Hublot has just unveiled its Year of the Snake watch.
It might just be my favourite Hublot ever.
While the Gregorian calendar may have turned a little over a week ago, the changing of the Chinese calendar is still yet to come. With each year being associated with a sign of the Chinese zodiac, this time of year tends to spawn swathes of new watches based on those characters.
This time, it's the Year of the Snake, and we've already spotted a wide array of models to celebrate that. You'll find examples from all kinds of brands, including Louis Vuitton, Dior, Swatch, Longines and even a Casio G-Shock.
We're expecting even more over the coming weeks – and this latest release might be my pick of the bunch. Dubbed the Hublot Spirit of Big Bang Year of the Snake edition, this is a seriously cool tonneau-shaped case, with some reptilian touches throughout.
Let's kick off with the dial. That's an open-worked design, which gives a glimpse into the inner workings of the chronograph movement. Here, though, it's surrounded by a gold-plated snake, which is laser-engraved for supreme accuracy. It also makes a figure of eight around the chronograph dials – a subtle nod to China's lucky number.
Inside, you'll find the HUB4700 movement. That's descended from Zenith's El Primero calibre – once the beating heart of the inimitable Rolex Daytona – and features a number of modern improvements to keep pace in the 21st century. It's a 5Hz movment, too, with 50 hours of power reserve.
You'll find snake scale-themed designs on both the bezel and strap on this model. The bezel is crafted from a micro-blasted and polished black ceramic, which is then engraved with a snake skin texture.
The strap is a black rubber affair, which gets it's snake skin aesthetic from an innovative embossing technique. The strap is, in fact, a single piece of rubber, not that you'd know that from looking.
Priced at £30,100 ($35,100, approx. AU$60,000) and limited to just 88 pieces around the world, you're unlikely to spot too many of these as you jaunt about town. Still, it's a stunning example of a gaudy watch done with taste. I'm a huge fan – and that's not something I can always say for this brand. Top marks, Hublot.
