A perfect illustration of Hublot’s extravagant style and technical proficiency, the Hublot Big Bang MP-11 14 Day Power Reserve Water Blue Sapphire boasts 336 hours of power reserve thanks to seven laterally stacked barrels working with 90° bevel gears and a helical worm screw to drive the movement.

This is a new variant of an existing model, with the difference being the case crafted from transparent “water blue” sapphire crystal.

Initial thoughts

Hublot is an anomaly. It’s one of the 20 biggest watchmakers in Switzerland by revenue and boasts a vertically integrated manufactured but is often criticised for being something of a “fashion” brand by enthusiasts and non-enthusiasts alike.

Part of this pushback probably stems from the brand’s entry-level watches that use inexpensive stock movements that are priced expensively for what they are. The mechanics don’t live up to the price. That reasoning is sound, but it doesn’t reflect the brand’s top-of-the-line products.

Like the recent MP-10, the new MP-11 reflects Hublot’s ability in movements and materials. Its manufacture develops and produces complex in-house calibres with unique complications and novel constructions, usually presented in cases made of novel materials with distinctive aesthetics and properties.

The only downside of such complications is their size. The MP-11 is enormous at 45 mm in diameter, and it isn’t even the chunkiest watch that Hublot produces. This limits its wearability and even on a big wrist, the ergonomics are not perfect.

Priced at US$171,000, the MP-11 “Water Blue Sapphire” is priced competitively in its specific niche, one also occupied by brands like Richard Mille and Roger Dubuis. Granted, it’s a lot of money, but considering the movement and case material, the price is justified, at least relative to the competition.

“Water blue” sapphire

The MP-11 14 sports a synthetic sapphire case in “water blue”, a baby blue shade that chimes with today’s fad for such colours. Although “grown” with a new chemical formula, the blue sapphire still maintains the usual characteristics of the material, including transparency and surface hardness.

Measuring 45 mm in diameter and 14.4 mm thick, the sapphire case is finished by hand for a perfectly smooth and clear finish. In the typical Big Bang style, the case is constructed as a sandwich, with sapphire front and back plates containing a sapphire case middle.

The dial has the time display at 12 o’clock, while the seven barrels are arranged horizontally across the lower half of the dial. Because the barrels sit above the plane of the movement, the sapphire crystal covering the dial is partially domed to accurate the barrels.

At eight o’clock, at the end of the barrel stack, is the power reserve indicator taking the form of a wheel, which completes one revolution every two weeks.

The fluting on the crown echoes the helical gear for time setting and winding

The watch is equipped with the HUB9011, a manually-wound skeletonised calibre with 270 parts that runs at 28,800 beats per hour. The view from the back explains the construction of the movement with the going train occupying the upper half, with the barrels below.

Key facts and price

Hublot Big Bang MP-11 14 Day Power Reserve Water Blue Sapphire
Ref. 911.JL.0129.RX

Diameter: 45 mm
Height: 14.4 mm
Material: “Water blue” sapphire
Crystal: Sapphire
Water resistance: 30 m

Movement: Cal. HUB9011
Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds and power reserve indicator
Frequency: 28,800 beats per hour (4Hz)
Winding: Manual-wind
Power reserve: 14 Days

Strap: Matching rubber strap

Limited edition: 50 pieces
Availability: Available in Hublot boutiques and retailers starting April 2024
Price: US$171,000

For more information, visit Hublot.com.