Hublot: The spirit of tattoo art meets timepieces

Hublot is collaborating with Swiss tattoo artist Maxime Plescia-Buchi of Sang Bleu studios for the third time on the Spirit of Big Bang Sang Bleu watches

There are three limited editions from this series of timepieces with 42 mm-diameter case: 200 units in titanium, 200 in all black ceramic and 100 in king gold. In addition, there are two models in titanium and king gold set with 180 diamonds weighing approximately 2.4 carats.

“My collaboration with Hublot is like constructing a house, an architectural project in itself. The Spirit of Big Bang Sang Bleu is the third wall of this shared structure. It signifies a landmark, as the house we are building now stands firmly and coherently in its own right,” says Plescia-Buchi, the founder of Sang Bleu studios and a Hublot ambassador.

“Launched in 2014, the Spirit of Big Bang retained all of the Big Bang’s original features in a barrel-shaped case. A reinterpretation of Hublot’s DNA, simultaneously identical yet so different. For this third collaboration, Maxime has infused it with a new spirit without changing its soul, introducing the Spirit of Big Bang Sang Bleu. He achieves this same transformation, injecting the concepts of the Big Bang Sang Bleu I & II, by redefining the lines of the Spirit of Big Bang,” says Ricardo Guadalupe, the CEO of Hublot.

In 2016, the first Big Bang Sang Bleu saw Plescia-Buchi’s three-dimensional geometry imprinted on its design, revealing a perfectly proportioned structure inspired by Leonardo da Vinci’s Vitruvian Man.

Then in 2019, the tattoo artist and Hublot’s collaboration on the the Sang Bleu II was expressed as a “full body” tattoo across the entire Big Bang model, including the case, the hexagonal bezel, the sapphire crystal, the hands, and the bracelet.

“After having made my mark on the Big Bang, my creative process has taken on a new form. This is the new collection, and the barrel shape of the Spirit of Big Bang. I have been able to question and review each component, from the case to the crystal, the bracelet to the clasp, considering each shape and proportion through a holistic reflection,” says Plescia-Buchi.

The latest watches come with a sapphire dial that displays the HUB4700 automatic skeleton chronograph movement through disc hands bearing the characteristic geometry of timepieces made in collaboration with Sang Bleu.

“Without losing what makes our barrel watch so distinctive, he gives it a new identity, a spatial redesign and a more architectural dimension, revealed by the Sang Bleu geometry and symmetry. A fusion that exceeds perfection. The symbol of a collaboration that highlights the best features and unique potential of each design. In our watches and in our collaborations, one philosophy underscores the vision of everything we do: to adapt to the container while always focusing on the quality of the content,” says Guadalupe.

The new watches retain the distinctive features of the classic Big Bang watches, such as the six H-shaped titanium screws running through the watch bezel, the sandwich construction, the signature lugs on each side of the case, and a screwed crown moulded over with rubber.

“The aim is to incorporate the DNA of the Big Bang Sang Bleu II into the Spirit of Big Bang Sang Bleu. The result is a similar geometric aesthetic with a new interpretation of shapes and volumes,” says Plescia-Buchi.

“This creation is guided by perfectly proportioned shapes that interact and overlap to create a unique, distinctive design while enhancing the ergonomics for the wearer.”

Photos by Hublot

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