spirit of Big Bang case is actually very charming in its own right. The tonneau shape is segmented quite nicely between the faux-endlinks, bezel, and the case sides, which almost has an air of Art Deco to it. The hefty 18K King Gold also has a beautiful rosy lustre to it, carrying a lot of elegance throughout. The dressiness is punctuated by a few elements that drive home the Hublot sporty character though, such as the H-shaped screws around the bezel and the matte-black ears that protrude from the case sides.

The 39mm case size is really a Goldilocks sweet spot, because this amount of flashiness truly defies any standards of gender conformity. While not everyone may be comfortable wearing a watch of this nature, anyone who does wish to wear it will find it at least comfortable on their wrist.

The stones

Of course, the main feature of this watch is the galaxy of gemstones that have been painstakingly encrusted into all aspects of the watch, from the dial to the bezel to the lugs. The largest of these are the baguette-cut stones on the bezel, of which there are 62. Although there may not be a smooth sweep between the colours, your eyes tend to fill in the gaps so that the sudden colour changes don’t look jarring. On the lugs, there are a whopping 164 jewels packed around the typically-Hublot case, each neatly framed within its jaws.

The dial definitely has most of the gemstone count embedded into it, although even in a close-up shot it’s hard to believe that there are exactly 431 individual ornaments crammed across the 18K King Gold surface as well as the raised and segmented chapter ring. That brings the grand total up to 657 jewels, each serving to glint in the light and turn your wrist into a fiery beacon of bling.

The dial

Aside from the precious stones, the simple dial itself is really lovely in its deceptively intricate execution. The applied indices have an elegant slant to them as they cut their path through the chapter ring, and the solid line of luminous paint in the middle makes them as practical as they are pretty. The date window is really nicely framed at the 6 o’clock position too, perfectly integrating into the watch and not sacrificing any of the watch’s character for the sake of more gemstones. The only dial text to be seen is the Swiss Made above the date window and the Hublot logo at 12 o’clock, both represented in a shade of rose gold that doesn’t stand out too much as to be a distraction.

The movement

Zenith have a glowing history of powering some of the world’s most iconic and special watches, so it should come as no surprise that the Hublot Big Bang King Gold Rainbow uses the calibre HUB1710, which is based upon the Zenith calibre Elite 670. It has the Swiss standard frequency of 28,800vph and a 50 hour power reserve, keeping operations simple yet within the lofty expectations that are set by the watch’s exterior. The movement is nicely decorated and viewable from the sapphire caseback, however this may be one of a few watches where staring at the movement is the least interesting view.

The verdict

At $130,000AUD, the 39mm Hublot Spirit of Big Bang King Gold Rainbow is one of those watches that you can show to someone who knows nothing about the watch world and they will understand why the price is so high. It’s a lavish watch for a lavish person, and we can only hope to see it worn as much as possible.