Hands-on – Hublot Big Bang Meca-10, With The Brand’s New 10-day Power Reserve Movement (specs & price)

Until recently, the concept of Hublot was mainly focused on the look and the combination of extreme materials, such as ceramic of course, but also super-resistant gold alloys, carbon fibre printed with motifs or sapphire. Hublot is first of all a design, a concept, not only focussed on horology but also on the looks – and with all respect to the brand, this has been very successful until now. Then came the first in-house movement of the brand, the Unico – but that was a chronograph. With the idea to emphasize more on watchmaking skills and integration, this year the brand introduced a new watch, with a brand new movement, where watchmaking is used to create style, architectural design and horological pleasure. Here is the Hublot Big Bang Meca-10, with the brand’s new 10-day power reserve movement. A bit caricatural in the execution, but that’s also why Hublot is Hublot.

The new Hublot Big Bang Meca-10 is based on the traditional Big Bang case – so the point is not here. I mean, the design of the case is known, easily identifiable and bold, as usual. The case of the Meca-10 can be ordered in micro-blasted titanium (limited to 500 pieces) or in polished and micro-blasted black ceramic (limited to 500 pieces too). We find back the central container with integrated lugs and device to easily change the strap, as well as the round, raised bezel with 6 screws. In-between is a black insert that serves as a protection. The Hublot Big Bang Meca-10 is 45mm and delivered on a black, stripped rubber strap with folding buckle. This is it for the external part. We told you, the big deal is not here, it’s in the mechanics.

The Hublot Big Bang Meca-10 is the first (and certainly not the last) to be fitted with the new HUB1201 Movement. The watch you see here is a showcase, a demonstration piece, serving for the promotion of the movement. And thus, it explains why it has a certain excess, a sort of caricatural look, perfectly synthesized by the presence of 3 (yes, 3) indications of the power reserve. In itself, it remains a rather simple movement, only displaying the hours, minutes and small seconds, in a sub-dial at 9. However, the achievement is in the power reserve, which sits at a more than comfortable 10 days. This movement being entirely new, this is also why there’s no dial on the Big Bang Meca-10, just to make sure that you don’t miss the star of the show.

Back on the main features: 3 power reserve indicators, on the dial… First of all, no worries, we’re not talking about 3 sub-dials with the same display. In fact, the power reserve is driven by a rack, gears and wheels, all linked and working simultaneously. The movement is fitted with two parallel barrels with a power reserve indicator using a rack system. At 12 o’clock, two racks slide on a 9 o’clock to 3 o’clock axis thanks to a rack and pinion system. Not entirely an indicator, it allows to see, depending on the position, whether the watch is charged or not. Then, at 3, a hollowed wheel turns simultaneously but will only reveal a red area when the watch gets closer to the end of the power reserve (for the last 2 days). The last one, placed at 6, is the main indicator. The remaining days are printed on a discs and the corresponding power reserve is enlightened by a red window. Of course, this is a bit “too much” but in the end, it gives the watch a great technical aspect, being entirely focused on the energy storage. Keep in mind that this is probably a feature unique to this first edition with the HUB1201 Movement, and next watches using this calibre will probably use a more traditional display – or at least less visible.

The movement itself is also interesting because of its construction. The regulating organ is placed 7 and visible on the dial. The back reveals a nice technical style, with bridges widely opened, to show all the mechanical parts. By having all these racks, gears, pinions and wheels visible, the Hublot Big Bang Meca-10 has a very mechanical, horology-oriented style, very technical and modern, which is even more present than the previous creations of the brand. Almost like a Meccano or an Eiffel creation, it’s quite brutal and strong, a feeling reinforced by the black treatment on the bridges and plates, as well as the sand-blasted surfaces. But looked with the eyes of mechanic lovers, we have to admit the intelligence of conception and the work done on the power reserve.

This watch opens new horizons for the brand, and offers the possibility to introduce future watches, not only with chronograph or outsourced movements, but also with more traditional displays – and we can even imagine this movement serving as a base for complications. The  Hublot Big Bang Meca-10 being the first of its kind, the brand voluntarily exaggerated the codes, with these playful but caricatural power reserve indicators and the brutal and very technical look or the movement. But what has to be recognized here is the evolution to integration of the movements in the process of creation, which augurs nice future watches. Price: 19,600 Euros for the titanium edition and 21,700 Euros for the Black Ceramic version.

Specifications of the Hublot Big Bang Meca-10

• Case: 45mm – Micro-blasted titanium or Polished and micro-blasted black ceramic – sapphire crystal on front and back – 100m water resistant
• Movement: calibre HUB1201 – manual – 10-day power reserve – 21,600 vibrations/h – hours, minutes, small second and power reserve indication
• Strap: natural rubber in black, Titanium or Black treated titanium folding buckle