SJX Watches
Hublot Combines a Two-Week Power Reserve and a Blue Sapphire Crystal Case
A perfect illustration of Hublot’s extravagant style and technical proficiency, the Hublot Big Bang MP-11 14 Day Power Reserve Water Blue Sapphire boasts 336 hours of power reserve thanks to seven laterally stacked barrels working with 90° bevel gears and a helical worm screw to drive the movement. This is a new variant of an existing model, with the difference being the case crafted from transparent “water blue” sapphire crystal. Initial thoughts Hublot is an anomaly. It’s one of the 20 biggest watchmakers in Switzerland by revenue and boasts a vertically integrated manufactured but is often criticised for being something of a “fashion” brand by enthusiasts and non-enthusiasts alike. Part of this pushback probably stems from the brand’s entry-level watches that use inexpensive stock movements that are priced expensively for what they are. The mechanics don’t live up to the price. That reasoning is sound, but it doesn’t reflect the brand’s top-of-the-line products. Like the recent MP-10, the new MP-11 reflects Hublot’s ability in movements and materials. Its manufacture develops and produces complex in-house calibres with unique complications and novel constructions, usually presented in cases made of novel materials with distinctive aesthetics and properties. The only downside of such complications is their size. The MP-11 is enormous at 45 mm in diameter, and it isn’t even the chunkiest watch that Hublot produces. This limits its wearability and ...
