With a stunning new geometry and an all-new Manufacture movement, Hublot’s Square Bang Unico made a timely entry at Watches & Wonders 2022 in Geneva, joining Hublot’s family of tonneau-shaped watches, round watches and the unconventionally shaped Master
Pieces series.
Inspired by the iconic Big Bang and Chairman Jean-Claude Biver’s “Art of Fusion” philosophy, the Square Bang Unico symbolizes Hublot’s ethos of being “the first, unique, and different” and exemplifies the synthesis of functionality, architecture, design and unique materials.
Its shape, at first a challenge for the R&D department, displays Hublot’s technical expertise while maintaining some traditions from 1980. As CEO Ricardo Guadalupe said, “The square watch is a very specific object most watchmakers dare not tackle. This is a divisive, disruptive and unconventional shape no one has known how to rework for decades. Hublot decided to get to grips with the shape to explore its power and create a unique timepiece.”
It offers a lesson in geometry, beginning with the HUB1280 Unico Manufacture movement, a 354-component automatic chronograph set at 4Hz (28,800 vibrations per hour). It has a power reserve of 72 hours.
With mechanical movements round and difficult to integrate into square cases, Hublot skeletonized the dial to work around it and, rather than concealing it, they displayed the remarkable power of the HUB1280, which follows the Meca-10 and Tourbillon movements. An oblong bicompax display at 6 o’clock reveals the chronograph’s inner mechanics, along with a column wheel.
A further challenge was the modular construction of the case. Hublot’s DNA is reflected in the 42mm sapphire crystal case—with a central housing and upper-lower plate for a variety of combinations—that reveals the dial and the movement. In addition to being functional, the six distinct screws on the bezel contribute to the overall aesthetics of the Square Bang Unico; “ears” (bezel lugs) on both sides of the watch give balance to the design while protecting the case.
The square shape presented another issue: the difficulty in making it water-resistant. Hublot pulled off this challenge and made the watch water-resistant to 100 meters.
The Square Bang Unico is even ergonomically perfect, providing wrist comfort. The textured “chocolate-square” strap enhances its uniqueness, and the One Click system lets you switch between rubber, alligator and soft-touch leather straps quickly. 
As with all Hublot timepieces, the finishing is impeccable. The screws are sandblasted and polished. Chronograph push-pieces have rubber “chocolate squares”, and the rhodium-plated or 5N gold-plated hands, depending on the model, are polished.
At its launch, Hublot presented five 42mm Square Bang Unico models. The All Black, limited to 250 pieces, combines shades of black on all surfaces, alternating between polished and satin finishes. Ceramic and titanium meet here, from the polished black case and bezel to the structured rubber strap and black-plated titanium deployant clasp.
The other four are: a solid titanium piece, a titanium with ceramic bezel model, a King Gold with ceramic bezel model, and a full King Gold timepiece. Each comes with a black rubber strap and a folding clasp that matches the material of the case.
The Hour Glass is the exclusive partner of Hublot in Southeast Asia.