Photos Credit: Hublot
After the insanity that was 2020, it stands to reason you deserve something for yourself this holiday. Between the mastery of horology and the artistry of timeless design—with a little dash of color—lies Hublot’s Big Bang Unico Full Baguette King Gold Rainbow. Not a timepiece for the faint of heart (or for anyone who wants to keep a low profile) this eye-catching piece is loaded up with 290 precious and fine gemstones piled on top of an 18-karat gold frame. It’s a piece that embodies all the fashion and joy that we missed out on for most of the year.
The rainbow-colored stones fade into one another, a cyclical ombre design that encircles the watch face—and your wrist—with a dreamy color palette that is guaranteed to match with quite literally anything in your closet. “It requires meticulousness, expertise, and dexterity to obtain this harmonious gradation of the gemstones and create a perfect connection between the emotion they arouse and the watchmaking technique,” noted Ricardo Guadalupe, CEO of Hublot. “Draughtsmen, gemologists, and setters worked together to achieve this setting in which pink gold is present only to gently emphasize the contours. The Big Bang Unico Full Baguette King Gold Rainbow condenses the purity and precision of these incredible professions.”
Running across the entire 45-mm case, there are 100 rubies, pink sapphires, amethysts, blue sapphires, blue topazes, tsavorites, and yellow and orange sapphires lined up in a radiant chromatic composition to take you over the rainbow and back. These 112 baguette-cut gemstones edge the bezel in delicate and matched hues that echo the colorways of the 48 gemstones set on the dial and the indexes. Their shades are meant to stand as a symbol of optimism, wisdom, and balance.
Inside, the UNICO offers the HUB1242 chronograph flyback mechanism with double clutch mechanism and contrasting column wheel. This jewelry-cum-timepiece is finished with an alligator and natural rubber strap, and rainbow buckle clasp set with 30 additional gemstones. Of course, those looking for something more demure can always opt for Hublot’s bestseller in one of the more traditional colorways, but where’s the fun in that?
