38mm

Hublot Big Bang 38mm Wide Watch

Hublot was a major player in the "watch size revolution" of the last decade that helped balloon watch case diameters. The famous Big Bang debuted at 44mm wide and was considered quite large when it was first seen. 44mm is still considered big, but not as big. There have been larger Big Bang watches, but the standard 44mm still feels good. Now all of a sudden Hublot releases a 38mm wide version of the Big Bang, in gold, and sans the signature chronograph feature.

This is the size of most women's Hublot Big Bang models, but this version in 18k rose gold with a ceramic bezel looks more like the brand's Classic Fusion collection rather than a women's model. The 38mm size might be for much of Asia where men prefer smaller watches, or might be positioned as a unisex watch. The dial is carbon fiber, and seems to fit in a small size segment than the Classic Fusion that comes in 40mm and 44mm wide variants. Inside the Big Bang 38mm is an Hublot HUB UNICO 1110 automatic movement - which might be Hublot made (given the UNICO name). There ought to be a few other versions aside from the pictured model - as well as a version with diamonds on the bezel and dial).

Ariel Adams publishes the luxury watch reviews site aBlogtoRead.com.

Tags: 38mm, big bang, hublot, watch

Omega Speedmaster Ladies 38mm: A Man's Watch By Any Other Name?

by Ariel Adams (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Timepieces / Watches

Men's watches are in for women. In Europe and Asia for example it is exceedingly common to see a woman wearing a Panerai watch. They look good together as well. Though this is still a clear case of a woman wearing a man's watch. The opposite is not particularly common. Then you have the odd case of the man's watch in drag. Which is basically what you have here. The new for 2010 Omega Speedmaster Ladies 38mm watch more or less looks like a man's watch that has been shrunk by maybe a couple of millimeters and given a diamond bezel treatment. Is that all it takes these days to go from man-tool to she-jewel?

"Strong enough for a man, but made just for a woman" should be a borrowed slogan of this watch. Having said that, if the shoe fits and the style looks good on the ladies, who cares? I just find it amusing that Omega is playing dress up with masculine style watches and giving them a speckled treatment around the edges and calling them "miss." Maybe in a year or two the watch will come in all steel, have a black alligator strap, grow 2mm in size and no one would know it started life in a pink colored room.

As such, for this Speedmaster Ladies 38mm, you know the case size, which is in steel with pink gold pushers, dial accents and the bezel - which has 54 diamonds all around it. Inside the watch is an Omega caliber 3304 automatic movement with a 12 hour chronograph, time, and the date. Strap is gray alligator, and this is one watch that any man close to the female owner might mistake for his own. Debut of the watch will be in a few months at Basel 2010. Price TBA.

Ariel Adams publishes the luxury watch review site aBlogtoRead.com.

Tags: 2010, 38mm, ladies, omega, speedmaster, watch