Ditch the Toxic, Embrace the New Hublot Big Bang Unico Nespresso Origin Watch

Sustainability is the need of the hour. Realising this, luxury watch brands have either already made a transition to greener alternatives or are gradually integrating sustainability into their business ethos. Then there are other timepiece makers that seem to be keen on forging ties with non-watch brands to make environment-friendly products. Take Hublot. For its latest novelty, the Swiss watchmaker has partnered with another Swiss brand, Nespresso, to create a 200-piece limited-edition watch, made from recycled Nespresso aluminium capsules and coffee grounds. In fact, it is the world’s first 42 mm watch (Ref. 441.UG.5220.RX.NES23), whose case, bezel, crown and chronograph pushers at 2 o’clock and 4 o’clock are made from recycled Nespresso aluminium capsules and coffee grounds.

The launch comes close on the heels of Hublot unveiling its Big Bang Unico Sky Blue model this month. The latest model, Big Bang Unico Nespresso Origin, is set to pave the way for more such unusual collaborations to bolster sustainability efforts in the world of horology. Nespresso, an operating unit of the Nestlé Group, is already carving a niche for itself in terms of sustainability initiatives. For instance, the brand’s Second Life Project, launched in 2016, solely focuses on promoting recycling. Coming back to the new Hublot Big Bang Unico timepiece, the bottom part of the monochromatic watch’s case has four visible screws. It is only on the crown that the watch gets the Nespresso ‘N’ logo. 

The watch has all the signature elements of a Big Bang Unico watch. It’s just that the skeleton dial and the hands now appear in Nespresso’s signature shade of green to match the case and the strap. The dial gets large Arabic hour markers, a seconds counter at 9 o’clock, a 60-minute counter at 3 o’clock with an in-built date window and a 60-minute track on the outer periphery. The central chronograph second hand is also green in colour; it has an oblong tip while the Hublot logo sits at 12 o’clock. It took Hublot a whole year to develop this watch with a green hue, chosen from a bouquet of seven different colours.

Powering the new Hublot Big Bang Unico watch is the same movement that is found in the Sky Blue model. It’s an in-house, self-winding Calibre HUB1280 Unico movement with 72 hours of power reserve. Turning the watch over showcases the skeleton caseback, made from eco titanium, with a stainless steel oscillating weight and the engraving of ‘Limited Edition’, ‘Big Bang’ and the individual watch number out of 200.

The Hublot Big Bang Unico Nespresso Origin watch is finished on two different green straps: a fabric strap with a Velcro-style closure and a textured rubber strap that is fitted with a titanium folding clasp. The fabric strap of this limited-edition watch has been created by SingTex, which has been using recycled coffee grounds to make Scafé, a new kind of material. In other words, each of these straps is made from 5% coffee grounds and 95% recycled polyester, a combination that has been used for the first time in a strap. These straps can be interchanged with the brand’s One-Click system by pressing the button on top of the angular integrated lugs. 

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