Here at WatchTime, we admittedly tend to give more credence, and more coverage, to excellence in horological technicity than to decorative disciplines like gem-setting. But the haute joaillerie coup that Hublot pulled off this year is simply too impressive to ignore. With its new Big Bang Paraíba models, unveiled in Geneva last month concurrently with the SIHH, the brand whose mission statement is “The Art of Fusion” stakes a claim to another watch-world first: the first timepieces ever adorned with ultra-rare, baguette-cut Paraíba Tourmaline stones. How significant is this accomplishment" Read on.
Hublot Big Bang Unico Paraíba in white gold (Ref. 411.WX.897T.LR.0919)
Paraiba Tourmaline was discovered in 1989 in the Brazilian state of Paraíba from which it takes its name, and achieves its distinctive, irridescent turquoise hue from its combination (or fusion, if you will) of gold, manganese, and copper. Its extreme rarity makes the Paraíba even more coveted and expensive than other precious stones such as diamonds, emeralds, and rubies: a single Paraíba stone is mined, on average, for every 10,000 diamonds. Hublot has established an exclusive agreement with a mine in Brazil’s Rio Grande region that extracts the stones in an environmentally sustainable manner, using methods that ensure reforestation and using only clean water so as to prevent soil pollution. Each case is set with baguette-cut and brilliant-cut Paraíba stones.
The rarity of the s...