Hublot / Spirit of Big Bang Gold Crystal
Key Highlights
- Double limited edition Spirit of Big Bang Gold Crystal in 39 mm and 42 mm tonneau cases.
- Dial with unique 24-carat gold crystals created through an exclusive in-house transmutation process.
- Black ceramic case and bezel paired with a black alligator strap stitched on rubber.
- Self-winding Calibre HUB1710 with 50-hour power reserve and 4 Hz frequency.
- Water resistance to 10 ATM (100 m) with Hublot’s “Art of Fusion” design codes.
The alchemy of gold crystal
The Spirit of Big Bang Gold Crystal pushes Hublot’s “Art of Fusion” into the realm of transmuted precious metal, placing crystallised 24-carat gold at the centre of a modern tonneau-shaped watch. The Manufacture’s metallurgy laboratory and R&D department have developed a way to reproduce gold crystal and fix it permanently within the Spirit of Big Bang architecture.
Natural gold crystals appear only in rare geological conditions, when pressurised, heated water extracts gold from deep seams and redeposits it in rock crevices over millions of years. Hublot’s engineers recreate this in minutes by heating pure 24-carat gold to its 1064.18°C melting point until it vaporises, then letting the atoms interlock as the temperature falls to form open, angular crystalline structures.
Thousands of micro-crystals form in each run, yet only a fraction meet Hublot’s criteria and are selected for the dial. The dial-maker applies these fragile crystals to a black base prepared with a fine layer of transparent lacquer, a process refined over a year of research and development.
The formations are then encapsulated beneath around twenty layers of lacquer in a controlled atmosphere to prevent air bubbles. Once set, the surface is polished until the lacquer becomes invisible, leaving a mirror-smooth plane where the crystalline architecture seems to float above a deep black background.
The Spirit of Big Bang, recast in black ceramic
The Spirit of Big Bang Gold Crystal places this dial within Hublot’s tonneau-shaped Spirit of Big Bang case, retaining the six H-shaped bezel screws, prominent lugs, overmoulded rubber screw-down crown with Hublot “H”, and multi-layer sandwich construction. For this Spirit of Big Bang Cristal d’Or execution, the case, bezel and case back are in satin-finished, microblasted and polished black ceramic.
Two sizes are available: the 39 mm reference 665.CX.0660.LR at 13.60 mm thick, and the 42 mm reference 643.CX.0660.LR at 13.75 mm. Both are water-resistant to 10 ATM (100 metres), with sapphire crystals treated with anti-reflective coating so the gold crystals are legible from every angle, and are fitted to a black alligator strap stitched on black rubber with a black-plated stainless steel deployant buckle clasp.
Inside the Cristal d’Or: Calibre HUB1710
The Spirit of Big Bang Gold Crystal is powered by the self-winding Calibre HUB1710, beating at 4 Hz (28,800 vibrations per hour) with a 50-hour power reserve. Comprising 166 components and 27 jewels, it offers contemporary, reliable performance while allowing the dial to remain the visual focus.
Why it matters
The Spirit of Big Bang Gold Crystal encapsulates Hublot’s philosophy of being “First, Different and Unique”, extending its fusion of gold with unconventional materials into the territory of transmuted precious metal. For GCC collectors who value rarity, the impossibility of reproducing two identical gold crystal dials ensures each watch is inherently singular, uniting scientific innovation with a bold, expressive aesthetic.
