Hublot Big Bang Unico “Magic Gold”

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This new timepiece is equipped with a scratch resistant bezel made with the famous Magic Gold, which is the worlds only scratch-resistant gold, certified as 18K and developed by Hublot – and the iconic design of the BIG BANG, with its Manufacture Chrono: the UNICO.

Three years after Hublot unveiled its celebrated Magic Gold – still the only scratch-resistant gold – a noble material protected by patents, certified as 18 carats by the Central Office for Precious Metals Control, and developed by Hublot in Switzerland alongside the prestigious EPFL (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology), several months of fine-tuning took place in the manufacture to machine the famous alloy.

Hublot’s Magic Gold is the hardest in the world, and it can only be successfully machined using diamond. Its hardness of almost 1000 Vickers eliminates the traditional weak point of gold and its alloys, which are very easily scratched. It is worth noting that “standard” well-designed 18 carat gold is only rated at 400 Vickers, with most hardened steels at around 600 Vickers.

Since November 2011, when Magic Gold was unveiled, Hublot has equipped itself with the means to produce this material in-house from start to finish thanks to its high-tech foundry at the Nyon Manufacture, which is home to the ceramic sintering and high pressure metal casting processes.

This revolutionary material is a fusion of 24 carat gold and the latest high-tech materials expertise. Components made from this material are produced using a complex process: A boron carbide powder is preformed in moulds very similar in shape to that of the finished parts, in this case the watch’s bezel. The pre-formed powder is then hardened at a very high temperature, creating a rigid, porous structure.

After this operation, 24K gold alloyed with 3% molten liquid gold is injected under very high pressure with inert gas at a high temperature, allowing the metal to fill the ceramic pores and creating a “fusion” of the two to produce Magic Gold. The first watches made from Magic Gold were presented at Basel World 2012 in a very limited Big Bang Ferrari edition.

Technical Details
Model: BIG BANG UNICO MAGIC GOLD
Reference 411.CM.1138.RX

Case
Diameter 45.5 mm, made from micro-blasted black ceramic with polished sides
Bezel: Polished Magic Gold, 6 H-shaped black PVD treated titanium screws, countersunk, polished & locked
Crystal: Sapphire with interior/exterior anti-reflective coating and gilt Hublot logo
Bezel Lugs: Black composite
Lateral inserts: Black composite
Crown: Black PVD titanium with Hublot logo and black overmoulded rubber
Push-pieces: Black PVD titanium
Case-back: Sapphire crystal with interior/exterior anti-reflective treatment, Micro-blasted black PVD titanium
Water resistance: 10 ATM, i.e. approx. 100 metres

Dial
Matt black varnished skeleton
Red varnished minute track
Satin-finished gilt counter ring at 9 o’clock (small second)
Satin-finished gilt counter ring at 3 o’clock (chronograph minute)
Gilt plated indices with black Superluminova™

Hands
Satin-finished gilt plated with black Superluminova™
Gilt plated and red varnished chronograph hand

Movement
HUB 1242 UNICO movement with black PVD treatment, developed and manufactured in-house by Hublot Automatic flyback chronograph with column wheel and double clutch visible on the dial side
Date: Dark grey window at 3 o’clock
Oscillating weight: Black PVD coating
Power reserve: Approximately 72 hours

Strap
Structured, ribbed black rubber
Interchangeable system
Clasp: Black PVD titanium deployant buckle with black ceramic inserts