Thursday, March 1, 2018

HUBLOT – BIG BANG UNICO Red Magic CERAMIC Edition

















HUBLOTBIG BANG UNICO Red Magic CERAMIC 45 mm Limited Edition


MAKING THE IMPOSSIBLE POSSIBLE,
HUBLOT CREATES THE FIRST VIBRANTLY COLOURED CERAMIC

"There is a quote which perfectly illustrates our ongoing desire to push watchmaking, materials, and fusion to the limit. A conviction that nothing is impossible. In the words of Charlie Chaplin: "Let us strive for the impossible. The great achievements throughout history have been the conquest of what seemed the impossible". Today, with the world's first vibrantly coloured ceramic, Hublot has once again demonstrated that the impossible really is possible!"

Ricardo Guadalupe, CEO of Hublot

Always unique, always different. This time, Hublot has devoted its innovative approach to ceramic. By creating a new material – the first vibrantly coloured ceramic – Hublot has once again used its limitless imagination to achieve a world’s first. Exclusively designed and produced in-house, in the Hublot Research & Development (R&D) department, this invention has been patented. A triple tour de force, the coloured ceramic invented by Hublot is innovative both in terms of the material itself, and the manufacturing process. In addition to the vibrant colour it is also harder than conventional ceramics.


Hublot brings depths of colour to ceramic

The Hublot R&D department and Metallurgy & Materials laboratory have succeeded in inventing a magic formula that allows the creation of vibrantly coloured ceramics. This has previously not been done in industries using technical and aesthetic ceramics. In addition, Hublot has refined all the procedures necessary to produce every component of the watch case from this special material.

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In total, it took Hublot four years to master this discovery and develop it from initial idea to its industrialisation. The invention is 100% Hublot and the expertise has been patented. Hublot continues to make strides in the research into materials. This newly developed ceramic is incredibly dense, boasting a hardness of 1500 HVI compared to 1200 HV2 of conventional ceramics. This results in an extremely resilient material.

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The colour is achieved through a major innovation whereby a fusion of pressure and heat sinters the ceramic without burning the pigments. Having mastered the basic hues with this method Hublot is now ready to introduce a whole new world of coloured ceramics to its watch collections.

The first vibrant colour release is vibrant red, which also increases the hardness of the Hublot ceramic.

The power of red

For this first coloured ceramic, Hublot has chosen a vivid red, which symbolises power, passion and glory. The Big Bang Unico Red Magic is undoubtedly an ultra-resilient ceramic watch full of fire.

With just 500 pieces released, its 45 mm case and bezel are made from Hublot's patented red ceramic, boasting a polished finish. The flange, indexes, minute and seconds counters, Arabic numerals and hands all match this hue, adorned in the same red to highlight the contrast with the mechanism of the Unico HUB124 manufacture movement and its column wheel, visible on the dial side through the sapphire crystal. This theme encompasses the entire watch, matched with a lined structured red rubber strap.

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Drawing attention from every angle, and captivating all who see it, the red ceramic is set to be a showstopper. A major invention which once again demonstrates that Hublot is continuously pushing its Art of Fusion further, and that, under its impetus, the world of materials and alloys will never cease to be reinvented. This is a material true to the Hublot motto: "be the first, be unique, be different!"

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Technical Specifications
Model: BIG BANG UNICO Red Magic CERAMIC

Reference 411.CF.8513.RX

Case
Material: Polished red ceramic
Diameter: 45mm
Thickness: 15.45mm
Bezel: Polished red ceramic
Bezel Lug: Black composite resin
Screws « H »: Polished titanium black PVD
Glass: Sapphire with anti-reflective treatment
Case back: Black ceramic engraved "LIMITED EDITON", "N° XXX/500"
Case back Glass: Sapphire with interior anti-reflective treatment
Water Resistant: 10 ATM (100m)
Dial
Skeleton mat red, red appliques with black luminescent

Hands: Red hands with black luminescent
    Counter ring at 9 o'clock (small second)   
    Counter ring at 3 o'clock (chronograph minute)
Movement
Caliber Hublot HUB1242
UNICO Manufacture self-winding chronograph flyback movement with column wheel
Date: Window at 3 o'clock
Dimensions:  Dia. 30 mm; Thickness 8.05mm
No of Components: 330  

Frequency: 4 Hz (28'800 A/h) 
Jewels:  38
Power reserve: 72 Hours
Straps
Black and red lined structured rubber strap
Buckle: Black PVD Titanium with black ceramic insert deployant buckle clasp


Limited to 500 pieces

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Press releases - 2018
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HUBLOT SA – Switzerland
T +41 (0)22 990 90 00
F +41(0)22 990 90 29
International Press Contact: 
Annabelle Galleya.galley@hublot.ch
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Ulysse Nardin – FREAK Vision Coral Bay Platinum 45mm



Ulysse NardinFREAK Vision Coral Bay Platinum 45mm - Unique Piece

BEAUTIFUL FREAKS
THE FREAK OF THE REEF!

Two one-of-a-kind Freak Vision timepieces have swum out of the depths of Ulysse Nardin’s unique nautical universe. Named after the famous snorkeling reef of Coral Bay in Western Australia, the two Freak Vision Coral Bay timepieces showcase an exciting new decorative bonding technique and the meticulous micropainting for which Ulysse Nardin has long been Haute Horlogerie’s acknowledged master.

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Launched at SIHH 2018, the Freak Vision contains a host of horological game-changers: a super-light silicium balance wheel with nickel mass elements and stabilizing micro-blades and a super-thin new case design made even thinner by a box-domed crystal. Now, the aesthetic techniques showcased in the Coral Bay incar-nations provide a perfect foil for this technological masterwork.

An electronics technique becomes a true Métier d'Art

The Swiss Manufacture is famous for its exploration of new technologies from other domains. The best example of this is its unique use of silicium, a material adopted from the electronics industry. Now comes another electronics technique — bonding — which uses thousands of 24 carat gold threads to create painstakingly delicate patterns. Computer chip manufacturers use this to convey electricity; Ulysse Nardin uses it because the fabulously intricate designs it creates delight the eye.

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A bonding machine squeezes gold thread on each side, one thread after another, to draw a coral reef motif on the watch movement’s barrel spring bridge. Each thread is a different size, and all are tied only at the top and bottom of the thread, but not in its center.

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To create blue and yellow gold coral reef patterns, the watchmaker colors the component and the coral reefs with a chemical vapor disposition process in blue. The entire surface is colored except the departure and arrival points of the yellow gold threads, which are laser cleaned. Then the yellow gold threads are bonded to the component.

A miniature coral painting masterpiece

The Freak Vision Coral Bay also stands out for its miniature painting technique: red and white acrylic painting on the spring barrel bridge on a CVD blue surface treatment. The master artisan uses lacquer colors that are applied and mixed directly on the dial: the dial is heated in an oven at 90 degrees between each color application; this enables the colors to dry and remain firmly in place. Tiniest details are hand-colored using extremely fine brushes under a magnifying glass. The complexity of the motif requires approximately 20 hours of painting time.

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True works of art, the unique, on-demand pieces have two bar tack loop stitches on their straps in matching yellow gold or coral red, and a gear train bridge and escapement bridge in matching blue or coral red. Other color possibilities could be explored on demand.

#freakmeout

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TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Reference        
FREAK Vision Coral Bay “BONDING”2505-250LE/CORALBAY-1 / Unique piece

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FREAK Vision Coral Bay “MICROPAINTING”: 2505-250LE/CORALBAY-2 / Unique piece

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Movement
Calibre UN-250

Functions
H/M functions indicated by rotation of the movement
“Grinder” Automatic movement system with pawls and flexible guidance
 Ulysse Nardin Anchor Constant Escapement, 2.5 Hz oscillator
 Large diameter silicium oscillator with nickel inertia-blocks
 Self-regulating silicium micro-blades
 Silicium finishing gear train
Flying Carrousel (baguette movement): 1 turn in 1 hour   
Power reserve 50 hours at constant amplitude   
Case
Platinium case with lateral «brancard » side bars coated blue rubber
Bezel  Titanium coated blue rubber lining with 3 titanium riders for easy handling
 Manual winding possible with the back bezelTime set with the front bezel, lever lock
Diameter 45 mm
Dial
Sapphire, with engraved hour and minute indexes
2505-250LE/CORALBAY-2 : Micropainting on the hours and barrel cover
2505-250LE/CORALBAY-1 : Gold threads “Bonding” on the hours and barrel cover.
Water resistance   30 m
Crystal  Sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating on both sides, box-domed
Case back  Titanium, 6 screws, view of the “Grinder” through the domed sapphire crystal
Strap
Rubber-like leather and titanium folding clasp

Price *Suggested Retail Price CHF 108,000.

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Press Release - 2018
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Ulysse Nardin SA
Marketing Department
Rue du Jardin 3
2400 Le Locle
Switzerland
T :+4132 930 74 00
F :+4132 930 74 21
 

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