ByJovan K
The Hublot Big Bang Tourbillon 5 Day Power Reserve King Gold 405.OX.0138.LR does not slowly grow on you. It walks in like it owns the room. Loud. Structured. Zero interest in being subtle. The tourbillon is right there in your face, no hiding, no pretending. Hublot made just 99 pieces between 2015 and 2020, each at USD 115,000, so yeah, this was never a maybe watch. Big gold. Big case. Big complication. But once you stop reacting to the volume and actually live with it, that is when things get interesting.
The Case
The first thing you notice about the Big Bang Tourbillon in King Gold is that this case has zero interest in disappearing. At 45mm, polished and brushed King Gold, with the familiar Big Bang build and exposed screws, it announces itself every time it hits your wrist. The 18k King Gold bezel comes with the classic six H-shaped titanium screws that are countersunk, polished, and locked, adding authority to the watch’s already bold presence. The bezel-lugs come in black composite resin, with lateral inserts matching the dark tone, while the crown is King Gold, satin-finished, with the overmoulded black rubber Hublot logo. In my review of the Big Bang Mint Green, I mentioned that 42mm is my preferred size for the Big Bang, and that hasn’t changed here. What does change over time is how this larger presence settles in, going from something you constantly notice to something that becomes part of the daily experience.
King Gold has a warmth that normal rose gold never quite gets, thanks to Hublot mixing in more platinum instead of leaning mostly on copper. There’s a depth to it, almost a burnished glow, especially under soft indoor light. The brushed surfaces mellow out a bit, the polished edges catch light in different ways, and the watch starts to feel owned rather than just preserved.
Despite its size, the case wears better than the numbers suggest. The short lugs and integrated strap keep it anchored, and the weight, while substantial, is well balanced. Water resistance is rated at 30 meters, which is about what you would expect from a high-complication watch.
The Dial
Calling this a dial almost feels wrong. What you’re really seeing is architecture, all under a sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating and the Hublot logo. The skeletonized layout puts structure over decoration, and reading the time is something you grow into rather than something that’s handed to you right away.
Originally, the watch came with black lume on the hands and markers, but that was later switched to white to make it easier to read. The brushed, applied markers and matching hands now give enough contrast to tell the time, even with all that skeletonized architecture going on.
At first glance, your eyes go straight to the tourbillon at 6 o’clock, and Hublot knows it. The wide tourbillon cage takes over the lower half of the dial, framed by a black arched bridge that actually gives it presence and depth, rather than just looking like a random exposed cutout.
Everything else on the dial is there to back up that focal point. The applied markers, bold hands, and the power reserve at 9 o’clock give enough structure to stay readable, without pretending this is some kind of tool watch.
The Movement
The HUB6016 is a skeletonized manual wind movement with a tourbillon escapement, developed this way from the start, which is exactly what you can expect from Hublot. The movement was designed, developed, and made entirely in-house by Hublot’s engineers and watchmakers. It runs at 3Hz (21.600 bph) and uses a multi-barrel setup to keep energy delivery consistent across its 115-hour power reserve. The tourbillon cage measures 13.6mm and makes one full rotation every minute. This was also the first tourbillon in the new generation Big Bang line, and it fits right in, giving the watch its bold character.
The tourbillon is really a dial-side experience. From the back, you only get partial glimpses of it along with flashes of the gears and components doing their thing, while the real visual weight stays up front. And that is, of course, intentional. Instead of turning the caseback into another spectacle, Hublot keeps the tourbillon as the anchor of the dial, giving the whole watch its balance and identity.
The finishing stays very much in that modern, industrial lane, with sharp geometry, brushed surfaces, and a focus on depth rather than traditional decoration. Built from 175 individual components, the movement feels engineered rather than dressed up, which suits the Big Bang identity and the bold presence of the watch.
This is not a movement built to chase numbers. It is about architectural impact and mechanical presence, and over time, that intent becomes very clear.
The Strap
The black rubber and alligator combo just works on this watch. It feels right the second you put it on. It is comfortable, secure, and supportive. The deployant clasp integrates cleanly, and swapping straps is effortless thanks to Hublot’s one-click system.
What really stands out over time is how wearable it becomes, even with all that presence. The rubber lining keeps it steady when it gets warm, while the alligator on top adds just enough refinement so it doesn’t feel out of place in calmer settings. It is not trying to be a dress strap. It just does its job, and it does it well.
Everyday Experience
This is where the watch starts to show its real character. Not under studio lights or behind a desk, but out in the real world. Worn casually, it feels bold but intentional. With a jacket, it turns more sculptural, almost like architectural jewelry. It draws comments, but rarely confusion. People tend to recognize that it is something deliberate.
What surprised me most over time is how emotionally adaptable the watch feels. Some days it’s a full-on statement piece, and other days it settles into more of a familiar companion. That kind of shift only happens with watches that have a strong identity and enough depth to stay interesting.
Is it practical in the traditional sense? No, but it is honest. It never pretends to be subtle or tries to justify itself, and because of that, wearing it becomes uncomplicated. You either want this kind of presence on your wrist or you don’t, and if you do, it delivers every time.
Final Thoughts
The Big Bang Tourbillon King Gold is not about holding back. It’s about clear intent. After wearing it for a few days, what really sticks isn’t just the tourbillon or the 5-day power reserve, but the confidence of the design and how effortlessly it settles into your life once the initial wow factor fades.
It also helps that this reference now exists in a very different market than when it first launched. Being discontinued changes the conversation. The engineering, materials, and overall experience start to line up, and that makes a real difference once you actually own it.
