28 Sep 2024
Back in 2004, Hublot was a small independent brand when it first unveiled the Subaquaneus, its first technical watch designed for the sea: a timepiece from a maison whose connection to the ocean is reflected in its very name (Hublot is French for "porthole").
Twenty years later, everything has changed. Hublot has become an integrated manufacture and one of the most disruptive brands on the market. While Research & Development is the driving force behind the brand's watchmaking explorations, its love for the sea is as deep as ever, anchored even more firmly ever since Hublot has partnered with the Swiss professional sailor, Alan Roura.
Since 2022, the Swiss skipper has been sailing the seas, from the Route du Rhum and the Vende?e Globe, to the Transat Jacques-Vabre and the Vende?e-Arctique, with Hublot by his side. This intrepid sailor is ready to conquer the waves, sporting the very best in watchmaking technology on his wrist:
This exceptional timepiece is the new Big Bang Unico Sailing Team, produced as a limited edition of just 100 pieces. The timepiece is decked in the same black and yellow colours as Alan Roura's IMOCA. This choice of colours is intentional, the black and yellow combination is a nod tothe black and gold that adorned the very first Hublot Classic Original of the 1980s. Combining yellow gold with a black rubber strap was a bold, unconventional move. The kind of daring that has built the Manufacture's reputation for over 40 years.
Alan Roura is Swiss, Hublot is Swiss, the watch is Swiss Made: there is no doubt about their shared provenance. The Swiss origins of the sailor, his chronograph and his sponsor can be seen on his boat as well as on his watch: the same Swiss flag is embossed on the hull of the yacht and on the watch's counter at 9 o'clock, bearing "SUI 7", the sail number that identifies his IMOCA in ocean races.
Watchmaking and ocean racing are united by common values. They constantly strive to reach new heights: precision, robustness, design and performance. The Big Bang Hublot Sailing Team has all this and more. Like Alan Roura's IMOCA, the timepiece wears a suit of polished carbon fibre armour, which incredibly robust and lightweight the choice of this material embodies the fusion between man and machine, between the skipper, his boat and his chronometer, essential for precision-timing his racing performance. Alan Roura's Big Bang Unico Sailing Team captures the essence of the Hublot IMOCA with which he sails: a natural extension of his craft, worn on the wrist. The sailor, his watch and his racing craft become one.
With a diameter of 42 mm, this is a compact and sinewy creation. Its strap is made of fabric with an ultra- resistant black, one-piece polyurethane coating, the surface of which appears to be woven like a sail. "HUBLOT" is features prominently across the strap, drawing its inspiration from the mainsail of the skipper's IMOCA which sports this exact same name. Hublot’s logo – the brand's stylistic signature, is like a flag flown at sea. The medium, the font, the colour and orientation are exactly the same on the watch as on the IMOCA, once again emphasising the total fusion between the two, and between the skipper and his sponsor. And the timepiece features a specially designed black ceramic folding clasp to anchor the chronometer to the wrist.
The heart of the piece features the very latest generation of the Unico Manufacture calibre, the HUB1280 self-winding chronograph. Boasting a power reserve of three days, 354 components and a rate of 4Hz, it reveals its aesthetic signature – its iconic column wheel – at 6 o'clock, the design of which is reminiscent of the winches used by Alan Roura to trim his sails.
"This is the third year running that I've worked with Hublot. I'm impressed, as always, by their ability to constantly push their own limits. I have been sailing with a Big Bang Original since 2022, but this Unico Sailing Team is even lighter and more robust. In racing, everything comes down to precision and reliability. I need to be able to count on my equipment 200%. It's the fusion of the skipper and his equipment that makes the difference." - Alan Roura Skipper.
