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Reviewing the Hublot Big Bang Ferrari Speciale Unico Ceramic

While Hublot celebrates 10 years of the iconic Big Bang line with a series of 10 unique haute joaillerie Big Bang Unico creations priced at $1 million each, the brand is also releasing a new Big Bang Ferrari Speciale model which is definitely more suited for everyday wear. Available in two editions, black ceramic with red, white and blue details, or gray ceramic with gray and white details, it pays tribute to one of the very best of the Cavalino Rampante’s creations: the Ferrari 458 Speciale. Scroll down to read the review from Monochrome Watches contributor Robin Nooy.

Hublot Big Bang Ferrari Speciale Ceramic Red - 2

 

The Hublot Big Bang Ferrari Speciale Ceramic, in either of the two color options, is still a very outspoken watch, not least due to its size. It is not a top quality replica watch for gents who prefer to fly under the radar. When you consider the car that served as its inspiration, this shouldn’t be a surprise: both are quite ostentatious creations in their own right.

The car that inspired the Hublot Big Bang Ferrari Speciale

Just for those (like myaself) who are into cars as much as they are watches, the Ferrari 458 Speciale is a beefed-up, “this one goes to 11” version of an already awe-inspiring car. The designation “Speciale” was first assigned to the 458 Italia’s predecessors, the 348, 360 Modena, and F430.

Compared to the stock 458, the Speciale boasts an engine update, aerodynamic upgrades, a cosmetic stripe down the center of the car, and the extended use of weight-saving materials. A 35-bhp increase, a 90-kg drop in weight, and a 1/10-second quicker to 60 mph are the primary results of these adaptations.

Ferrari 458 Speciale

Whereas most car manufacturers try to improve from a 6 to a 7, Ferrari tries to go from a 10 to an 11, or even maybe a 12 — always skipping one or two steps to offer a car that seemingly pushes the boundaries of engineering even further and does things that were considered impossible before. Even though the speed vs. power war between sports car manufacturers is an ever-present one, I do feel that the past couple of years, things have moved forward at an extremely fast rate. This is most definitely not a bad thing, because 10 years ago cars like the 458 Speciale and the bonkers LaFerrari (The “Ferrari TheFerrari” according to ex-Top Gear’s James May) wouldn’t have been possible.

However, it does raise an age-old question: where does it all end? Who cares! I’ve got my lotto ticket – if it pays off, I’ll send you a picture of my new car!

Design:

Hublot Big Bang Ferrari Speciale Ceramic - Duo

Moving from the car to the watch, it’s immediately evident that a lot of design cues from the car have been transferred to the watch. The most obvious would be the matching strap, with either a white-blue or a white-grey racing line from end to end. The same racing line runs along the center of the car, from bumper to bumper, as a clear distinction from the standard 458. Furthermore, the mesh used for the various air-intakes and grills on the 458 Speciale are mimicked on the dial, a trick we have seen on more than one occasion with racing- or car-inspired watches. To set off this limited-edition piece even more, a polished prancing horse has been placed upon the dial, and one of the pushers features a Ferrari logo in red or gray.

Hublot Big Bang Ferrari Speciale Ceramic - 4
Hublot Big Bang Ferrari Speciale Ceramic - Grey - 1
Hublot Big Bang Ferrari Speciale Ceramic - Red - 5

The 45-mm-wide case is constructed from black ceramic, with a satin or polished finish on various surfaces. The black ceramic bezel features six trademark H-shaped screws in black titanium, with a red composite-resin lower bezel. The highly scratch-resistant material Hublot uses is a zirconium-oxide mixture. Starting with a powder, pigments are added to obtain a certain color, after which the mixture is injected into a mold, which is then baked under intense heat and pressure, and then pressed into a pre-formed cast. The result is a material that is extremely hard and durable. Hublot is also exploring new varieties or composites with ceramic, for instance bright red or yellow ceramic or their Magic Gold composite claiming to be the only scratch-resistant gold alloy in existence.

The engine:

Inside the black or grey case ceramic case you will find the HUB 1241 Unico automatic flyback chronograph movement, developed in-house by Hublot. The story behind the movement is quite interesting, finding its roots in the now-defunct movement specialist BNB Concept. Parts of BNB Concept’s assets were purchased by Hublot’s Jean Claude Biver, including its machinery and its lead designer, Mathias Buttet. One of the results of the partial takeover is Hublot’s in-house-made Unico movement, developed to replace and reduce the number of outsourced Valjoux 7750 movements used in Hublot timepieces.

Hublot Big Bang Ferrari Speciale Ceramic - Red - Caseback

The HUB 1241 Unico movement is made up of 331 components. It measures 30 mm in diameter and 8 mm in thickness. It operates at a rate of 28,900 vph and has 72 hours of power reserve. The movement has a 60-minute chronograph with a flyback function, allowing the counter to snap back to 12 o’clock instantly after resetting the chronograph. It also includes a skeletonized date wheel, visible through the date window at 3 o’clock. A nice touch is the yellow piece beneath the window, in the same color used for the Ferrari logo. The yellow is the official color of the city of Modena, Italy, the birthplace of the brand. Of course, both front and back are covered by sapphire crystal, and the caseback allows a big view onto the movement and the wheel-like rotor — another hint, albeit a more subtle one, to the car that inspired the best sale replica  watch for sale design.

Concluding words:

The Hublot Big Bang Ferrari 458 Speciale Ceramic comes on a black rubber and red or gray leather strap and includes a separate black leather strap. Both color versions are limited to 250 pieces, and are available at a price of 24,800 euros.

Hublot Big Bang Ferrari Speciale Ceramic - Grey - 2

Ferrari is one of the most prestigious, if not the most prestigious, car manufactures that a watch brand could partner with. Its fanbase – for both road cars as well as its racing team — is one of the most devoted such followings in the world. Over the past few decades, the link between Ferrari and high-end watches has been as hair-raising to cheap replica watch as a Formula 1 race. Hublot made its initial splash in the early 80’s with its then-unprecedented rubber-clad sport watches – but the brand really did not get the attention it deserved until that grandmaster of the watch industry, the inimitable Mr. Biver, took to the helm and quickly made Hublot into a cultural phenomenon with its porthole shaped cases. It is nice to finally see the elite carmaker paired up with a watchmaker that can match the brand, not just in styling and performance, but also in the luxury and pride of ownership.

Fratello Friday: My Top 5 Favorite Divers’ Watches

Admittedly, I do not dive. In fact – and this has been a secret until now – it took me a lot of effort to even get my swimming diploma when I was a young boy. For my parents, this must have been hell; I hated water and didn’t want to be near it. Things have changed a bit, however. Although I am still not much of a swimmer, I do like to take a plunge in the pool when I am on holiday. And being a best sale replica watches enthusiast, and a very modest collector, I like to have the right watch on my wrist when I do. Perhaps I’m a bit predictable, but that is most often either a Rolex Sea-Dweller 16600 or an Omega Seamaster Professional.

Today, I take a look at the divers’ watches I would consider buying these days if I needed one. (The word “needed” is relative, of course, since, as I’ve said, I am a lousy diver.) If the number of divers’ watches on the market represented the number of actual divers in the world, it would be very crowded in the water, that’s for sure. Just so we are clear, my choices are based on far different criteria than a professional diver would apply. To me, anything water-resistant to 300 meters or more qualifies.

1.Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean GMT GoodPlanet

Even though James Bond is a fictitious character (hard to believe, I know), he is probably one hell of a diver. And he probably wears an Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean simply because it is a true divers’ watch. To me, other factors make the Seamaster Planet Ocean GMT a perfect choice for the holidays. It’s a solid discount fake watches with no fear of water and with a practical, useful GMT hand — for those of us who have to travel to other time zones to find comfortably warm sea or ocean water. The water-resistance of 600 meters will easily fit the bill for diving, although you’re more likely to find me wearing one at the bar. On Fratellowatches,.com we did a write-up on this particular GoodPlanet here.

Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean GMT GoodPlanet

 2. Rolex Sea-Dweller

No, I am not talking about the newer DeepSea but the previous Sea-Dweller model that Rolex has made for decades. The Sea-Dweller Reference 16600 is my preferred model, and the one I have owned for more than 10 years now. Although it doesn’t have the fancy clasp, glide-lock bracelet system and whatnot, it represents the ultimate diving watch for me, personally. The Sea-Dweller Reference 16600 is a simple and cleanly designed watch with the charisma of the older “plexi-crystal” models. And while this watch is not as comfortable to wear as a basic Submariner or GMT-Master (due to its thickness), this Sea-Dweller model with a water-resistance of 1,220 meters (4,000 feet) is up to the task of deep diving. Since it is out of production, I wrote an article some time ago urging people to grab one while they can (here).

Rolex Sea-Dweller

 

3. Longines Legend Diver

Who said a nice mechanical diving watch needs to be expensive? I simply love this elegantly designed Longines Legend Diver, not only because of its reasonable price, but also because it is similar to one of Longines’s historical diving watches from the 1960s. The super-compressor case, two crowns, and black dial and strap really make it look like it is a vintage watch, even though it is, in fact, a modern watch that can be taken in the water at any time. To be honest, I preferred the model without a date, but Longines ceased production of that particular reference. An in-depth review on this watch can be found here.

Longines Legend Diver

4. Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Diver Ref.15703

I am no particular fan of the Offshore collection from Audemars Piguet. I am much in favor of AP’s more toned-down Royal Oak models like the Extra-Thin (or “Jumbo”) models as well as some Royal Oak chronographs, preferably in 39-mm cases instead of the more recent 41-mm models. The Royal Oak Offshore models are highly in demand though, so I may be in the minority. One of the Royal Oak Offshore models I could see myself wearing, however, is this Diver watch. Audemars Piguet made a few special divers’ editions in the past (the Scuba and a special edition for Wempe’s 125th anniversary), and a few years ago introduced a similar model into its regular Royal Oak Offshore collection. The Offshore Diver  is an impressive watch with lots of rubber. Besides the strap, the traditional octagonal bezel and the two crowns (one for winding, one for operating the inner diving bezel) have a clearly visible rubber seal. The caseback does not show the movement of this watch, but I had a Royal Oak in my personal collection with the same movement, and a transparent caseback, so I can tell from my own experience that it is a wonderfully finished movement. A hands-on review on this watch can be found here. To be completely honest, I wouldn’t take this watch near the water, even though it’s obviously suited to be worn there. Again, you could find me at the bar wearing this one.

Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Diver

5. Omega Seamaster PloProf 1200M

Another Omega? Well, yes. I actually love the vintage PloProf from the early 1970s, the one that Fiat boss Gianni Agnelli was wearing so stylishly over his cuffs. But, to be honest, I wouldn’t dare to take a vintage piece into the water. So, a few years ago, I got my hands on Omega’s re-edition of the PloProf and reviewed it for Fratellowatches (here). It is a hyper-modern replica Omega watches but clearly the offspring of that first PloProf 600M model. I like the fact that Omega used its new in-house Caliber 8500 in this model, and that it used a metal (rather than plastic) button to turn the bezel.  One of the things that clearly had changed was the construction of the case and crown. Perhaps for the better, but I love the old monocoque (one-piece) case. I do not believe it is a best-seller from the Omega collection (probably due to the large size and outspoken design), but I wouldn’t mind wearing this one during the holidays near (or even in) the pool.

Omega Seamaster PloProf 1200M