The Big Apple, like many urban cities, is a place where concrete meets creativity and steel rises in rhythm with ambition. However, there's something unique about New York no other city can claim, and it appears Hublot appreciates that.
The watchmaker introduced a timepiece that captures the essence of urban grandeur: the Big Bang Meca-10 "Concrete Jungle," the third in Hublot's now growing collection of Concrete Jungle watches.
In typical Hublot fashion, the timepiece aims to showcase the watchmaker's mastery of material science. Limited to just 100 pieces, the watch reflects the city's raw materiality. This latest addition to Hublot's Big Bang collection is a daring fusion of innovative materials, mechanical artistry, and cultural symbolism.
It commemorates the opening of the watchmaker's new boutique on 5th Avenue, which has a façade that shares the same material as the watch! It also draws inspiration from the architectural soul and street-smart energy of The Big Apple. Hublot has chosen the location wisely, as 5th Avenue is the place to be when shopping for luxury goods in New York (although Madison Avenue is giving it a run for its money).
At the core of the watch beats Hublot's MECA-10 movement, a manually wound 3 Hz, twin-barrel movement that delivers an impressive 10-day power reserve (not too shabby), along with a stylish rack-and-pinion reserve indicator.
Its skeletonized design reveals the dual parallel barrels and the power reserve indicator that echoes industrial design elements. The mechanics are deliberately exposed to pay homage to the skeletal steel frameworks that define New York's towering skyline and the seemingly endless construction/modification of buildings in the city. Like its predecessors, it is a watch to study and admire - a microcosm of structural innovation in motion.
The Big Bang Meca-10 "Concrete Jungle" features a 44 mm case crafted from a concrete composite material developed by Hublot. This composite has real concrete (yes, real concrete) fused with epoxy resin and other lightweight components, creating a surface that is tactile, robust, and texturally rich (not to mention remarkably audacious and inspiring). Perfectly complementing the case are H-shaped micro-blasted titanium screws.
Balancing the raw with the refined, the concrete case is framed by black ceramic bezel components and features a micro-blasted finish that softens the surface while enhancing its contemporary edge.
The watch's open-worked dial provides a window into the MECA-10's inner workings, accentuated by a gritty monochrome palette and stencil-like numerals that evoke street signage and industrial typography.
The timepiece is completed with a grey fabric strap with a Velcro fastener and also comes with a black structured rubber strap lined with a technical fabric inlay. All that is packaged in a wooden watch case with a depiction of New York's skyline on the top.
With this release, Hublot reaffirms its position as a master of horological craftsmanship and a cultural curator. The watchmaker is turning the language of the city into a limited-edition expression of time. If you're impressed by this work of art and you don't own any of the previous Concrete Jungle models, it'll cost you $34,110, which isn't particularly high given the creativity it showcases.
