Hublot unveiled a new addition to its ultra-popular Big Bang range of timepieces called the Unico Bi-Retrograde Chrono. It’s the Official Watch of this year’s FIFA World Cup and is also the first Big Bang Unico Bi-Retrograde Chrono. The result of 18 months of research and development is the new automatic HUB1260 movement: a bi-retrograde movement with central chrono comprising 385 components (Frequency 4 Hz, 28,800 Vib/Hour), patent pending. It is also one of the only movements of its type in the watchmaking industry today.
It is the first time Hublot has unveiled a watch with a bi-retrograde display (the hands return to their starting points at lightning speed). When the chronograph is started, the chrono’s second hand and minute hand move from left to right in a circular arc of 45 minutes (one half of a football match), with an area for 15 minutes’ added time up to 60 minutes. There are two push-buttons on either side of the crown for START, STOP and RESET; the push-button at 2 o’clock is also used to show the period of time selected from the following 4 options: 1st half, half time, 2nd half and end of match, indicated by a window in the centre at 12 o’clock.
The two permanently rotating hands are arranged in a counter at 6 o’clock. This way, they continue to display the passing hours and minutes while the seconds are shown by a small sector-shaped counter; this has a three-spoke hand positioned at 9 o’clock which rotates permanently and allows the wearer to see at a glance that the movement is working correctly. The power reserve is approximately 72 hours.
The watch is designed to align with the national colours of Brazil (yellow and green), whilst the watch also comes with a Brazil soccer jersey signed by Pele. It also features a carbon fibre bezel and comes in a 45.5mm case.
The watch is available in two versions – an 18-karat King Gold or a black ceramic version and is limited to 100 pieces for the first and 200 pieces for the second version.
