It's that time of the year. Some haute horology players are falling over each other to release attention-grabbing Chinese lunisolar calendar timepieces. It's the 'Year of the Snake', and a few of these commemorative timepieces have caught our attention. The first is the Hublot Spirit of Big Bang Year of the Snake.
So, what is so impressive about the newest addition to Hublot's Spirit of Big Bang collection? First, I should get one thing out of the way. I detest snakes. I don't want to see one. Not physically, not on TV, not even a toy one. There's just something about snakes that makes me cringe.
Having said all that, it seems strange that I couldn't help but smile when I saw Hublot's new timepiece, even though it had a detailed engraving of a snake around the borders of the chronograph subdials. As if that wasn't bad enough, it has a rubber strap with a snake theme.
According to the Chinese zodiac system, the snake symbolizes wisdom, charm, and transformation, but guess who needs a lot of convincing. So, how does someone with chronic ophidiophobia get impressed with a timepiece like this? One word; creative art!
I always appreciate a timepiece that does something creative with the dial. Whether it's a simple but elegant guilloche or a more daring avant-garde (so long as it is tasteful), it's likely to have me staring with a loving gaze. The dial of Hublot's new watch has that effect.
Let's start with the 42mm case. It is a microblasted polished black ceramic case with a barrel shape along with Hublot's patented One-Click strap swapping mechanism. Its bazel has a snakeskin pattern etched on the surface, and the dial below it has minute and hour makers all in gold, as are the hands. These perfectly complement the black dial background, skeletonized to reveal black and silver gears beneath.
Let's start with the case. It is a microblasted polished black ceramic case with a barrel shape along with Hublot's patented One-Click strap swapping mechanism. Its bazel has a snakeskin pattern etched on the surface, and the dial below it has minute and hour makers all in gold, as are the hands. These perfectly complement the black dial background, skeletonized to reveal black and silver gears beneath.
Then comes the gold-plated serpent. It's coiled around the subdials while the head is at the top of the hour position. The sapphire caseback also reveals the inner workings of the watch to complete what is a very well-designed case. The strap is made of rubber with an unmistakable snakeskin texture, velvet finish, and slight shimmer.
It's clear Hublot sought to emphasize the theme of the watch on every possible surface, yet they somehow made it attractive to someone who's terrified of snakes. I would definitely wear this watch without thinking about the snake it so emphatically celebrates.
The Spirit of Big Bang Year of the Snake timepiece is limited to 88 pieces and is available to everyone regardless of their interest in the Chinese lunisolar calendar or fear of the earth's most terror-inducing creature. Once this thing goes on your wrist, mesmerized on-lookers won't even know it commemorates a calendar. All they'll see is pure art.
