The iconic gemstone pattern has been reproduced using colored composites embedded in a mass of 3D carbon bodies. For the first time worldwide, the was presented exclusively in Miami at the Hublot Loves Art event in Miami.
The Manufacture is a racing engine designed for full performance. Hublot’s engine is state-of-the-art. One of the most modern production facilities in the Swiss watch industry is located in Nyon. Fully integrated, fully focused on innovation, doesn’t just push the boundaries of creativity: it sets them. Hublot has its own R&D department, which allows it to think the unthinkable and achieve what no other can imagine. And Art Basel in Miami has just become the stage for one of their latest achievements.
Designed entirely by Hublot, the dual-axis 5-day power-reserve MP-09 tourbillon brings the iconic design of the Rainbow into the 21st century. Everything had to be reinvented: the concept, the method, the tools, the materials and all the accompanying color palettes.
The original idea is relatively simple: replicate the rainbow effect of colored gems, but use carbon and composites instead of gems. This exceptionally complex achievement reproduces the natural variations of the, which are normally achieved through the natural variations of diamonds, rubies, sapphires and emeralds on the surface of the case.
Thanks to its powerful watchmaking and industrial machinery and the ingenuity of its researchers, Hublot has managed to overcome significant manufacturing challenges with the. In the traditional technique, the human hand selects stones that have already formed over millions of years and then assembles them according to their color; Here each tiny insert has to be created individually in different shades.
The cover is actually woven. Thin carbon rods are evenly spaced several millimeters apart. Then sticks of colored composite are inserted vertically into the gaps that protrude slightly from the charcoal. This height difference is then filled with a third carbon weave that elevates all components to the same level. Both carbon and composites are woven into the mass in all three dimensions: length, width and height.
To achieve this result, hundreds of color inserts had to be created. As the eye spontaneously combines these to recreate a harmonious and natural gradation, an almost optical illusion is achieved. In fact, Hublot had to develop a complete prism with infinite shades to reproduce the brilliance of gemstones – a first in watchmaking. The color of each insert darkens slightly when installed in a carbon body. This had to be taken into account when creating as the end result will be slightly different with the stakes placed. Another challenge was to place of each composite in the right place to make the incredible amount of work disappear and become seamless to the naked eye. The surface of the new MP-09 is absolutely smooth and has a polished feel. Each inlay is discreetly cut from carbon, polished and matched to the micron. Never before had a watch assembled as many 4,444 shades as the new Mp-09. first in the world.
As for the movement, this new MP-09 retains the exceptional caliber that has been its heart since the development of the: the hand-wound movement HUB9009.H1.RA.B with a 5-day power reserve. It comes with a two-axis tourbillon with a full rotation per minute for the first axis and a second rotation every 30 seconds for the second axis. This hypnotic unique dual rotation defined the curved case design in which the features the tourbillon at 6 o’clock in a colorful new architecture and strictly limited to 8 pieces.
“We have mastered Carbon. We have mastered traditional Rainbow setting. But no-one was yet to master 3D carbon with the Rainbow effect, quite simply because no one had thought about it. That is what makes Hublot different: we explore the unknown regions of Haute Horlogerie. This new ‘MP’ is therefore not just another Manufacture Piece: it embodies what Hublot is. Being first, unique and different. And that will never change.” RICARDO GUADALUPE, HUBLOT CEO.
HUBLOT
Hublot is a Swiss watch manufacturer founded in 1980 and based in Nyon. For its first ever timepiece, this fundamentally disruptive company combined gold with a rubber strap in a case with a design inspired by a ship’s porthole (hublot in French). Thus, the Art of Fusion was born, blending tradition, innovation, craftsmanship, worlds and talents. It became the brand’s aesthetic and technical signature.
This identity was strengthened in 2005 with the Big Bang, which attested to an unrivalled know-how in terms of complications, manufacture movements and state-of-the-art materials. Carbon, titanium, ceramic and sapphire have been developed on this model to technical extremes.
This ground-breaking, high-quality approach to watchmaking is summed up in its philosophy ‘Be First, Unique and Different.’ It gradually led to other collections with innovative designs: Classic Fusion, Spirit of Big Bang, Square Bang and Manufacture Pieces. These draw on high levels of craftsmanship, both in terms of the materials so dear to Hublot (such as Magic Gold, brightly-coloured ceramics and sapphires) and its manufacture movements (Unico chronograph, Meca-10 and large complications such as the Tourbillon, the Cathedral Minute Repeater and the specific Manufacture Pieces movements).
Hublot’s world extends to powerful partnerships including football. ‘Hublot Loves Football’ has become the slogan at the world’s biggest sporting events (such as the FIFA World CupTM, Premier League, UEFA Champions League, UEFA EUROTM) and through its ambassadors. This love of football continues in art, design, music, sport, fine dining and sailing. Lastly, Hublot’s implication in joint environmental projects with SORAI and Polar Pod reflects its concern for the issues of the day. Almost 125 boutiques around the world share Hublot’s fervour and values, alongside the Hublot.com e-commerce site.