Sometimes an anniversary release isn’t actually released for the anniversary itself. Case in point: the new Big Bag Original Unico from Hublot. Last year, as readers will likely remember, Hublot focused on the 20th anniversary of the Big Bang, which launched in 2005 and began something of a wild ride for Hublot among watch aficionados with what would become their signature product. The Big Bang Original Unico is dressed in the clothes of an anniversary piece but comes one year later, and according to Hublot represents a return to the origins of the Big Bang. Fair enough!
The conceit here is that the Big Bang Original Unico “carries the Big Bang legacy into the next era” and features a variety of both mechanical as well as aesthetic upgrades. For one, the case now sits at 43mm, a middle ground between the 41mm and 44mm case sizes of past references. Case lines have been slightly softened for better ergonomics and wearability, as well as a more organic look overall. The lugs are a little more curved, and there’s now a beveled edge that lends a little hint of refinement to a piece that, frankly, has not frequently been associated with that concept. This feels like a less aggressive, slightly more subdued version of Hublot’s Big Bang chrono. My personal preferences when it comes to Hublot veer toward the more extravagant and avant-garde, but as we’ve seen with other LVMH Watch Week releases this year, it feels like a time for these brands to play to a wider audience – this is simply an easier to understand and more accessible watch.
Besides the brand’s brash design language, the thing that has always set Hublot apart is their experimentation with materials, particularly ceramics and mixing precious metals with more utilitarian materials. For the release of the Big Bang Original Unico, Hublot is featuring four models that continue to tell the brand’s story as an innovator in the realm of materials. The most straightforward is likely the titanium version, with a polished and satin finished case accented with rubber capped pushers and crown. The “Black Magic” is crafted from full black ceramic for a stealthy look that is classic Hublot. There’s also a Titanium Ceramic reference that features a titanium case and black ceramic bezel, and finally a King Gold Ceramic variant, with a solid gold case and the same ceramic bezel.
For this edition of the Unico, Hublot has deployed their in-house chronograph movement, the MHUB1280 Unico Manufacture caliber. It has a long power reserve of up to 72 hours on a full wind, and features a column wheel and dual-clutch architecture, a mark of higher end chronograph movements. The rotor is skeletonized and made of tungsten, and the caliber can be viewed through a sapphire caseback.
The Big Bang Original Unico is not Hublot at their most adventurous, exactly, but these watches are still unmistakably on brand. Softening the edges of the case doesn’t exactly make the Big Bang Unico a dress piece, after all. It will be interesting to see if Hublot extends this concept to other product lines in the future, or if this is a very small right turn will be reserved for the Unico.
Pricing for the Big Bang Original Unico starts at $19,400 for the titanium reference, and tops out at $37,800 for the King Gold variant. More information can be found at the Hublot website.
Zach Kazan
2026-01-20 20:00:00