HANDS ON: Hublot Spirit of Big Bang 'Biege Camo'
Whether enthusiasts like it or not, Hublot is still a Swiss powerhouse out of LVMH. Running right around 10th place in luxury watch sales, Hublot has done quite a bit worldwide, with a solid trend upward in the last half decade. The brand has even started closing in on IWC and Tag Heuer - Surpassing JLC and Breitling respectively.
I only say this because the brand tends to get an undeserved bad rap from the watch enthusiasts community. With a reputation of releasing more limited editions than the overall community can keep up with, and some controversy around value and pricing, the Hublot of old just seems to never get a leg up - which is frustrating because the brand is doing some really cool things. Perhaps a decade (give or take) ago the arguments against Hublot held some weight, but Hublot has really stepped up and released a number of popular models over the last few years and we can’t help but appreciate the level of effort Hublot has put into its latest catalog.
One such watch is the Hublot Spirit of Big Bang ‘Beige’ - A rugged tribute to the American West. I had the opportunity to go hands on with the model for about a week, and I was more than impressed with the experience, despite a bit of apprehension around how it would wear on my 7.5” wrist. So without further ado, let’s get into it.
Let’s start with the elephant in the room - The Case. Every. Single. Time. I see a watch in this collection posted on Instagram, or any social media for that matter, I immediately see the comment section go off about how it’s a “poor man’s Richard Mille” or a “Clone RM-11”. This take is a complete troll. The Spirit of Big Bang very much has its own DNA, and simply because the case shape is similar (as are many other brands that don’t receive this criticism) doesn’t make it a clone, copy, or homage to a Richard Mille. Hublot in this instance, has very much done a fantastic job of carving out its own unique identity in the space.
The ceramic case measures in at 42mm, though, I’d argue wears slightly bigger because of the Tonneau shape. I can’t stress enough how comfortable this watch was. The slight curve in the case makes it very ergonomic and since the case is micro-blasted, it almost gives it a grip to the wrist. The exaggerated lugs fit well into the integrated strap with a push-button quick-change system (more on that later) and overall, unlike a lot of Tonneau shaped cases, I wasn’t pulling it down or up to sit centered on my wrist. It simply stayed where I put it, and that was refreshing.
Moving onto the bezel and dial… it’s hard to discuss them separately cause so much of the watches visual appeal lies in the strap, bezel, and dial design coherently blending together. The ‘Beige Camo’ look is plastered across the entire watch, and surprisingly, I actually like it. It gives the watch a bit of a military aesthetic, though I recognize this watch isn’t particularly practical to serve any kind of purpose in that field. The bezel is a carbon composite with a frosted effect that gives it a more rugged texture compared to the ceramic case. I don’t know how else to describe it except velvety. It’s hard, but not smooth and breaks up the camo colors and textures to frame the dial really well.
The dial itself is interesting. It’s skeletonized and allows for a nice view of the topside of the HUB4700 movement. A lot of the dial is finished in a dark matte grey, while parts of the dial plate are colored in tans and lighter grey - adding to the overall camouflage look. The watch is a chronograph, so the sub dials and handset can get a little lost in that camo design, however I got used to it and was easily able to pick them out at a glance by the end of my time with the watch. I recognize that a lot of enthusiasts would be turned off by needing to “practice” telling the time, but I don’t know many people who would be interested in a 5-Figure Desert Camo watch simply to know what time it is.
Inside the Spirit of Big Bang ‘Biege Camo’ is the HUB4700 - A formidable chronograph that proceeds the El Primero chronograph. That being said, the integrated chronograph features a 5-Hz frequency and can time up to 1/10th of a second accurately. And you can feel it too. When you crank the chronograph, you get that satisfying pusher action and the zippy feeling when that chronograph clicks on. The watch features a solid 50-hour power reserve when the chronograph isn’t running and a solid 100 meters of water resistance.
Moving onto the strap options, the Spirit of Big Bang comes on two integrated straps - A matching beige camo strap and a black Velcro “field” strap. Both utilize the brands quick-release strap mechanism that I find one of the best in the industry. Between the lugs, is a small button that, when pressed, releases the mechanism holding the strap to the case. The wearing simply needs to bend the strap upwards with a slight tug to release the strap entirely. It makes swapping straps superbly easy without compromising on the integrity of the security of the strap to the case. I ended up mostly using the camo strap, as i felt it fit the watch the best. The strap features a simple rubber underbelly with a textile inlay on the top. While I didn’t have the watch long enough to get it dirty, I imagine some of the lighter colors in the strap may need a good cleaning with prolonged wear - However I found the watch to be incredibly comfortable, something I can’t say about it all of LVMH’s strap and buckle options.
Overall, I really enjoyed my time with the watch. Perhaps subconsciously I feared some of the criticism would affect my view of the watch, but after having it on my wrist, I find them to be just noise. Having handled Richard Mille on the wrist and in person, I think the Spirit of Big Bang truly has its own DNA. I never found myself thinking “Man this looks like a Richard Mille” a single time. It very much has its own identity with its own voice. And that’s refreshing from Hublot. Being limited to only 30 pieces, I don’t foresee the Sprit of Big Bang ‘Biege Camo’ having a hard time finding its footing or its buyers.
How much is the Hublot Spirit of Big ‘Biege Camo’?
As mentioned above, the watch is limited to 30 pieces, and come with a price tag of $29,100 USD.