BY HARLAN CHAPMAN-GREEN
2024 is in full swing, and soon, the Chinese calendar will advance forward. This year is the year of the dragon, so watchmakers who are tuned in to their client’s interests will know to provide something with that theme. The Chinese Zodiac and the various elements from the mystical Orient are very intriguing to us from the obvious West, and the dragon symbolises Chinese culture all across the world. In European culture, a dragon is a fire-breathing beast that terrorises towns, devours livestock and requires a hero or a god to slay them. Conversely, in China, the dragon is a symbol of power, strength and good luck, emperors were said to have been descendants of dragons.
For 2024, Hublot is flexing its muscles and showing off its power with the new Spirit of Big Bang Titanium Dragon. This 42mm x 13.8mm piece has a satin-finished and polished titanium case secured with Hublot’s unique ‘H’ screws on the bezel and comes with a grey fabric strap and also a much more eye-catching black rubber strap with a colourful dragon scale effect. The watch is 100m water resistant.
The dragon scale strap matches the dial, which also has a colourful dragon on it. This dragon is made of paper cutouts which have been meticulously crafted and placed by renowned Chinese artist Chen Fenwan. His work with the naturally fibrous paper not only reflects his artistic talent and Hublot’s ability to fuse art with technology but also the dragon itself, as dragons in the Chinese zodiac are associated with wood. With paper being made of trees, where wood comes from, it seems all quite poetic. The dial itself seems fairly clear as well.
Inside the case is the self-winding calibre HUB1710, a 4Hz beat rate movement with a 50-hour power reserve. This movement is sourced from Hublot’s LVMH sister brand Zenith.
This watch is limited to just 88 examples worldwide for a price of $29,500 / €30,800 / £25,400.
