While Hublot and the arts have long exhibited a uniquely strong bond, it is the Replica Hublot Sang Bleu that has most spectacularly merged sculptural art and watchmaking. For 2021, tattoo artist Maxime Plescia-Büchi – Sang Bleu – and Hublot are unveiling a trio of limited-edition Big Bang watches with the Hublot Big Bang Sang Bleu II Ceramic that is now available in blue, gray, and white ceramic.
Those in the scene appreciate this fully: tattoo is a high form of art, both for the artist’s gifted skillset and concentration required, and also for the commitment it takes from the artwork’s commissioner – for the end result will be showcased for a lifetime on their very own skin. No one knows this better than aBlogtoWatch’s own Zach Pina who authored and experienced Getting Tattoed With Hublot At Sang Bleu: “In a little over a decade, Maxime’s growing body of work has crossed over from the tattoo world’s gritty counter-culture and found mainstream appeal using originally designed runes and symbolism inspired by the Sacred Geometry (geometric figures used by many ancient cultures in various forms of art, literature, and architecture) and the clean, symmetrical lines from Da Vinci’s Vitruvian Man.”
For Hublot to choose such a celebrated artist and give him a perfectly blank canvas has resulted in the unparalleled watch designs of the Hublot Big Bang Sang Bleu and Hublot Big Bang Sang Bleu II. For 2021, the latter is made available in three colors of brilliantly finished ceramic, where both the material itself and the way it is used defies tradition. Hublot has mastered the development and manufacturing of elaborately decorated and perfectly even-colored high-tech ceramic for watches — a virtually scratch-proof material that before Hublot’s developments had only existed in an extremely limited color palette.
Advanced materials sciences served as the essential foundation on which the architectural masterpiece of the Hublot Big Bang Sang Bleu II could be realized on. A design unmatched in its every detail that goes from case and bezel through the dial and hands all the way to the unique execution of the Sang Bleu II’s straps. Sharp-edged and sculptural, multiple diamond-like facets amaze as artistic creativity has met technical expertise and manufacturing know-how.
“To be able to work long-term with a manufacture is a privilege and an honour. Hublot and Sang Bleu have been pushing artistic and watchmaking boundaries since 2016 and this freedom has enabled us to continually explore new innovations. These three Big Bang Sang Bleu II versions are the fresh fruit of this labour. Introducing these three colours of ceramic opens up brand-new perspectives on the architecture of the dial, the set of hands, the case. The experience and the impact of each piece is brand new, opening up new perspectives in the way in which a timepiece completes and enhances the identity of the wearer.” – Maxime Plescia-Buchi, founder of Sang Bleu and Hublot Ambassador.
Available in gray, blue and white, 2021’s ceramic Sang Bleu II models display a new temperament. The gray offers a modern look reminiscent of great urban structures at the heart of 21st-century megapolises; the blue is a clear nod to blue-blooded royalty (as in sang bleu); while the white brings to fore the dazzling play of light created by the countless calculated facets and exquisitely performed surface treatments that characterize every Sang Bleu II.
Each version measures 45mm in diameter with a total thickness of 16.50mm, with 100 meters of water resistance and virtually scratch-proof ceramic safeguarding the Calibre Hublot HUB1240.MXM inside. Based on the manufacturer’s in-house UNICO caliber, HUB1240 offers 72 hours of power reserve matched to a modern operating frequency of 4 Hertz. A total of 330 components make up the caliber, partially revealed through the dial and the sapphire crystal case back.
