"Hublot must differentiate itself from other brands in every way," said Julien Tornare when he became the company's CEO. The 42mm Big Bang Meca-10, released by Hublot in 2025, is a model that embodies Tornare's approach. It is equipped with the Meca-10, an in-house movement with a skeletonized design, rare even in the Swiss watch industry, and boasts a power reserve of approximately 10 days. While the basic design is inherited from its predecessor, the design, which emphasizes a sense of openness, brings further refinement.
Photographs by Eiichi Okuyama
Masamasa Hirota (this magazine): Interview and writing
Text by Masayuki Hirota (Chronos-Japan)
Edited by Yukiya Suzuki (Chronos-Japan)
[Article published in the July 2026 issue of Kronos Japan]
Skeletonization achieved through a complete redesign
Since its founding, Hublot has been at the forefront of creativity and innovation. However, the company has also developed a sophisticated system as a manufacture. With its master designer, Matthias Butte, at the helm, it's hard to imagine that a company with a mediocre development system could exist. As the manufacture evolved, Hublot eventually began to incorporate in-house movements into collections other than the MP. Their signature work is the Unico automatic chronograph movement. The same can be said for the Meca-10 in terms of originality. The latest model, the 42mm Big Bang Meca-10, further highlights the high level of perfection the company has achieved as a manufacture.
The Big Bang Meca-10, released in 2016, attempted to exaggerate the power reserve display itself, including the drive racks, in order to emphasize its long running time of approximately 10 days. The concept was certainly strikingly unique, but the large double barrel and the complex power reserve display enlarged the movement, resulting in a case size of 45mm in diameter. In contrast, the new 25 model only has a case diameter of 42mm. This was made possible by the completely new movement, the HUB1205.
In recent years, Hublot has not only replaced its movements with in-house ones, but has also attempted to add aesthetic elements. The most obvious direction is skeletonization, which emphasizes functional and mechanical beauty. The technique of creating space in the movement by keeping the gear train and other components small is ideal for tourbillons, which already have small gear trains. This is why there has been an increase in skeleton tourbillons with a stronger sense of openness in recent years, with Hublot at the forefront. However, power reserve mechanisms, with their separate input and output paths, are large mechanisms themselves, making them difficult to simplify or miniaturize. In response, Hublot has expanded the space in the movement to accommodate a highly visible power reserve display.
This collection is unique in the watch industry, featuring a skeletonized, long-power reserve watch. The revised design emphasizes functional and mechanical beauty compared to previous models, while also achieving a more practical size. Manual winding (Cal. HUB1205). 29 jewels. 21,600 vph. Power reserve of approximately 10 days. 18K King Gold case (42mm diameter, 13.9mm thick). Water resistant to 100m. Price: 5,863,000 yen (tax included).
The reason the HUB1205 was able to free up space is because it has two smaller barrels than its predecessor. The double barrels, which were located closer to the center of the movement in the previous model, can now be offset to the right as a result of the miniaturization, creating more space within the movement. However, this is not a simple matter, as a smaller barrel reduces the torque and running time of the mainspring. However, Hublot has managed to prevent this loss of performance by using a lightweight silicon escapement with a small torque cross.
The freed-up space is also used ingeniously. The movement is supported by three horizontally extending plates, just like the previous model. However, the power reserve mechanism, installed on the plate at 12 o'clock, is significantly different from the previous model. The reason for this is to enhance aesthetics. In the previous model, Hublot combined a large gear with the power reserve mechanism so as not to disrupt the design of the Meca-10, which emphasized a large circle. In contrast, the new model adjusts the balance of the design by dividing the gears into smaller pieces. The plates and bridges are hand-chamfered to accentuate the luster of the mirror-like surface and give the skeletonized movement even more depth.
Manual winding (Cal. HUB1205). 29 jewels. 21,600 vph. Power reserve approximately 10 days. From the right: Frosted carbon case, 3,762,000 yen (tax included). Ti case, 3,157,000 yen (tax included). Both are 42mm in diameter and 13.9mm thick. Water resistant to 100m.
To be honest, power reserve mechanisms are not as attractive as chronographs. This is why many manufacturers try to hide them as much as possible. However, Hublot's ability to elevate this into a design that is worth seeing, including the entire movement, is nothing short of extraordinary. Not only is it a usable size, but various case materials can be selected depending on the purpose. Even though it is a watch with a complex mechanism, Hublot's insistence that people do not want to see only the internals is also unique.
Hublot never loudly claims to be a mature manufacturer. However, the extraordinary perfection of the 42mm Big Bang Meca-10 will surely impress any discerning watch lover. Hublot has always focused on materials and design, but in fact, it is a robust manufacturer that can freely control even the contents.
