Written by Alisha De Fazio
Whenever I hear Rainbow-set watches, I’m all eyes and all ears. There’s something riveting and gloriously pacifying about these special pieces. Yes? No? Like a summer sky after a storm, Hublot presents the new Big Bang Unico Full Baguette King Gold Rainbow.
The most outstanding feature of this timepiece is the 18-karat pink gold case, whose bezel has been embellished with 112 baguette-cut coloured gemstones, selected especially to match the hues of the rainbow. The rainbow stretches across the entire 45-mm case; one hundred rubies, pink sapphires, amethysts, blue sapphires, blue topazes, tsavorites, and yellow and orange sapphires line up in a radiant chromatic composition. The gem-setting on this watch is simply remarkable.
Another element I find quite interesting is the use of gemstones (48) on the matte 18K King Gold Skeleton dial. The coordination and mastery of exceptional skills—selecting, cutting, sorting and setting—which totally encompass the radical plans of Hublot micromechanics.
“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. Draughtsmen, gemologists and setters worked together to achieve this setting in which pink gold is present only to gently emphasise the contours. The Big Bang Unico Full Baguette King Gold Rainbow condenses the purity and precision of these incredible professions.”, Ricardo Guadalupe CEO HUBLOT
The HUB 1242 UNICO chronograph flyback mechanism with double clutch mechanism and column wheel, powering this beauty, has been developed and manufactured in-house by Hublot with 330 individually hand-assembled components constructed in a way that allows the wearer to admire the mechanics from the dial as well as the see-through case back. The watch also delivers a power reserve of 72 hours. Putting the finishing touches to this jewellery piece, the celestial phenomenon unfolds across the alligator and natural rubber strap and illuminates the buckle clasp set with 30 other gemstones.