Big Bang, but better. The Integral.

Always wiser in retrospect

When looking at the new Hublot Big Bang Integral, one invariably wonders: Why only now? The integration of the bracelet is so harmonious that one would have wanted this option a long time ago. At a time when almost every watch manufacturer seems to want a stainless steel sports watch with an integrated bracelet in its portfolio, this step was obvious, even imperative. It is no surprise that the brand’s flagship move in this direction, and while some commentators want to see this as the beginning of a new chapter for Hublot this appears to be quite an exaggeration, as the changes are rather organic. Indeed, the most beautiful version of the Big Bang was created not just with the addition of an integrated bracelet, but by making further, rather subtle, improvements.

With these changes the Big Bang has become much more versatile. The rather bulky appearance of the previous models has clearly improved with the Integral. The dial is a bit cleaner due to the omission of the Arabic numerals in favor of simple indices. The rectangular pushers, which follow the design of the first Big Bang from 2005, go perfectly with the new bracelet – in fact, Hublot explains that these pushers, with their alternating polished and satin finish, served as inspiration for its design.

A Big Bang for almost every occasion

Even if the Big Bang hasn’t suddenly evolved into a dress watch, it is nonetheless now more versatile. The watch can certainly be imagined complementing a business casual outfit, where the other Big Bang models are wholly relegated to the sports sector. The Integral is still not suitable for the opera, but Hublot has already found a suitable companion for such occasions in the Classic Fusion. With a case size of 42 mm, a thickness of 13.45 mm and 52 mm from lug to lug, the Integral is also well-balanced. All in all a very successful start to 2020 for Hublot.