Since 2016, Hublot has pioneered the creation of sapphire watch cases, beginning with the groundbreaking Big Bang Sapphire. This innovation challenged the industry’s previous use of sapphire as merely a component rather than the primary material for watch cases. Over the years, Hublot has expanded its sapphire collection with notable designs such as the vibrant orange Big Bang in 2021, the transparent Meca-10 series, and the glacier-blue Big Bang MP-11, which boasts a fourteen-day power reserve.
The newest addition to this lineup is the Big Bang Sapphire Sky Blue, a limited edition of 100 pieces based on the Meca-10 platform. This model introduces a new color to the collection, showcasing Hublot’s dedication to mastering sapphire machining. Priced at approximately $85,000, the timepiece is available directly from Hublot’s website.
The choice of sky blue is more deliberate than it may seem. The Big Bang’s sandwich case construction—layers of material that give depth to the dial—translates beautifully into sapphire. A transparent blue sapphire case offers a unique chromatic effect that opaque materials cannot achieve.
The matte sky-blue skeleton dial, along with matching movement bridges that are visible through the case, provides a stark contrast to the clear sapphire, achieving a harmonious rather than merely colorful result. A sky-blue rubber strap completes the color continuity from the case to the strap. Hublot’s signature H-shaped titanium screws secure the bezel, the only structural element needing titanium for optimal function.
The HUB1201 Movement
The Big Bang Sapphire Sky Blue is powered by the Caliber HUB1201, first introduced in 2016 with the original 44mm Big Bang Meca-10. This movement remains visually striking in 2026, as it was when first launched. Its fully skeletonized, Meccano-inspired design showcases the mechanical architecture, making it an ideal choice for a watch with a transparent case that emphasizes visibility.
The Meca-10 movement features two mainspring barrels working together to provide a ten-day power reserve, an impressive feat for a manually wound movement. Its rack-and-pinion mechanism moves two sliding racks along the 9 to 3 o’clock axis to create a dual power-reserve display, highlighting engineering transparency.
Operating at 21,600 vibrations per hour, the movement is perfect for manual winding. It can be seen through both the sapphire caseback and the skeletonized dial.
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Reading the Dial and the Case Specification
The Big Bang Sapphire Sky Blue features a 44mm case made entirely of polished sapphire crystal, with a water resistance of 50 meters. These dimensions align with the established proportions of the Big Bang series. The polished finish enhances the sky-blue hue, creating an effect that matte finishing would not achieve. The watch includes running seconds at 9 o’clock, a power-reserve display at 6 o’clock, and an indicator at 3 o’clock with a red zone that warns when the power reserve is down to two days, adding a functional element to the design.
With a production limit of 100 pieces, this release is significant commercially, priced at EUR 82,700. The Big Bang Sapphire Sky Blue stands at the high end of Hublot’s Big Bang collection, justified by the combination of sapphire case machining, limited edition status, and the HUB1201 movement’s ten-day reserve. For enthusiasts of Hublot’s sapphire series since the initial 2016 Big Bang, the sky blue variant expands the Meca-10 platform’s color palette, bridging the gap between the earlier orange and glacier-blue MP-11 with a continued focus on material innovation.
Featured image: Hublot
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