Hublot Big Bang Reloaded: Five References, a Rebuilt HUB1280 Unico Flyback, and 15 Years of Magic Gold — W&W 2026

Description

Hublot has "reloaded" its single most commercially important watch. At Watches & Wonders Geneva 2026, the brand introduces the Big Bang Reloaded — a ground-up re-engineering of the openworked Big Bang Unico, launched across five references to mark two milestones at once: the 20th anniversary of "All Black" (the 2006 concept that turned Hublot into the brand it is today) and the 15th anniversary of Magic Gold (the in-house scratch-resistant 18k gold/ceramic hybrid first introduced in 2011).

This is a reset rather than a facelift. The dial is redesigned as a multilayer structure that shows the in-house HUB1280 Unico integrated flyback chronograph more cleanly than before; the bezel is now a sharper two-part architecture; and the date has been repositioned between 4 and 5 o'clock to clear the upper dial for the chronograph counters.

Design

All five references keep the Big Bang's signature 44mm size and its layered, visible-screw construction. The two-part bezel gives the case sharper contrasts between satin and polished finishes. The redesigned openworked dial now foregrounds the column wheel visible on the movement side — an intentional move to emphasise the integrated chronograph architecture that Hublot developed in-house. The material palette is the celebration: Titanium Ceramic (a grey-toned balance), All Black (stealth ceramic, for the 20th All Black), Blue Ceramic, Dark Green Ceramic, and Magic Gold (bright, scratch-resistant 18k hybrid, for the 15th Magic Gold anniversary).

Specifications

Case size: 44mm (all references)
Case materials: Titanium Ceramic, All Black ceramic, Blue Ceramic, Dark Green Ceramic, Magic Gold (18k gold/ceramic hybrid)
Bezel: New two-part architecture
Crystal: Sapphire front and caseback
Dial: Redesigned multilayer openworked
Date position: 4–5 o'clock
Water resistance: 100m (Big Bang spec)
Movement: Calibre HUB1280 Unico, in-house
Architecture: Integrated flyback chronograph with column wheel on dial side
Components: 354
Jewels: 43
Frequency: 28,800 vph (4 Hz)
Power reserve: 72 hours
Prices: USD 24,000 (Titanium Ceramic); CHF 20,900 (Blue / Dark Green ceramic); USD 44,500 (Magic Gold)

What's Exciting

The Big Bang Unico has been Hublot's commercial spine for over a decade, and its integrated HUB1280 is one of the most underrated in-house chronograph calibres in the mid-market. "Reloaded" is not a dial facelift — it's a coordinated movement-plus-aesthetics refresh, with the column wheel deliberately made more visible and the case architecture shifted to reinforce the technical reading of the watch.

The Magic Gold variant at USD 44,500 remains one of the most interesting material stories in mainstream luxury watchmaking: a 24k gold/boron-carbide ceramic composite that is harder than conventional gold and scratch-resistant, hallmarked as solid 18k because ceramic is introduced at the atomic scale. Fifteen years in, Magic Gold is still unique to Hublot — and this is its most polished expression to date.

History

The original Big Bang launched in 2005 and defined Hublot's modern identity. The "All Black" concept arrived in 2006 — a stealth Big Bang that put legibility on the back burner in favour of aesthetic provocation; that watch effectively invented the "dark watch" category and is why Hublot sells the volume it does today. Magic Gold followed in 2011, developed with the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne. The Big Bang Unico of 2013 introduced Hublot's first in-house integrated chronograph, the HUB1240/1280 family, which remains the movement at the heart of the Big Bang line. The 2026 Reloaded collection is the most significant rework of that platform since the Unico launched.