When it comes to the commercial success of watch brands that don’t start with the letter ‘R’, Hublot often tops the list. It’s not a secret how the brand does it. You will always find Hublot jumping on trends with immense efficiency. Think celebrity collaborations, using avant-garde materials like sapphire crystal, and implementing bold, polarising design.
Hublot Big Bang Meca-10 42MM
In much of the 21st century, watch sizes have ballooned as we are conditioned to think that ‘more is more’. But, if you’ve been paying attention lately, you will find that there’s been a surprising but welcomed shift towards smaller watch cases. And you guessed it, Hublot are embracing this trend as well, at least as much as it can. The brand’s latest novelty is a remake of a pre-existing model that debuted in 2016. While it has retained most of its identity, much else has changed to get with the times, including a significant 3mm reduction in case size. Here, we bring you the details and our honest thoughts on the new Big Bang Meca-10 42mm.
The Case, Dial, and Hands
First off, the obvious and important bit: the case size. The new Big Bang Meca-10 has been downsized from a whopping 45.0mm x 15.8mm to its current 42.0mm x 13.9mm. It may not seem like much, but for the average wrist, this swings the watch from ‘comically large’ to ‘assertive but wearable’. The Big Bang Meca-10 42mm is available in three different case materials: King Gold, Titanium, and Frosted Carbon. The Titanium version is perhaps the most ‘vanilla’ of the three, with the King Gold looking the boldest and the Frosted Carbon the most unique. Design wise, this is still the Big Bang case that we know. The King Gold and Titanium versions are satin-brushed with polished edges while the Frosted Carbon is reminiscent of carbon fibre, but without any fixed layered pattern. Hublot’s “One Click” strap change system is still in place, allowing for easy strap swapping. Speaking of the strap, the Big Bang Meca-10, specifically the Frosted Carbon variant, comes with a fabric strap that is fastened with Velcro – a testament to the lightness and robustness of the case. It’s as if the brand is saying, “our avant-garde case is so light, a less secure strap can handle it, and even if it does come undone, it should survive a typical drop unscathed”. You’re either going to love it or hate it. The metallic variants of the novelty come with a rubber strap with deployant buckle.
Like its previous iteration, the new Big Bang Meca-10 barely has a dial. The only components left that have anything to do with a dial are the running seconds track and the hour markers. Everything else visible on the watch face is considered part of the skeletonised movement. Again, like its predecessor, the watch displays the time in hours, minutes, and seconds, as well as the power reserve. While the hours and minutes are displayed by central hands, the seconds is indicated by a smaller hand in a sub-dial at 9 o’clock. The power reserve display is placed at the 3 o’clock position in the new Big Bang Meca-10; it was fitted at the 6 o’clock position in the 2016 iteration. All in all a very familiar visage with minor changes in layout compared to the original Big Bang Meca-10.
The Movement
A smaller case meant the need for a new calibre that would fit, and thus the HUB1205 manufacture movement was born. The manually wound HUB1205 has a power reserve of 10 days (it’s in the name) and operates at 3 Hz. The most interesting part of the movement remains the power reserve indicator. The energy level of the movement is read by means of a digital display that shows the power reserve as the number of days of autonomy remaining. These indications are driven by a “crémaillère” rack system consisting of a linear gear engaging a circular gear, moving in a straight line. The HUB1205 in actuality has a power reserve that exceeds ten days, but its display is capped at ten days as that was deemed the range of acceptable chronometric performance. Unlike most movements, the balance wheel in the HUB1205 is positioned on the dial-side, entirely visible. The escapement has an escape wheel that is silicon and lubricant-free.
At the back, one will find three linear bridges attached to the main plate. They are decorated with satin-brushed surfaces and hand-polished bevels. The movement is galvanically coloured – gold, metallic grey, or black – depending on the variant, to match the case. As before, the movement components are skeletonised without compromising structural integrity.
The Competitive Landscape
The sports/casual watch market is rife with competition but Hublot are always up for figurative fistfight in this arena. The Big Bang Meca-10 is robust enough for sports (the 100 m water resistance is great to have), looks cool enough to be a casual watch, and is interesting enough mechanically to captivate a watch geek. It is also priced competitively. The King Gold version is the priciest at CHF38,900; the Titanium is the most accessible at CHF20,900; while the Frosted Carbon – the most unique offering of the trio – is mid-priced at CHF24,900.
The Big Bang Meca-10 isn’t the only novelty presented by Hublot in this quarter – there’s also the new Spirit of Big Bang Chronograph, now in coloured ceramic. Say what you want about Hublot but the brand really knows how to make a watch fun. While the Spirit of Big Bang isn’t exactly identical to the Meca-10, some aspects are similar: the avant-garde case material, the water resistance, the open dial, the light weight, the overall casual design, and importantly, the pricing. The new Spirit of Big Bang Chronograph – limited to 200 pieces for each of the Sand Beige, Dark Green and Sky Blue variations – is priced at CHF28,500, close to the Big Bang Meca-10 in Frosted Carbon.
Another name that deserves to be in the conversation despite its lower profile is the Girard-Perregaux Laureato, specifically the Absolute range. The model shown in the photograph below is the Laureato Absolute Rock, which highlights several key themes about the collection. The first is the use of innovative materials, and the second, competitive pricing. The Absolute Rock, now discontinued, has a Carbon Glass case that – beyond its ethereal beauty – is stiffer than steel yet so light that it could float on water. It was also ‘just’ SGD23,300 when it debuted. Even factoring in inflation and price adjustments, it’s not hard to see the immense value proposition of the watch.
Concluding Thoughts
If you manage your biases and expectations, the Hublot Big Bang Meca-10 is a solid timepiece. It showcases Hublot’s strengths to a tee, namely in manufacturing, innovative materials, design, and competitive pricing. The shift to a smaller case seen in this new version is key to remaining relevant. Expect more variations in various materials in the near future – it wouldn’t be Hublot otherwise.
