http://www.luxist.com/2009/05/18/hublot-big-bang-earl-gray-watch-in-steel/ Luxist Comments for Hublot Big Bang Earl Gray Watch In Steel http://www.luxist.com/media/feedlogo.gif http://www.luxist.com en-us Copyright 2013 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/http://www.luxist.com/2009/05/18/hublot-big-bang-earl-gray-watch-in-steel/http://www.luxist.com/2009/05/18/hublot-big-bang-earl-gray-watch-in-steel/"a metal bracelet, and here is the first glimpse I've seen of one". From the very beginning, the BB line was proposed with either rubber OR metal bracelet...
"the watch is steel. Why is this important? Because steel is a lower cost metal and indicates Hublot realizes it cannot continue to fuel demand for its ultra decadent Big Bang watches constructed of exotic and/or precious materials". Once again since the BB line was launched, steel watches were available and have never left the serie.
You might be referring the "bigger bang" line, a watch with a lot more sophisticated complication (chronograph tourbillion), from which a special edition is made every year : the one million bang.
I highly doubt Hublot is trying to move down form their current position in the market (mostly 10k to 20k watches, which correspond to entry level watches for Patek Pilippe, Vacheron Constantin or Audemart Piguet) according to their new line and soon to be announced models.
Instead of talking about "ultra decadent watches with exotic / precious metal" u should have mention the fact that it is outrageous to put such a price tag on a watch without a proper in house movement. For watch connoisseur the metal used is quite irrelevant – cheap steel or titanium versus platinum doesn’t make such a big different – ; what matters a lot more is the horlogical mastery and complication of the movement.

]]>May 19th 2009 7:16AMhttp://www.luxist.com/2009/05/18/hublot-big-bang-earl-gray-watch-in-steel/http://www.luxist.com/2009/05/18/hublot-big-bang-earl-gray-watch-in-steel/ Thanks for your comment. Let me address a few points. First, in terms of the metal bracelets, I indicated that they are new to my knowledge - not that they are necessarily new. I've never seen one on any of the many Hublot Big Bang watches I've seen here in America. It is possible that they are more popular in other parts of the world.
I agree that the largest premium should be placed on watches with in-house movements, but I don't agree that using outside movements should imply a cheap watch. Major Swiss movement makers such as ETA make fantastic and well engineered movements. They need to be given the large volume and production requirements. In-house movements with production in the 10,000s versus the 1,000,000s simply don't have the same expectations all the time (but of course there are many impeccable in-house movements).
Lastly, there is a large group of collectors who are quite interested in the materials that watches are made of. Many simple won't buy steel versus gold or platinum. So in that regard this is an interesting point in my opinion. Thanks for commenting and take care. ]]>May 19th 2009 7:24AMhttp://www.luxist.com/2009/05/18/hublot-big-bang-earl-gray-watch-in-steel/http://www.luxist.com/2009/05/18/hublot-big-bang-earl-gray-watch-in-steel/anyway, after posting my previous comment i realized it might sound a bit "dry", sorry about that, i didn't mean to be rude !
take care, bye]]>May 19th 2009 7:50AMhttp://www.luxist.com/2009/05/18/hublot-big-bang-earl-gray-watch-in-steel/http://www.luxist.com/2009/05/18/hublot-big-bang-earl-gray-watch-in-steel/ Thanks for the follow up, no worries. You are just a passionate watch lover like me. I agree that the true appreciator of fine watches focuses on the overall design and what is inside. Dressing a watch up with diamonds only adds price without much substance. Part of the reason that I write about watches each day is to help re-establish a love for watches in America - in there is plenty of room for fine mechanical watch movements. Thanks again for reading and take care. ]]>May 19th 2009 2:50PM