HAUTE TIME

PHOTO COURTESY OF HUBLOT WATCHESHaute

Yellow Magic

Hublot makes more magic happen.

BY MARTIN GREEN

WITH THE LAUNCH OF THE BIG BANG UNICO YELLOW Magic, Hublot has proven that it can produce this primary color in ceramic, a challenging material: it’s made at very high temperatures, and most pigments tend to burn up. That’s why, for decades, ceramic watches generally only came in white and black. Hublot was the first to introduce brighter colors, in 2018, thanks to a newly developed process to create ceramics under pressure at lower temperatures.

The Big Bang Unico Yellow Magic showcases Hublot’s patented technology well. The vibrant yellow looks even more intense thanks to contrasting black details. With a diameter of 42mm, the watch is well proportioned, and thanks to the rubber strap with titanium and black ceramic folding clasp, the wearing comfort second to none. While the yellow is quite a powerful color, Hublot has been able to incorporate it generously in the Big Bang Unico Yellow Magic without making it too much of a good thing, thanks to the dial and black middle section, crown, and chronograph pushers, which do a wonderful job of bringing the design altogether.

The Big Bang Unico Yellow Magic is powered by caliber HUB 1280, a self-winding movement with a power reserve of 72 hours, made in Hublot’s own manufacture. It features a flyback chronograph, which is controlled by a column wheel. This is visible through the skeletonized dial and adds to the industrial, high-end look of the watch. Hublot will make 250 pieces of the model.

SPEED RACER

Richard Mille RM 40-01 McLaren Speedtail: a partnership goes full speed ahead.

BY MARTIN GREEN

EVEN AMONG MCLAREN’S IMPRESSIVE COLLECTION, the Speedtail is in a class of its own. It redefined the term supercar, and with a breathtaking 250 mph top speed, it is the fastest car McLaren ever built. It is also one of the most spectacular, its aerodynamic profile stunning from every angle. There are many similarities between McLaren and Richard Mille, the two brands that have been partners for over a decade, and they prove this once again with the new RM 40-01 Automatic Tourbillon McLaren Speedtail.

This watch was designed simultaneously with the car, making it far more than just a tribute to this incredible machine but a piece of art in its own right. Most unique is the shape of the case, which resembles that of the car. McLaren invested no less than 2,800 hours in getting its teardrop shape just right. To up the game even more, the RM 40-01 Automatic Tourbillon McLaren Speedtail features a finishing at a higher level than Richard Mille has ever done before.The highly complex sapphire crystal on this watch costs 15 to 20 times more to make than those on other Richard Mille models.

To fit the unique case, a new movement had to be developed as well. Caliber CRMT4 consists of 603 parts and is based on Richard Mille’s in-house automatic caliber. It features an oscillating weight made from platinum and red gold, resembling the hood of the McLaren Speedtail, as well as a tourbillon. In terms of complications, it is fitted with a power reserve indicator and an oversize date. Thanks to its organic shape, integrated strap, and a case made from Grade 5 titanium and Carbon TPT, the wearing comfort is exceptional and offers no distraction when you take the McLaren Speedtail to its top speed.

Above or Below Water

Ulysse Nardin rules with its latest creations.

BY MARTIN GREEN

Blast Hourstriker

Diver X Skeleton

ULYSSE NARDIN CONTINUES TO COMBINE CLASSIC watchmaking with disruptive creations at Watches & Wonders 2021. These pieces not only show the brand’s’expertise and craftsmanship, but also its future-minded nature and eye for tantalizing design, continuing to push the boundaries of the company and also watchmaking as a whole. Existing connoisseurs are served, as well as a new generation of watch collectors.

With the Blast Hourstriker, Ulysse Nardin has created the Hourstriker Phantom’s successor while integrating it into the highly successful Blast collection that launched last year. The key elements of this watch are its beauty and technical complexity, but especially the sound. Ulysse Nardin teamed up with audio tech company Devialet and achieved an astonishing 85 dB, thanks to the use of a titanium membrane. The mechanism that controls the striking features of this watch is visible on the dial side, as is the flying tourbillon. The 45mm case is crafted from red gold combined with black DLC titanium, which makes the watch look striking.

With the Diver X Skeleton, Ulysse Nardin has merged elements from two of its most impactful collections into a single watch. The result is a diving watch unlike any other, as they are rarely fitted with skeletonized movements. The case combines blue PVD with charismatic blue carbonium, a carbon composite with a unique texture decorating the diving bezel. The “X” dominates the dial in two colors, blue with orange accents. Behind it sits caliber UN-372, a skeletonized automatic movement in which extensive use of silicon parts makes it truly the mechanical movement of the future. The power reserve is extensive, measuring 96 hours.

The Diver X Skeleton is available with either a blue or an orange rubber strap and is limited to 175 pieces, marking the 175th anniversary of the brand, which is being celebrated this year.

With its new UFO table clock, Ulysse Nardin is also conquering the sky. It teamed up with Maison L’Epée, which has been manufacturing traditional clocks since 1839. With an aluminum base and handblown glass dome, the clock is a unique object that shows it all. Its movement consists of no less than 675 components that allow it to show three time zones at once. At the top is extra-large oscillator, 49mm in diameter, crowned by the Ulysse Nardin logo. Thanks to six mainspring barrels, the clock’s manual wind movement has a power reserve of a year, as can be seen on the indicator placed inside the movement. It is another daring way in which Ulysse Nardin shows its significant expertise and knack for creating items representing the future of timepieces.

PRESSURE AND PASSION

Jimmy Butler teams up with TAG Heuer.

BY MARTIN GREEN

JIMMY BUTLER IS A MAN WHO NEEDS NO INTRODUCTION. The highly successful basketball player started his professional career with the Chicago Bulls and now plays in the small forward position for Miami Heat. In his first year with the Heat, he was instrumental in the team reaching the 2020 NBA Finals. As a five-time NBA All-Star, three-time All-NBA Team honoree and four-time NBA All-Defensive Team honoree, he knows how to impress in any situation. For him, a watch is an important part of his personal style, so he has joined forces with TAG Heuer, wearing their watches on and off the court.

“TAG Heuer and I share a common DNA of mental strength, passion and performance,” Butler says. “What excites me most about being their new brand ambassador is that they see something in me. I’m glad that they feel that I’m the right person to do the job. TAG Heuer believes in me, and I’m giving them everything I got.”

On the court, his wrist will be graced by the TAG Heuer Connected. This innovative smartwatch combines good looks with great ergonomics and a wide array of features. Its active screen is protected by a sapphire crystal, surrounded by a bezel made from ceramic. The watch itself features a GPS, compass, accelerometer, gyroscope and heart rate monitor, which makes it perfect for Butler to keep track of his performance and helps him take it to an even higher level.

Butler reveals how the brand’s “Don’t Crack Under Pressure” concept relates to him: “I love pressure. Around here, we say pressure makes diamonds or pressure bursts pipes. Everything we do is to make sure we’re making diamonds out of that pressure. Every single day we’re putting the work in to make sure I’m in the best shape physically and mentally, and that I’m prepared for anything thrown at me on the court. I love pressure — it shows who you are.”

Off court, it immediately becomes clear why Butler is also considered an international style icon. His personal taste is of an exceptionally high standard, and everything he wears, he does with a natural flair. The same goes for his TAG Heuer Carrera. A true watch aficionado, Butler didn’t pick just any Carrera to wear but opted for the limited edition, made to mark the 88th birthday of founder Jack Heuer. This 42mm watch is crafted from pink gold and powered by the brand’s’in-house chronograph caliber Heuer 02. With its silver dial and contrasting black subdials, it superbly compliments Butler’s original style.

The new TAG Heuer ambassador says he has a special relationship with time. “As an athlete, time means everything, because you never get it back. I’m ten years in the game now, and I look back on when I was a rookie and think, ‘Wow, what a time.’ I remember everything like it was yesterday. In my personal life, time means everything all the same. I spend so much time with my family, with my guys, we do everything together, and we record it all because we want to be able to go back in time and remember what happened at a specific moment.”