In a move to be expected of a brand like Hublot, the provocative wunderkind of the industry has just released a new limited edition in collaboration with Garage Italia and the grandson of the Rake of the Riviera himself, Lapo Elkann. The Big Bang Millennial Pink is based on the Unico 42mm chronograph and features what the brand is calling a gender-neutral soft pastel pink colourway that can be seen throughout the entire watch.
The colour
Righto, let’s call it. Pastel pink can only be considered ‘gender neutral’ if you factor in Don Johnson’s pastel-masculinising Miami Vice wardrobe. But somehow – through oddly pleasing fleshy tones, and weird colour alchemy – it hits the spot. It’s been considered attractive by both genders in the Time+Tide office. As for “can’t stop looking at it”, that’s me quoting Andrew in the headline. He’s said exactly that multiple times this week. At this point, I’ll throw to some imagery to thicken the plot. Here are some men in an office wearing it. (As well as one further down the page). Do they look wildly effeminate? We think not.
First impressions
First impressions aside, this does represent a departure. While Hublot has a reputation for enthusiastically experimenting with both colours and materials, the Big Bang Millennial Pink is unlike anything we have seen from the brand before. In addition to the refreshing new hue that pervades the case, skeletonised dial and two strap options, the case material is also an unusual one. Constructed from anodised aluminium, the brushed case has a slight metallic sheen to it, only interrupted by the recognisable Hublot Big Bang bezel screws.
The case
The decision to use the lightweight case material is explained by Hublot as being chosen for its “unisex and monochrome” qualities. It can also be seen as a deliberate decision to engage in the dichotomy of lightweight luxury (that fellow LVMH watch brand Bulgari is known to play with in their Octo Finissimo collection), straying from the more traditional attitudes of the value of a watch being found in its weight. If that isn’t playing by the millennial rules of rejecting established norms, then what is?
And thanks to the anodisation process that the aluminium goes through, the alloy material of the case is not only strengthened – it is how the timepiece garners its unique colour. This out-of-the-box approach to design and construction is a credit to Hublot and their engineers, creating a colour that, “expresses a gentle, inclusive and confident approach to life. A fresh, young vision, full of substance, which redefines style.”
The movement
Inside the aluminium case is the watchmaker’s manufacture Calibre HUB1280 UNICO. This self-winding, in-house movement features a column-wheel fly-back chronograph complication, date complication and no less than 72 hours of power reserve.
The concept
Hublot are keen to point out that this latest release is “more than a watch, it is a state of mind”, with Hublot CEO, Ricardo Guadalupe, further adding: “Our expertise in materials technology has enabled us to create a unique colour for this watch, Millennial Pink, symbolic of the world available to us, in its constant state of flux.”
The Big Bang Millennial Pink will come with two different straps. The first is a classic rubber example coloured in the same pink as the case with a complementing deployant clasp. The second strap (our favourite) is an intriguing blend of Velcro and knitted PES fabric, which also sports the same colour.
Image: @nickwooster
Pricing and availability of the Hublot Big Bang Millennial Pink
Just 200 examples of the Hublot Big Bang Millennial Pink will be created, with a recommended retail price in Australia of $29,200.
