Miami Blues and Pinks: Introducing the New Hublot Big Bang Unico Watch Dedicated to the Magic City

Creating watches dedicated to countries or cities is a trend that has been observed in the watchmaking industry for quite some time now. These watches often feature design elements, materials, and motifs that are representative of a specific region’s culture and history. These watches may also incorporate the colours and symbols associated with a particular place or may draw inspiration from its famous landmarks or even historical events it is remembered for. In other words, these timepieces can serve as commemorative items and are often released in limited editions. Hublot has just released a Big Bang Unico variant that can be described as belonging to the category of watches that are specifically created to celebrate the spirit of a particular geographical place. The new Big Bang Unico Magic City (Ref. 441.CI.1199.VR.HBM23) watch is dedicated to the city of Miami; the 35-piece limited edition was showcased at the Miami Art Week, held from December 4 to 10 this year.

Miami is a major US city, located in southeastern Florida. Known for its vibrant culture, diverse population, beaches, and lively nightlife, the city has a tropical climate, characterised by warm winters, and hot, humid summers. It experiences a markedly drier season in the winter and a more pronounced wet season in the summer, compared with other American cities. Miami, often referred to as the Magic City for its transformative power, has a thriving arts and design scene, with neighbourhoods like Wynwood Arts District known for their colourful street art and galleries. The annual Art Basel Miami Beach is one of the prestigious international art fairs held in the city.

The 42 mm Hublot Big Bang Unico Magic City watch comes in a micro-blasted black ceramic case with black-plated, H-shaped, polished, micro-blasted, titanium screws on the bezel. The crown at 3 o’clock gets satin finishing with black-plated titanium with black rubber, and satined, micro-blasted, and black-plated titanium pushers at 2 o’clock and 4 o’clock that start and restart the chronograph function along with two black bumpers on either sides of the watch. The openworked matte black dial gets black, satin-finished hour and minute hands, with an elongated central second hand displaying the Hublot logo. 

The dial also features pink and blue shades accentuating the overall look with gradient effects — the digits from 6 o’clock to 12 o’clock are in pink while from 1 o’clock to 5 o’clock, one can spot blue numerals. This two-tone scheme is inspired by Miami’s Tropical Deco and the new-wave art renaissance of the 80s, paying homage to the city's distinctive colour palette and extraordinary sunsets. Therefore, pink and blue can also be found subtly fading from one to the other on the black minute track, the palm tree at the seconds counter at 9 o’clock, and the 60-minute counter at 3 o'clock, which comes with an in-built date window with a black background. On the dial, wearers can also see the visible rotating plate for the date of the month. 

Powering the watch is the Unico-manufactured, self-winding chronograph Calibre HUB1280, delivering a power reserve of 72 hours. Turning the watch over showcases the micro-blasted black ceramic caseback with six visible screws, engraving of the individual watch number out of 35, pink-coloured ‘Hublot Special’, and blue-coloured ‘Edition Big Bang’, and a black oscillating weight. Finishing the watch is the predominantly pink-and-blue calfskin leather strap, with an optional black-lined rubber strap. Both straps come with black ceramic and black titane deployant buckles.