Hublot’s BIG BANG series of colorful carbon fiber watches: Lightweight revolution meets Future aesthetics
In fine watchmaking, material innovations are often more disruptive than the superposition of complex features. As a practitioner of the concept of “the art of integration”, Hublot has always taken breaking through the boundary of materials as its core strategy. In 2020, the brand launched the BIG BANG series color carbon fiber watch , which for the first time liberated the carbon fiber substrate from the traditional black shackles and gave it a neon brilliant color. This initiative not only redefined the application paradigm of carbon fiber in the watchmaking industry, but also became a key weapon for Hublot to compete for the market of young high net worth users.
1. The evolution of carbon fiber: From industrial material to luxury carrier
Carbon fiber has long been used in aerospace because of its light weight, high strength (tensile strength is 5 times that of steel) and corrosion resistance. The use of carbon fiber in the traditional watchmaking industry is mostly limited to black unidirectional or braided patterns, but Hublot has realized the color revolution of carbon fiber through chemical vapor deposition (CVD) dyeing technology .
1.1 Carbon fiber material technology comparison
|
Technology type |
Technological principle |
Color performance |
Application brand case |
|
Conventional woven carbon |
Epoxy impregnation + high temperature curing |
Black dark grey |
Richard Miller RM 011 |
|
Forging carbon |
Carbon fiber chip molding |
Random texture |
Hublot classic Big Bang |
|
Colored carbon fiber |
CVD dyeing + nanometer resin coating |
Full spectrum optional |
Hublot BIG BANG UNICO |
1.2 The core of Hublot’s color carbon fiber technology lies in the two-step breakthrough :
1. substrate pretreatment : The surface of the carbon fiber braided layer is covered with silica film to form a uniform adsorption layer.
2. ion dyeing : under vacuum environment, metal ions (such as indium ion dyed blue, chromium ion dyed red) are implanted into the pores of the film by plasma bombardment, and finally show a stable color with saturation of more than 90%.
The difficulty of the process is temperature control – carbon fibres are oxidized and embrittlement above 400°C, while dyeing is done at a critical temperature of 380°C, with a margin of error of only ±5°C. For this purpose, Hublot developed a segmenting heating mold, which allows the carbon fiber layer to be heated with a uniformity of 99.3% per square centimeter.
2. Design philosophy: The embodiment of cyberpunk aesthetics
The design language of BIG BANG’s colorful carbon fiber watch can be summed up as “futuristic retroism” – retaining the classic sandwich case structure and H-shaped screws, but creating a sci-fi feeling through the collision of color and material.
2.1 Lightweight reconstruction of the case structure
Take BIG BANG UNICO yellow carbon fiber as an example:
bezel : Using 3D three-dimensional woven carbon fiber, the thickness is only 1.2 mm, the weight is 67% less than the traditional refined steel.
middle case : Glass fiber reinforced polymer (GFRP) is injected to further improve impact resistance.
bottom cover : sapphire glass inset titanium metal frame, revealing the hollow structure of the UNICO HUB1280 movement.
2.2 Comparison of key model parameters
|
Model number |
Case material |
Gross weight (g) |
Water resistance |
Power storage |
|
Classic Steel |
Refined steel |
142g |
100m |
72 hours |
|
Carbon Red |
Red carbon fiber + titanium |
89g |
50m |
72 hours |
|
Neon Green |
Green carbon fiber +GFRP |
76g |
50m |
72 hours |
2.3 The emotional expression of color
Hublot collaborates with the Pantone Color Institute to customize its own colors for different markets:
Asian market : Launched the “cherry blossom powder” carbon fiber, adding pearl particles on the surface, the light refracted to show petal texture.
Middle East market : The development of “desert gold” gradient, the bezel from light gold to amber, echoing regional culture.
E-sports joint payment : RGB lighting analog color (such as cyberblue, fluorescent orange), dial built-in LED module, can synchronize the game state through Bluetooth.
2.4 The art of visual deception
In order to strengthen the sense of science and technology of carbon fiber, Hublot uses the principle of optical illusion in the dial design:
The timing sub-disc is made of radioactive drawing grain, which forms a 30-degree Angle with the oblique braided grain of the carbon fiber bezel to create a dynamic distortion effect.
The end of the pointer is designed as an arrow hollow structure, reducing the visual weight and echoing the lightweight case.
3. Technology breakthrough: When carbon fiber meets complex functions
Carbon fiber’s electrical conductivity and low coefficient of thermal expansion were once considered obstacles to compatibility with complex movements. Hublot achieves breakthroughs through three innovations:
3.1 Anti-magnetization solution
The substrate of the UNICO automatic timekeeping movement is coated with amorphous metal layer , which reduces the magnetic interference of the carbon fiber case from 80 gauss to 15 Gauss (well below the 60 Gauss of the ISO 764 anti-magnetic standard).
3.2 Temperature compensation system
Add silicon micro-splint at the end of the balance spring to offset the deformation of carbon fiber due to temperature difference (shape variable <0.002% per degree Celsius).
3.3 Acoustic optimization
In response to the sound absorption properties of carbon fiber materials, the volume of the time signal attenuation, Hubert in the three watch models with titanium sound spring + carbon fiber resonator , the volume is increased to 72 dB (traditional steel case 68 dB).
4. Market strategy: Cutting high-end sports watch track
According to Morgan Stanley’s report, the global high-end sports watch market (more than $10,000 per unit) has an annual growth rate of 12%, and carbon fiber products have contributed 35% of the share. Hublot’s color carbon fiber strategy addresses three major pain points:
4.1 Matching degree between user demand and product
|
Target customer group |
Core appeal |
BIG BANG carbon fiber solution |
|
New generation rich |
Show personality/hate to clash |
Limited color + custom lettering service |
|
Professional athlete |
Comfortable to wear/impact resistant |
76g ultra-lightweight + seismic movement |
|
Science and technology leader |
Material innovation/technical endorsement |
CVD dyeing patent +NASA collaborative R&D background |
In terms of channel layout, Hublot adopts the mode of “online experience + offline flash mob”
Virtual try: Using AR technology to simulate color changes under different lights, user retention rate increased by 40%
Carbon fiber Workshop Tour Exhibition: Set up temporary exhibition halls in Dubai, Tokyo and other cities to show the 12 processes of carbon fiber from raw material to finished product.
5. Controversy and reflection: The Lightweight paradox of luxury
Although Hublot color carbon fiber watches are widely sought after, the controversy caused by it can not be ignored:
durability : Once the carbon fiber case cracks, it cannot be repaired, and the replacement cost provided by the brand is as high as 60% of the price of the whole watch.
value perception conflict : some traditional collectors believe that “lightness” and “luxury” are essentially different, and the second-hand preservation rate of carbon fiber watches is 20%-30% lower than that of precious metals.
Hublot’s response was forward-looking:
Launched carbon fiber recycling program , shredding old watch cases and reproducing them into watch cases or art installations.
Cooperate with blockchain platform to generate NFT certificate for each watch to strengthen digital asset attributes.
6. epilogue: Redefining the boundaries of luxury
The real subversion of Hublot’s BIG BANG series of colorful carbon fiber watches lies not in dyeing carbon fiber red or blue, but in reconstructing the value logic of luxury – proving that lightness can be more expensive than thick, and that a “technological sensibility” can coexist with “handmade temperature”. While the traditional watchmaking industry is still debating the merits of machinery versus intelligence, Hublot has written the answer of the future with a neon weave of carbon fiber. Perhaps as the brand’s founder Jean-Claude Biver put it: “True luxury is daring to be the first to break the rules.”
