t Nyon, cranes are at work above Lake Geneva. Hublot is expanding its historic production site, inaugurated in 2015 and already enlarged once in 2019, to support a new cycle of industrial development.

It is in this context that Julien Tornare, at the head of Hublot since September 2024, outlines his vision, with a clearly stated priority: to reclaim the brand’s technical legitimacy. Our interview.

The Big Bang Original Unico is offered in the materials that form the backbone of Hublot’s Art of Fusion: Black Magic in all-black ceramic; Titanium, crafted entirely from lightweight metal; Titanium Ceramic, combining a titanium case with a black ceramic bezel; and King Gold Ceramic, pairing an 18-carat gold case with a black ceramic bezel and a black-plated titanium and King Gold deployant clasp.

Europa Star: Where are you starting from with Hublot, and where do you want to take the brand?

Julien Tornare: When I arrived, I discovered an incredible brand, with its creative strength fully intact, but also facing challenges. Hublot has always sparked strong reactions – it’s almost in its DNA. But some criticisms had become less justified, particularly regarding our watchmaking legitimacy. So we worked on three axes: product, image, and the overall elevation of the brand. Today, Hublot is a balanced brand, present in around 140 boutiques, with a distribution network that we are rationalizing – a more natural and qualitative selection. This discipline is paying off.

With a 43 mm diameter, the Big Bang Original Unico is powered by the eponymous movement, a chronograph entirely developed in-house and built around five patented innovations. The Unico movement incorporates a column wheel, a double-clutch architecture, a layered construction, an optimized gear train, and a skeletonized openworked tungsten rotor shaped like an “H.”

How does this translate into product creation?

The new Big Bang design, unveiled for the 20^th anniversary of our icon last year, was a key moment – almost a third chapter in its story. The new elegant Big Bang Unico pieces we are presenting this year demonstrate that Hublot knows how to produce refinement, not only bold expressiveness. This elevation also comes through mechanics.

Launched in 2010, Unico was the first movement entirely conceived, developed and manufactured in-house by Hublot.

Precisely, what is your strategy regarding movements?

I want Hublot to have greater control over its industrial destiny. That does not mean producing everything in-house at all costs, but working intelligently. We have an exceptional in-house tourbillon, and we will continue to develop this type of high watchmaking value piece. At the same time, we collaborate with Zenith – always in the LVMH spirit – notably around the Elite movement, which we adapt for our own use. The idea is to have personalized, exclusive movements consistent with our identity.

We want to show more of what we do. Our workshops are magnificent, we are expanding our industrial setting, we grow our own sapphire blocks, we master colored ceramic. This is unique in the industry. It needs to be explained and demonstrated.

The Unico movement is distinguished in particular by a front-facing column wheel, a silicon escapement, and an integrated flyback chronograph accurate to 1/8th of a second for instant reset and restart. It delivers a precision of -2/+4 seconds per day and offers a 72-hour power reserve.

The movement also incorporates five patented innovations, including two oscillating pinion clutches, an anti-vibration system, a frictionless ratchet wheel locking mechanism, a fine balance adjustment system, and a constant-pressure friction system for the minute counter.

Let’s talk about Novak Djokovic. Your collaboration is quite different from traditional partnerships…

In tennis, Novak is the undisputed GOAT; his results prove it. When we began discussions, Novak wanted genuine recognition – a brand that celebrates his career and what he has accomplished. I told him: “We’re going to create a watch for each of your tournament victories.” The concept was there, evolving and alive. He won his 100th title in Geneva, his 101st in Athens… So we launched a first series of 101 pieces. And each future victory can give rise to a new piece. It creates a unique dynamic between sport and watchmaking.

For this model, we designed an in-house tourbillon with extraordinary aesthetics. The mainplate echoes the look of a tennis racket string pattern – both technical and symbolic. At 38, continuing to aim for records, perhaps the Olympic Games… It’s inspiring. And we are supporting him on that journey.

There are three versions of the Hublot Big Bang Tourbillon Novak Djokovic GOAT Edition, reflecting the familiar colors of tennis’s three playing surfaces, and each variant is issued in a numbered sequence tracking his victories on each surface. Accordingly, there will be 72 pieces in blue, symbolizing his hard-court wins; 21 in orange for his clay-court victories; and, making it the most exclusive, eight in green for his triumphs on grass. The 101 watches are individually numbered but not limited editions.

To mark any future victory by Novak Djokovic, Hublot will add a new watch, with the color chosen according to the tournament surface. The 44 mm case is crafted from a special composite developed by Hublot using the tennis player’s Lacoste polos and Head rackets.

Instead of a traditional solid mainplate to hold the movement components in place, Hublot’s engineers have designed a three-dimensional lattice that takes the form of tennis racket strings. Each “string” measures just 0.55 mm in thickness and appears to be secured to the edge of the mainplate by attachment points reminiscent of those found around the inner rim of a tennis racket. The spaces between the strings are deliberately irregular, as they would be on a racket in the heat of a match.

The central part of the case, or container, is made from another advanced material known as Titaplast, the most resistant polymer in the world.

His need for recognition in the tennis world is somewhat what you are seeking in the watchmaking world, with the emphasis on Unico!

Hublot was born to disrupt, but today we want to do so with even greater mastery, greater watchmaking depth, and higher standards. We are at the dawn of a new cycle for Hublot. And this is grounded in what I see in the field. I never travel without meeting end clients. Too many CEOs remain overly internal. I learn enormously from contact with collectors, retailers, enthusiasts. It is essential to stay connected.

ECreated in collaboration with British designer Samuel Ross and limited to 200 pieces, the Big Bang Unico SR_A features a monochrome ceramic aesthetic and a rubber strap with a newly developed honeycomb pattern.

Classic Fusion Yohji Yamamoto All Black Camo