Big Bang Unico SR_A

HUBLOT AND SAMUEL ROSS UNVEIL THE FIRST BIG BANG UNICO SR_A

Hublot and British Designer Samuel Ross MBE, strengthen their design partnership with the debut of the Big Bang Unico SR_A, the first signature SR_A model equipped with the Manufacture’s Unico chronograph calibre.

With the Big Bang Unico SR_A, Hublot and Samuel Ross open a new chapter in their partnership. For the first time, the SR_A design language is paired with the Unico Manufacture movement, bringing Ross’s industrial codes and Hublot’s most emblematic chronograph calibre together in one unified creation.

Limited to 200 pieces, the timepiece adopts a monochrome ceramic exterior and a newly developed honeycomb rubber strap, refining the design vocabulary established by the three previous SR_A tourbillon editions. Combining ceramic engineering, industrial geometry and the performance of the Unico movement, the Big Bang Unico SR_A offers a more widely available expression of the collaboration while remaining firmly anchored in Hublot’s Art of Fusion and Ross’s distinct identity.

The Big Bang Unico SR_A represents the evolution of a partnership built on structure, material innovation and contemporary industrial design. Since 2020, Hublot and Samuel Ross have developed a distinctive creative language through three SR_A Tourbillon editions.

The watch features a 42mm case in satin-finished and polished black ceramic, reflecting the bold geometry and modular construction of the Big Bang line. The choice of an all-black ceramic execution brings the SR_A back to a sleek, stripped-back aesthetic.

At the centre of the design is Samuel Ross’s signature honeycomb motif. Seen previously in the SR_A sculptures and earlier watch limited editions, the pattern appears here on a newly developed structured rubber strap created specifically for this reference. Lightweight, ergonomic and strongly architectural, it reinforces the industrial character of the SR_A series. “With the honeycomb, it was about taking information away from the watch to increase the lightness,” explains Ross.

The matte black skeleton dial exposes key Unico components, including the visible column wheel at 6 o’clock and the open chronograph mechanism. This transparency highlights the technical architecture of the HUB1280 calibre, which incorporates a flyback chronograph, silicon escapement and a 72-hour power reserve.

The move to a 200-piece limited edition marks a deliberate broadening of the collaboration. While earlier SR_A models were produced in smaller runs and centred around sculptural tourbillon constructions, the new Big Bang Unico SR_A introduces the artist identity into a more obtainable, more versatile format, aligning the partnership more closely with the wider Big Bang collection.

Julien Tornare, CEO of Hublot, states: “The Big Bang Unico SR_A brings together our most recognisable in-house movement and Samuel Ross’s design philosophy. It also represents an important milestone for Hublot as this year we celebrate the 20th anniversary of our first All Black timepiece, making this edition with Samuel Ross even more special for us. It represents a natural development of our collaboration - more open, more accessible, and driven by the same commitment to innovation that has defined the SR_A story from the beginning.”

Samuel Ross asserts: “Stealth, Strength - speed. Our first signature SR_A HUBLOT chronograph advances our design dialogue across London and Geneva. Deeply functional, robust and hard wearing, we have envisioned a new wearable machine for the wrist built for a rugged, hands-on lifestyle. A completely new casing of black ceramic re-shaping Hublot’s Iconic Unico movement. We are deeply committed to advancing the expectations of what modern watchmaking represents through radical design and distinct precious metals.”

With its combination of an all-black ceramic exterior, the SR_A industrial codes and the Unico calibre, the Big Bang Unico SR_A sets a new benchmark within the partnership and reinforces Hublot’s position at the crossroads of watchmaking, design and contemporary culture. 

The new Big Bang Unico SR_A is available at a selection of Hublot points of sale and online at hublot.com.

HUBLOT

In 1980 and for the first time, a watch dared to put a gold case on a rubber strap, turning the luxury watch world upside down in the process. Named for the porthole-shaped bezel with its exposed screws, Hublot was born and with it, the Art of Fusion.

In 2005 the brand took this exercise in creative thinking to a new level with the Big Bang and its iconic design, size and layered construction case. That same year, Hublot received the Best Design award at the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève. Since then, spurred by this revolutionary mindset, the Big Bang has never stopped reinventing itself. The twenty-first century has its first watch Icon.

The concept of fusion is omnipresent, the guiding principle for every collection. Big Bang timepieces reshape the geometries of time; Classic Fusion balances boldness and restraint, while the Exceptional Timepieces overwrite expectations to create unprecedented horological objects. With its disruptive approach of challenging convention, Hublot’s DNA is transcribed in the Unico, Meca-10 and tourbillon in-house movements, to add another tier of meaning to the Art of Fusion.

Alchemy is ingrained into Hublot and not just at La Manufacture. Magic can take place on a football pitch, producing partnerships with major events (UEFA Champions League and UEFA EuroTM). Sometimes it happens at a concert, a basketball match, an artistic performance or at a unique gastronomic experience with Hublot’s family of starred Chefs. And so, the Hublot Vibes come to life, through shared moments of exaltation amongst the Hublotistas, its very own community of proud Hublot owners. The Art of Fusion goes beyond the tangible. It is a way of being, the Hublot way of life.

THE UNIQUENESS OF THE HUBLOT UNICO IN-HOUSE MOVEMENT

Born in 2010, the Unico was the first movement entirely designed, developed and manufactured in-house by Hublot, marking a new era of independence, innovation and identity for the brand. Over the years, it has evolved into a bold and unmistakable signature of Hublot watchmaking, known for its robust and revolutionary chronograph design.

With standout features like a front-facing column wheel, silicon escapement, the Unico movement is a mechanical force that’s as visually striking as it is technically advanced. It’s not just what powers the watch, it’s what defines it.

Key features include an integrated flyback chronograph precise to 1/8th of a second for instant reset and restart, an accuracy of -2/+4 seconds per day, a 72-hour power reserve. The movement also holds five patented innovations, covering: dual oscillating clutches, an anti-trembling system, a “zero friction” ratchet wheel blocker, a fine balance wheel adjustment system and constant-pressure friction system for the minute counter all rigorously tested through Hublot’s Chronofiable® protocol to ensure optimal performance, reliability, and precision.

ABOUT SAMUEL ROSS

Samuel Ross is a British designer and creative director whose multi-disciplinary work covers fashion, product design and modern culture. He established his design studio, SR_A, in 2019, building a practice known for its structural forms, engineered surfaces and industrial references. Ross’s approach brings together research, material development and a precise, architectural sensibility that runs through his work across sculpture, furniture and apparel. His relationship with Hublot began in 2019, when he received the Hublot Design Prize, and has since evolved into an ongoing collaboration centred on translating his design language into watchmaking. The SR_A pieces created with Hublot reflect this dialogue, combining his industrial signature with the technical and material innovation of the Manufacture.