Swiss luxury watchmaker Hublot celebrated the opening of its first U.S. mountain-resort boutique in Aspen and launch of the Spirit of Big Bang Special Edition Rockies. The celebration hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony, cocktail reception, and dinner alongside friend of the brand, Olympic Gold Medalist, and world champion, Bode Miller.

VIP and members of the media enjoyed an action-packed day set against the unrivaled Aspen landscape, hitting the slopes at Aspen Snowmass while keeping time with Hublot clocks on display throughout the resort. The evening kicked off with an official ribbon cutting ceremony presented by Jean-Francois Sberro, President of Hublot North America, which flowed into a cocktail reception where guests perused Hublot’s latest novelties and mingled with Bode Miller. All attention turned to Jean-Francois Sberro as the hazy white glass of the main vitrines faded to reveal the Spirit of Big Bang Rockies. To cap the day of celebrations, guests dined at legendary members-only Caribou Club, toasting to Hublot’s expanding presence in Aspen.

“Hublot has developed strong relationships with leading ski destinations around the world, so we are proud to be opening the first North American mountain-resort boutique in the iconic city of Aspen. We are looking forward to developing our relationship with this incredible city and are grateful for Bode Miller’s continued support.”  -Jean-Francois Sberro, CEO HUBLOT NORTH AMERICA

“I am excited to be joining Hublot again as they continue to bring the brand’s culture of excellence to Aspen.” -Bode Miller, OLYMPIC GOLD MEDALIST, HUBLOT FRIEND OF THE BRAND

The Spirit of Big Bang Special Edition Rockies, limited to 25 pieces, features a white ceramic case and blue lined rubber straps, offering another chic take on the brand’s signature Art of Fusion. Designed for the serious and stylish skier, the high-tech ceramic – zirconium dioxide with high temperature sintering – provides a hard and solid case resistant to scratching and ageing, yet lighter than steel. Sporty and sophisticated, the trademark rubber straps add another element of function and style. Outfitted with the quintessential colors of ski season, snow white against clear blue skies, the newest Spirit of Big Bang houses the HUB4700 self-winding chronograph movement inside the iconic 42mm tonneau case.

Hublot Aspen, the brand’s first mountain-resort boutique in North America, will be operating through the winter with a full selection of timepieces in addition to the exclusive special edition Spirit of Big Bang Rockies. Featuring a bar and lounge with evening trading hours, the boutique is perfect for après! Located in the heart of West End, the charming and vibrant bustle of the town encompassed by the Rocky Mountains creates the perfect backdrop for Hublot.

The seasonal boutique supports Hublot’s position as the Official Timekeeper of Aspen Snowmass, one of the most prestigious ski destinations in North America, where Hublot reinforces the mountain culture closely tied to the brand’s Swiss heritage. In addition to this partnership, Hublot has developed strong relationships with leading luxury ski resorts around the world including Courchevel 1850 in the French Alps and Zermatt, where Hublot opened a chalet-styled boutique in both villages, released dedicated limited editions, and signed partnerships with iconic actors and venues affiliated with both resorts. Aspen Snowmass Resort joined the Hublot portfolio sharing the same ambition of being “first, unique and different” and celebrating ski culture.

It has been more than 85 years since Breitling introduced the first modern chronograph, whose influence on watch design has been incalculable. With its new Navitimer B03 Chronograph Rattrapante 45, featuring its interpretation of one of watchmaking’s grandest complications, the brand has shown that it remains at innovation’s cutting edge. The Navitimer B03 Chronograph Rattrapante 45 has an 18 k red gold case and is equipped with Breitling’s Manufacture Caliber B03, a unique split-second movement protected by two patents. Its innovative construction ensures maximum precision, sturdiness, and reliability.

The rattrapante is one of the most sophisticated complications in all of watchmaking. Put simply, with two superimposed central chronograph hands, it can measure two elapsed times simultaneously. The rattrapante feature in the new Breitling Navitimer B03 Chronograph Rattrapante 45 is very special indeed, and there are some additional details that define this watch as an instant classic.

The Navitimer B03 Chronograph Rattrapante 45 is as aesthetically impressive as it is technically sophisticated. Housed in a big, bold 45 mm 18 k red gold case, it is distinguished by a Stratos Gray dial. Its hour markers and hour and minute hands are coated with Super-LumiNova®, which guarantees legibility in all lighting conditions. The watch has a bidirectional rotating bezel with the circular slide rule that has long been associated with Breitling’s Navitimers.

The Navitimer B03 Chronograph Rattrapante 45 offers another exquisite detail. Normally, a Breitling Navitimer features a stylized “B” logo with an anchor symbol adorning the base of the chronograph hands. But here there is a subtle refinement, with the logo divided between two hands. The B is on the red chronograph hand, while the anchor sits on the split-second hand. As a result, the two elements of the logo are separated when the split-second hand is stopped and reform when the hands realign with each other.

The split-second pusher, which is housed in the crown at 3 o’clock, serves to stop and restart the split-second hand as often as desired during a timing operation, allowing the wearer to measure split times or compare the results of several competitors.

The Breitling Manufacture Caliber B03 was produced by the brand at its Chronométrie facility in La Chaux-de- Fonds. The COSC-certified chronometer, whose performance can be viewed through the watch’s transparent sapphire caseback, offers a power reserve of around 70 hours and is protected by a five-year warranty. The watch, with its striking 18 k red gold case, is presented on a black alligator leather strap with a pin buckle.

The Navitimer and Breitling’s Chronograph Legacy

Since its development in 1952, the Breitling Navitimer has been one of the world’s most admired chronographs, and, with some recent additions to the family, Breitling has been introducing this watchmaking legend to a whole new generation of enthusiasts around the world.

The Navitimer is arguably the most iconic of all Breitling wristwatches. This twentieth-century classic remains popular in the twenty-first century, more than 65 years after it was first launched to meet the needs of a growing commercial and recreational aviation market. Thanks to the circular slide rule that was capable of performing a range of calculations relevant to aviation, the Navitimer was adopted by pilots and especially favored by the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA). Instantly recognizable, this timeless chronograph’s design is as appealing today as it was when it was introduced.

Behind the Navitimer are more than a century’s worth of horological breakthroughs. Breitling developed the first independent pusher located at the 2 o’clock position in 1915 and a second independent pusher in 1934, shaping the modern chronograph in both form and function. The brand introduced a self-winding chronograph – one of the world’s first – in 1969, and all true watch aficionados are passionate about the classic 1944 Duograph, whose split-second chronograph movement was developed in part by Breitling.

Breitling has long been regarded as a leader in mechanical chronograph movements, and the new Navitimer B03 Chronograph Rattrapante 45 in 18 k red gold enhances the brand’s status, demonstrating just how exciting a mechanical wristwatch can be.

New product alert: the first Big Bang with an integrated bracelet! 15 years after its creation, the Big Bang features its FIRST integrated metal bracelet, with the first link fused with the case. An integrated bracelet means a restyled case, with Hublot’s signature codes: UNIQUE & DIFFERENT. A single, unique piece featuring integrated architecture; a fusion of technology and style for the wrist. A watch that embodies the spirit of Hublot, with its iconic use of black ceramic, King Gold or titanium. The new launch consists of three models, including a 500-piece limited edition All Black version dedicated to the “invisible visibility” concept introduced in 2006.

“15 years of the Big Bang and a new first. A unique, fully integrated bracelet and a redesigned case for a different clientèle. The Big Bang Integral and its integrated architecture have propelled this model into a whole new universe.” -Ricardo Guadalupe, CEO Hublot

2005-2020 – 15 years of the Big Bang
Launched at Baselworld in 2005, the Big Bang, a fusion of steel, ceramic and rubber, introduced the Art of Fusion and its iconic design – a huge success for Hublot.
 
2020 – The year of the integrated bracelet
In 2020, to mark its 15th anniversary, the Big Bang is available for the first time in its history with a tailored integrated bracelet which sits perfectly against the skin. So perfectly, in fact, that to look at the Big Bang Integral – with a visual harmony resulting from absolute proportions – you would think that it had always existed.
 
A UNIQUE bracelet unlike any other. Its aesthetic signature is powerful enough for it to be instantly associated with that of the Big Bang. Three links: one central and two lateral; in that respect, at least, a standard bracelet. But then its sharp style adopts the codes of the case, with edges that not only echo the aesthetic of the pushers but also the architecture of the middle with is cutouts. The polished and satin-finished surfaces, and the bevelling and chamfering of the links, create the same effect of depth and contrast as between the case and the bezel lug. 
 
Of course, an integrated bracelet means a redesigned case. While its dial and bezel are identical to the existing Big Bang 42 mm model – with the exception of the indices which replace the Arabic numerals – its pushers return to the codes of the original model from 2005. It is these pushers which inspired the style of the bracelet, with their interplay of angles and chamfers and alternating polished and satin finishes punctuating the watch, from the middle to the bracelet.
 
The Big Bang Integral retains its iconic “sandwich” construction, this time without the composite resin insert, with the watch crafted entirely from one material – Titanium, King Gold, or Ceramic. The only exceptions are the black composite resin lugs on its bezel and the crown overmoulded with rubber.
 
It is released in three materials inextricably linked to the history of Hublot: lightweight titanium, hard-wearing, scratch-proof ceramic (500 pieces) and King Gold, a unique alloy of gold, copper and platinum which results in an intensely red 18-carat gold and is exclusive to Hublot.