Hublot Big Bang MP-11 uses unusual material “Saxem”

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Hublot, always on the lookout for new technologies, has just unveiled a limited edition of 20 copies of its Big Bang MP-11 (with a 14 day power reserve) with a 45 mm case (water resistant to 30 meters) in Saxem, an innovative material with an emerald green color.

In their development of the Big Bang MP-11 Hublot created sapphire crystal in various colours (transparent, black, yellow, blue and red) but discovered that it was particularly difficult to create a green version and so decided to explore new materials.
Hublot_MP11_side view So they were able to revisit the contemporary design of the  Big Bang MP-11 model by shaping its case in an innovative new material in watchmaking (used for example in satellites). With a deep green rivaling the most beautiful of emeralds, the Saxem “combines outstanding strength with a brilliance close to that of diamond,” says the press release.

To obtain a hue of green this transparent and with a unique brilliance, Hublot mixed aluminum oxide, a basic component of sapphire, with rare earths such as thulium and holmium as well as with chromium. Result: a material both harder than emerald (too soft to be machined) and with a higher gloss than sapphire.

Hublot MP11
The green Saxem, entirely polished, forms a beautiful contrast with the six H-shaped screws of the bezel, polished and micro-blasted black titanium, as well as with the black crown marrying titanium and rubber inserts.

At the heart of this Big Bang MP-11 beats a hand-wound skeleton movement with an extraordinary power reserve of two weeks. Hublot achieved this feat with an original motion architecture incorporating seven barrels coupled in series, all with a very reasonable thickness of 10.92 mm.

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To allow the transmission of energy between the horizontal axis of the barrels and the vertical wheel drive controlling the display of hours and minutes, the designers have used a very rare system in watchmaking: a 90 degree reference through a helical gearwheel.

The Hublot Big Bang MP-11 is produced in a limited edition of 20 copies and priced at 125,000 Euro’s.

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