BY DHANANJAY PATHAK
Aimed towards making the wristwatch more capable of handling the active lifestyle needs of today’s ever-connected population, the smartwatch can easily be considered as one of the most successful products released in the last decade or so. The popularity has been so high that even the more traditional brands have slowly but steadily felt the need to embrace this digital shift. This has resulted in the creation of watches such as the Frederique Constant Horological Smartwatch, the Tag Heuer Connected Watch, and now the Hublot Big Bang e.
To begin with, Hublot is not a newcomer in the world of smartwatches. The brand introduced its first connected watch model, the Big Bang Referee, to mark the 2018 FIFA football World Cup held in Russia. So, what is the new Big Bang e all about? First and foremost, like many of its competitors, the Big Bang e is a touch-based digital device that can connect to a smartphone and offer a bucket load of features to make life easier, simpler, and more productive. It is powered by a highly capable quad-core Qualcomm snapdragon wear 3100 processor, comes with 1 GB of ram onboard, and can remain active for an entire day when fully charged. On the software front, the Big Bang e runs on the latest version of Google’s Wear OS, enabling the wearer to access a world of compatible applications that can be downloaded from the Google Play store. Furthermore, users can also take advantage of Google’s voice assistant to perform on the go tasks and make simple fast simple payments with Google Pay.
But let’s face it, the cutting-edge hardware and software combination alone is not going to be enough to make someone comfortable in paying the hefty premium associated with the Big Bang e. So, what is it, that makes this smart Hublot a compelling buy? The answer, in my opinion, revolves around the somewhat more traditional horological experience Hublot offers. While the Bang Bang e is a Smartwatch at heart, its exteriors are very much in line with Hublot’s mechanical offerings, allowing for a more authentic and luxurious wristwatch experience.
The case for instance immediately reflects the Big Bang design DNA. It measures 42mm in diameter and features a familiar sandwich construction that uses high-end materials such as black ceramic or titanium. It comprises 42 components, 27 of which are for the K module alone, the “cage” which houses the digital heart of the watch. The hour numerals have been metalized underneath a sapphire crystal, which is covered by a bright AMOLED touchscreen. There is a rotating bezel on top of the case, which along the conventional crown at 3 can be utilized to control the electronic module. Another aspect where the Hublot shines courtesy of the brand’s horological expertise is the digital implementation of traditional complications such as a Perpetual Calendar with a precise moon phase or a second GMT zone which realistically presents the earth. Also, being a part of the #HublotLovesArt movement, the first edition of this watch would come pre-loaded with eight colorful dials created in association with renowned artist Marc Ferrero.
The Hublot Big Bang e would come attached to an integrated lined black rubber strap and would be available to purchase in two variations. The black Ceramic variant would retail for USD 5,800 and the Titanium variant would cost a little less, priced at USD 5,200.
Visit Hublot here.
