India Luxury Market
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Hublot was scheduled to launch its much awaited, scratch-resistant Gold watch ‘Big Bang Unico Full Magic Gold’, at Baselworld 2015. But, the popular Swiss watch brand decided to not wait till March 18 and announced Hublot Magic Gold watch, today. Why? Because it wanted to reiterate the existence of its patented Gold alloy ‘Magic Gold’, which is the only scratch-resistant Gold, in the world. This, one day after Apple released its first smart watch with an 18k Gold alloy, the tech giant claims to be, 2 times stronger than standard Gold. The most expensive Apple Watch Edition is priced at nearly $17000 USD. A price tag that can afford a watch nerd some of the best swiss watches, including a Rolex Daytona!
Magic Gold can be altered only by diamond. This Gold alloy is a noble material protected by patents, certified as 18 carats by the Central Office for Precious Metals Control. It was developed by Hublot, in Switzerland, alongside the prestigious EPFL.
‘Magic Gold’ alloy was first introduced in November 2011, by Hublot. The first Hublot Magic Gold watches were presented at Baselworld 2012, in a very limited Big Bang Ferrari edition. This year, Hublot will present the new Hublot Big Bang Unico full Magic Gold watch, at Baselworld. Hublot Magic Gold watch will be limited to 250 pieces.
This Gold alloy is a fusion of 24 carat gold and the latest high-tech materials expertise. Components made from this material are produced using a complex process: A boron carbide powder is preformed in moulds very similar in shape to that of the finished parts, in this case the watch’s bezel. The pre-formed powder is then hardened at a very high temperature, creating a rigid, porous structure. After this operation, 24K gold alloyed with 3% molten liquid gold is injected under very high pressure with inert gas at a high temperature, allowing the metal to fill the ceramic pores and creating a “fusion” of the two to produce Magic Gold.
Ricardo Guadalupe, CEO of Hublot, declared “The fusion of materials is in Hublot’s DNA. Four years ago, Hublot created Magic Gold, the only scratch-resistant gold in the world. Still today, Hublot is the only brand to offer this material, whose hardness is close to 1,000 Vickers, more than twice that of ‘standard’ 18 carat gold, which only reaches 400 Vickers”
Price and availability of the scratch-resistant Hublot Magic Gold watch will be revealed at Baselworld 2015.
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Specifications
HUBLOT BIG BANG UNICO FULL MAGIC GOLD
Reference: 411.MX.1138.RX – Limited edition of 250 pieces
Case Diameter: 45 mm in polished Magic Gold
Bezel: Polished Magic Gold, 6 H-shaped black PVD treated titanium screws, countersunk, polished & locked
Crystal: Sapphire with interior/exterior anti-reflective coating and gilt Hublot logo
Crown: Black satin-finished PVD titanium with Hublot logo and black overmoulded rubber
Push-pieces: Satin-finished black PVD titanium
Case-back: Sapphire crystal with interior anti-reflective treatment,Micro-blasted black PVD titanium
Water resistance: 10 ATM, i.e. approx. 100 metres
Dial: Matt black varnished skeleton
Red and 2N gold powder transfers
Satin-finished gilt counter ring at 9 o’clock (small second)
Satin-finished gilt counter ring at 3 o’clock (chronograph minute)
Gilt plated indices with black Superluminova™
Hands: Satin-finished gilt with black SuperLuminova™
Gilt plated and red varnished chronograph hand
Movement HUB 1242 UNICO movement with anthracite grey treatment, developed and manufactured in-house by Hublot Automatic flyback chronograph with column wheel and double clutch visible on the dial side
Date: White window at 3 o’clock
Oscillating weight: Anthracite grey treatment
Power reserve: Approximately 72 hours
Strap: Structured, ribbed black rubber. Interchangeable system.
Clasp: Black PVD titanium deployant buckle with ceramic plate
Shilpa is a world renowned journalist and an expert in decoding India and Asia’s luxury markets for global readers. Her original, in-depth reports and analysis are frequently featured in prestigious international titles across the UK, China, Hong Kong, Switzerland, and Oman.
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