And now, readers, we?ve come to that portion of our Watches & Wonders coverage that I know at least two of you have been anxiously anticipating, Yes, it?s now an annual tradition I guess, where I will wax rhapsodically about a mind bending Hublot novelty fit for a modern version of an 18th century French king. I can?t really think of a better way to describe the Big Bang Integrated Tourbillon Full Blue Sapphire than to contextualize it with something commonly understood to be shorthand for over-the-top indulgence, but that?s what this watch is all about, in the best possible way. It?s a huge swing, which is exactly what I like to see from brands at Watches & Wonders. If I?m going to fly across an ocean and deal with travel delays at every step, I?d like to see things that I can only see in a presentation in the back of one of those enormous booths. 
Last year I wrote about the Big Bang Tourbillon Automatic Purple Sapphire and characterized it as one of the best watches of last year?s Watches & Wonders because it succeeded at being compelling from a watchmaking perspective while also being completely outlandish in a way that Hublot is uniquely great at. It marked a point in my own appreciation for the brand where they rose above the level of a mere curiosity and reached a point where, in my opinion, they are deserving of the respect given to any other serious innovator in contemporary watchmaking. 
This year they?re back with a sequel of sorts to last...