My favorite guilt brand is Hublot, without any doubt. In particular, colorful ceramic models have X factors. Guess: The Quintet at Hublot Big Bang 20th Anniversary Watches is made from a variety of materials, one of which is bright red ceramic. The other four are titanium, king gold, magic gold and black ceramic. I went with a candid clock and practical. On paper, Red Magic Firecrackers were my favorite. Read on to see if you still have a handy experience with all five limited editions.
You can’t keep the 20-year-old Big Bang watches unnoticed. That’s not what you do in the spirit of a watch or brand. Therefore, a strong lineup of five Big Bang 20th Anniversary Watches has been made to center stage at the Hublot’s Watches and Wonders 2025 booth. The Big Bang is undoubtedly the brand’s most iconic collection. A lot has changed over the past 20 years with watches. For example, quality, especially the level of finish, has improved significantly over time. You may remember the first generation big bang, not just in shape but essentially, a little edgy. Over time, Hublot introduced many high-tech materials to its Big Bang collection, and the movement of the internal Unico automatic chronograph was an important step in evolution.
New (left) and old big bang side
Hublot Big Bang 20th Anniversary Watches’ Quintet Practice
Among the five Big Bang 20th Anniversary watches, the common denominator is the Unico Movement. All five limited edition bang bang creations use MHUB1280.20 years old. Unico, automatic chronograph caliber with row wheels and flyback features. In this limited edition Quintet, the main spring gets injured by the celebration gold rotor.
The five references feature a redesigned 43mm case with distinctive layered structures that changed several eyes 20 years ago. The watch with a pinched lug, the bezel edge with nauru and the rubber strap gave it a semi-industrial feel. Just like the first gold and rubber fblots of the 80s, connecting with it was open-minded. Those who aren’t that open compared the Big Bang off the coast of Royal Oak, mainly because both watches are open and are in their league. Twenty years ago, in 2025 there was no diversity.
Did the red ceramic make that magic work?
Why is Hublot making Big Bang 20th Anniversary Red Magic (Ref. 431.cf.1313.rx/€33,000) red ceramic, not bright yellow or cheerful orange? That’s because red is a historic shade for Fublott. Nyon-based brands are at the forefront of creating brightly colored ceramics and are becoming more prominent. The first colored ceramic Hublot was developed and manufactured in-house in red, and debuted in 2018. With this in mind, it makes sense that Hublot produced 100 red magic chronographs to celebrate the Big Bang and seven years of in-house colored ceramics.
Is that still my favorite of the five LES? no. In real life, I was a bit disappointed by the harsh contrast between the bright red and deep black. The shiny red ceramic feels wonderfully smooth and has a deep, rich hue, but the black details make the watch look cheaper. The key to that is the black dial with red numbers and indexes.
When I first saw the 5 Watch lineup, I thought the dial was made of carbon fiber. Now, the checkered look suggests that, and with Hublot’s expertise in using materials, the carbon fiber dial would have a very historical significance. Instead, Hublot decided to use brass, stamp a carbon-like pattern and turn black into a color. When asked why it was brass rather than carbon, a representative from Hublot responded that the depth of the engraved pattern would better and more clearly reflect the light, enriching the watch in a way that could not be carbon dialed.
Materials that will be in fourth, third and second place
I was experiencing a repetition of red magic on paper, and after experiencing it during “waw”, it was the least favorite of the five. Let’s see what order the other four orders ended. Big Bang 20th Anniversary Titanium Ceramic (Reference 431.NM.1337.RX / €21,600) came in fourth. This is a limited edition of the 500 chronograph and also shows strong contrast in colour. Watches always look like they should be in the collection, but with their red details it’s not special or celebration.
The third spot on the podium will be sent to the 250-piece strong King Gold Ceramic Edition (ref. 431.OM.1338.RX / €39,900). Hublot’s unique precious metals have a warmer shade than the traditional 5N 18K gold. Honestly, it’s too warm for my taste, very rich, eye-catching, explicit.
Of course, this is a very personal view of the watch. I like the gold colours more with a softer yellow colour. Good old yellow gold is my number one type of gold. Meanwhile, the warm, reddish type of gold that matches the black ceramic and black rubber straps is very hublot.
Second place is a rethink of the 2006 Hublot Cult Classic. The 500 watch limited edition, the Big Bang 20th Anniversary All Black (Ref. 431.ci.1340.RX / €26,200), is still a strong-style statement despite the appearance copied by many competitors. Jean Claude Bever once said it might be impossible to read time on your Big Bang All Black, but people use their phones to check the time anyway. The watches were perhaps most important and did not stop them from becoming popular watches in Hibro history.
The 2025 watch features a black ceramic 43mm case with a matte finish surface, making it an OG worthy of homage. The problem is that you want to have a more shattered, rebellious watch than the adult version.
New (top) and old big bang case profiles
After some adds, this is my number one Big Bang 20th anniversary watch
Let’s take a closer look at which Big Bang came in first place and why. Hublot did a good job updating many design details. For example, the case diameter has been reduced from 44.5mm to more wearable 43mm, and the polished bezel features the Knurled Edge, a notable feature of early Big Bang models, making it even more refined than ever.
The rubber rectangular pusher on the first Big Bang reference also came back with a textured lozenge pattern rubber strap that features a one-click system integrated into the case.
Five of my favourite watches are the Big Bang 20th Anniversary Magic Gold (ref. 431.mx.1330.rx / €42,200). Magic Gold, an in-house precious metal that debuted in 2011, has a mysterious greenish glow that softens the look of the watch. Magic Gold was the world’s first scratch-resistant 18K gold alloy, combining ceramic resilience with gold’s shine and luster. The golden glow of the material remains perfect for a very long time due to its hardness and resistance to oxidation.
In what order do you place Quintets in Hublot Big Bang 20th Anniversary Watches? Please share your comments.
