Zee Zest’s September Digital Cover Star Sonu Sood is a quintessential old-school movie star. Tall, well-built, and a fitness ambassador Sood’s characters on screen never fail to leave a huge impact on the audiences. Whether it is Dabangg’s Cheddi Singh or the poet Chand Bardai from the recently released Samrat Prithviraj, Sood’s characters have always been larger than life.
To complement our influential cover star, we chose Hublot as the obvious choice of accessory. Needless, they needed to be big, bold, a bit statement-ish and high on quality and esteem. The choice was to go with the watches that also never fail to go unnoticed quite like Sood’s onscreen persona. The choice was Hublot. With the festive season round the corner, the clear answer was a gold watch in a completely integrated look, a new fusion for the famous Big Bang to match the beautiful rust and black outfit by designer Karan Torani.
Hublot introduced its first integrated metal bracelet, with the link fused with the case 15 years after it created the iconic Big Bang. Accommodating an integrated bracelet meant a restyled case, with Hublot's signature codes: a watch that embodies the spirit of Hublot fused with its iconic use of black ceramic, King Gold or titanium. For this shoot, we chose the King Gold variant to accentuate the dressy kurta and bundi jacket.
Describing the piece, says Ricardo Guadalupe, CEO of Hublot “A unique, fully integrated bracelet and are designed case for a different clientèle. The Big Bang Integrated and its integrated architecture have propelled this model into a whole new universe.”
Launched at Baselworld in 2005, the Big Bang, a fusion of steel, ceramic and rubber, introduced the Art of Fusion. The new product and its iconic design were an instant hit for Hublot. In 2020, to mark its 15th anniversary, the Big Bang was made available for the first time in its history with a tailored integrated bracelet which sits perfectly on the wrist, exhibiting a rare visual harmony resulting from absolute proportions. Its aesthetic signature was powerful enough for it to be instantly associated with that of the Big Bang. Three links—one central and two laterals—is the only standard element in the bracelet. Looking deeper, its sharp style adopts the codes of the case, with edges that not only echo the aesthetic of the pushers but also the architecture of the middle with its cut-outs. The polished and satin-finished surfaces, and the bevelling and chamfering of the links create the same effect of depth and contrast as between the case and the bezel lug.
Of course, Hublot had to redesign the case to offer an integrated bracelet. While it's dial and bezel are identical to the existing Big Bang 42 mm model, the indices replace the Arabic numerals – its pushers return to the codes of the original model from 2005. It is these pushers which inspired the style of the bracelet, with their interplay of angles and chamfers and alternating polished and satin finishes punctuating the watch, from the middle to the bracelet.
The Big Bang Integrated retains its iconic ‘sandwich’ construction, with the watch crafted entirely from one material –King Gold, a unique alloy of gold, copper and platinum which results in a warmer shade than the traditional 5N 18K gold and is exclusive to Hublot. Containing mainly platinum, this exclusive King Gold alloy lends itself beautifully to all elements of polishing and satin finishing.
For luxury watch aficionados, the watch comes fitted with HUB1280 – Hublot UNICO proprietary manufacture movement, with a horizontal double clutch chronograph mechanism and visible column wheel from the dial. The movement comes with a long three-day power reserve, enough to stay wound over the weekend. The special architecture is designed to facilitate assembly and reveal more of its working parts. Its technical innovations include four patents for oscillating seconds clutch, chronograph friction system with ball bearing adjustment, ratchet retaining system with unidirectional gears, and index-assembly fine adjustment system. No wonder, the complicated watch boasts 354 components and 43 jewels.
The other watches that complemented the handcrafted outfits for Sonu are the Big Bang Unico Red Magic, the world’s first vibrantly coloured ceramic, and the stunning Big Bang Ceramic Integrated in sky blue.
Keen to preserve its traditional and cutting-edge expertise, and guided by its philosophy to ‘Be First, Different and Unique’, the Swiss watchmaker is consistently ahead of the curve, through its innovations in materials (scratch-resistant Magic Gold, ceramics in vibrant colours, sapphire), and the creation of Manufacture movements (Unico, Meca-10, Tourbillon).
Hublot is also committed to creating a fine watchmaking brand with a visionary future: a future which is fused with the key events and brands of our times (FIFA World Cup, UEFA ChampionsLeague, UEFA EURO and Ferrari) and the finest ambassadors of our era has to offer (Kylian Mbappé, Usain Bolt, Pelé).
These special watches are available in Hublot’s impressive network of boutiques located in key cities across the globe: Geneva, Paris, London, New York, Hong Kong, Dubai, Tokyo, Singapore, Zürich, Mumbai and at Hublot.com