Hublot Big Bang Tourbillon Automatic Purple Sapphire: deciphering the name

The Hublot brand has long established a reputation for craftsmanship in watch cases. For them – usually for the first time in the industry – a wide range of modern materials are used. In recent years, Hublot engineers and designers have been favoring high-tech ceramics and sapphire glass, and in very different colors. It is worth recalling that the next color is achieved not just by introducing the right pigment. No, every time it is the result of lengthy experiments and the search for the only possible technological solution.

The new Big Bang Tourbillon Automatic Purple Sapphire, released in a series of 50 pieces, was no exception. As the second part of the name implies, its case is made of synthetic sapphire (based on aluminum dioxide and chromium) in a translucent purple color. This is already the seventh shade of sapphire glass mastered by the brand: after colorless, black, red, blue, yellow and orange. The polished blocks of tinted synthetic sapphire form the Big Bang design case with a diameter of 44 mm and a thickness of 14.5 mm, and are held together by titanium screws.

The words Tourbillon Automatic, also included in the name of the model, mean that it uses an automatic manufactory tourbillon movement. To ensure a 72-hour power reserve, a micro-rotor is used, visible at 12 o’clock, maintaining perfect visual balance with the equally proportioned tourbillon cage at 6 o’clock.