When we think of the best watches on the market, we probably don't think of Hublot. While the brand has proven popular with rappers and footballers, they haven't quite captured the attention of watch enthusiasts like other brands.
To their credit, though, they don't seem to care. And why would you – I'm no watch brand accountant, but I suspect that those clients bring in way more revenue than us enthusiasts.
Still, it doesn't mean they can't do something really brilliant every once in a while. That's exactly what we have here, with the Hublot MP-10 Tourbillon Weight Energy System Titanium. This was recently released as part of the brands' LVMH Watch Week offering. Just looking at it, you'll know that this is no regular timepiece.
For starters, there are no hands on the dial. Instead, the watch is read via a series of rotating columns which showcase the hours, minutes and seconds. That seconds wheel at the base of the case also houses a tourbillon.
On the top of the dial, a crown for winding the movement is housed. Setting the time doesn't happen there, though – that takes place via another crown hidden on the back of the case.
You'll find a respectable 48 hours of power reserve on offer. That's even indicated on the dial, with red and green disc turning to indicate the power reserve on offer at any one moment.
The whole thing requires 592 components and 5 years of R&D went into making this watch. It's a remarkable looking thing.
It's also limited to just 50 pieces worldwide. So, what will it cost to get your hands on one of these? Well, err, quite a bit. With an RRP of £227,000, this is unlikely to be a spur of the moment purchase for many of us. But hey, if you have the cash for a 3-bed semi in a suburban town, but fancy something a bit rarer, this is a good buy.
What's more, it's far and away the most interesting Hublot I've ever seen. You can knock their standard practice all you want, but this is one of the coolest designs they could have dreamt up for breaking that mould.
