Hublot is reinventing the sapphire crystal in any colour and form one desires
Sapphire crystal has long established itself as the de facto crystal or “watch glass” for higher-end timepieces, owing to its virtual inability to be scratched. The lab-grown synthetic crystal is also rated nine out of 10 on the Mohs scale, which measures mineral hardness, meaning only material harder—such as a diamond—can scratch sapphire crystal.
While its benefits as a lens through which we look at the time have gone unchanged, the material has recently been brought to the forefront of the watchmaking world as the next big thing for case materials. A watch fully machined from sapphire crystal is still an uncommon sight in the watch world, and for good reason. The material is notoriously hard to work with, a trade-off for its scratch resistance and hardiness. In its crystalline form, sapphire crystal is extremely brittle, and the production process of even a flat piece is laborious. What more an entire case?
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It is precisely this challenge that spurred Hublot to attempt working sapphire crystal into cases. Arguably the master of materials, the brand is renowned for its ability to weave new innovations into the production of its cases, from its own alloys such as Magic Gold and King Gold to other non-traditional materials, including carbon fibre and tantalum, and now sapphire.
In 2016, Hublot unveiled its first sapphire-cased watch, the Hublot Big Bang Unico Sapphire, quickly following up with several of its other watches encased in the same transparent material. Having obviously mastered the entire process of machining sapphire, Hublot upped the ante and showcased its finesse in materials the next year. Hublot unveiled an industry-first, venturing into uncharted territory: sapphire-cased timepieces but with colour—blue, pink, and even smoked black.
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