ceramic acoustics.
After launching a series of candy-coloured ceramic integrated bracelet watches at Watches & Wonders 2022, Hublot has launched a ceramic “high complication”, the Big Bang Integral Cathedral minute repeater ceramic watch.
While complex end-to-end ceramic watches already exist, striking watches in ceramic are rare, with only Hublot and Audemars Piguet making such watches. The Big Bang Integral is a novelty combining a tourbillon and a minute repeater, in fact, one of them has a longer than usual cathedral gong.
It manages to be water resistant in contrast to most attention-grabbing watches that are merely resistant to moisture, due to the challenge of sealing the slider while allowing for maximum sound transmission.
The latest Big Bang Integral perfectly sums up Hublot as a brand, showcasing its strengths (and some weaknesses). Powered by a complex in-house movement, paired with a case and bracelet, it showcases the brand’s mastery of unusual materials – all thanks to the brand’s extensive and flexible manufacturing.
In typical Hublot fashion, the watch is loud visually rather than audibly — even in black. It looks like a Hublot, and the brand essentially has one aesthetic. It has a technically modern aesthetic that complements the open dial, a feature uncommon in minute repeaters but useful because it reveals the chiming mechanism in its entirety.
Good value for money for such a watch. At the same time, it has a higher finish on the ceramic case and bracelet than older Hublot models, which makes it even more attractive.
Ceramics and One
The Tourbillon Repeater is the flagship model of the Big Bang Integral collection, the brand’s first integrated bracelet watch, but only two years ago. Although recently introduced, the watch still feels familiar thanks to the well-designed bracelet integrated into the case.
While open dials are common for Hublot Review best watches, this is relatively rare for classic haute horlogerie complications such as the minute repeater. Here, it can reveal the striking mechanism usually hidden under the dial, giving you a glimpse of the rack and snail mechanism responsible for promoting the minute repeater to strike the time.
And the minute repeater utilizes a cathedral gong that wraps twice around the circumference of the movement, rather than once like a traditional minute repeater. The extended length makes a louder chime.
It is worth noting that the movement structure also incorporates thoughtful details. The tourbillon is not hindered by any gears like a tourbillon movement. Instead, the center wheel sits just on the edge of the tourbillon cage. This shows the attention paid to the aesthetics of the tourbillon, although it is tempered by the relatively simple frame.
It can be observed that the decoration of the movement is a mixture of machined and hand-finished.
For example, most of the bridges feature wide, flat bevels with faint machining marks indicating that the angles were done on a CNC machine. At the same time, more critical parts such as the hammers and bridges of the governor are decorated with circular polished chamfers that can only be done by hand.
On the front, however, the visible steel components are neatly finished with ruled surfaces and hand-chamfered edges. perfect cheap watch
Hublot Big Bang Integral Minute Repeater Ceramic
Ref. 458.CX.1170.CX.YOS (Black)
Ref. 458.HX.1170.HX.YOS (white)
Diameter: 43 mm
Height: 14.15mm
Material: Ceramic
Crystal: Sapphire
Water resistance: 30 meters
Movement: MHUB8001.H1.RH
Functions: hours, minutes, tourbillon, minute repeater
Clockwork: automatic
Frequency: 21,600 beats per hour (3 Hz)
Power reserve: 80 hours
Strap: matching ceramic bracelet
