Introducing the Hublot Spirit of Big Bang Moonphase Impact

Hublot doesn’t really do incremental updates. Known for crazy complications, out of this world materials, and a lot of bling, Hublot like to rock the boat. The new Spirit of Big Bang Moonphase Impact collection fits that pattern. On the surface, it’s a continuation of the Impact aesthetic introduced a decade ago, but what has changed? The headline is simple: Hublot is now setting diamonds directly into sapphire. Why is this significant? Well, it’s a major manufacturing problem that most brands manage to avoid entirely. But, Hublot is not the kind of brand that likes to shy away from a challenge. They are releasing three versions: a diamond-set sapphire, sapphire with osmium, and an all-black ceramic, which all revolve around the same idea: taking the fragmented “Impact” design and applying it across new materials in a way that actually changes how the watch has to be constructed.

The Basics

Case: 42mm, Sapphire.
Crystal: Sapphire.
Movement: Automatic, HUB1770, Moonphase.
Water Resistance: 50 Meters.
Strap Options: White-lined rubber strap with titanium deployant clasp.
Price: $543,000 (diamond-set sapphire version).
Availability: Limited to 20 pieces.

The Juice

Let’s get the big stuff out of the way: sapphire cases aren’t new for Hublot. I would argue they are one of the strongest innovators and the brand who have worked the hardest to make it happen, you might even be able to say that they master it better than anyone else in the industry. What’s new then? That’s the decision to set diamonds directly into the sapphire itself, which when you come to think of it can be boiled down to this: setting stones in stones. That’s a different level of difficulty, given that sapphire is second only to diamond in hardness. Sitting at 9 on the Mohs scale, sapphire is extremely hard but also brittle, which makes cutting into it complex to say the least. Adding requirement to create individual mounts for each diamond, intensifies the complexity massively. Realistically speaking, it would be a fair estimation to say that the process takes several hundred hours for each watch.

On the diamond-set version, you’re looking at 145 fancy-cut diamonds spread across the case, bezel, and dial. But what matters more is how they’re arranged. The “Impact” motif isn’t random. It’s a radial fragmentation pattern, with shards extending outward from the center of the dial, intersecting with the moonphase display at 6 o’clock.

The sapphire and osmium edition swaps diamonds for crystallized osmium, which has a natural blue-grey shimmer. It’s less overtly flashy but arguably a more unusual and quirky choice: I have never seen it being used in watchmaking until now. Finishing off the trilogy, Hublot have gone back to basics with the black monochrome ceramic. No gemstones or flash here: just ceramic artisanship, another one of Hublot’s fortes. All three share the same tonneau-shaped case, which has become a defining part of the Spirit of Big Bang line. At 42mm, it’s substantial but wearable, with enough curvature to sit properly on the wrist.

The HUB1770 has been skeletonized and fully integrated into the design, with components positioned to work with the fragmented aesthetic. This has not just been slapped in there as an afterthought. You get a moonphase at 6 o’clock and a big date at 1 o’clock, both of which are framed rather than hidden by the surrounding architecture. Both of these complications are a lot more traditional than I have come to expect from Hublot, especially the moonphase. Boasting a fairly complex layout with 288 components, it is easy to see that Hublot are not just material masters, but also caliber experts: they have more than one trick up their sleeve.

Final Thoughts

Hublot are prolific in their releases, and this is the first one in a while that has properly caught my attention. A combination of the tasteful complications as well as the technological feat required to set gemstones in sapphire have really swayed me here. Too often tonneau sports watches can just become another variant of a particularly well known brand, but here that could nto be further from the truth. Hublot have knocked this out of the park and raised the level of their material mastery by another couple of notches. The Spirit of Big Bang Moonphase Impact has the potential to be Hublot’s best release in 2026.

Find out more about these watches here.