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WATCH REVIEW Hublot Big Bang Black Magic Evo

Editor's opinion
73.5 / 100
The success of the Big Bang cannot be denied. But Hublot evolves smoothly the collection with a quite successful “relooking”. Review of one of the “flagship” references, the Blac Magic Evo.
Straight to the Point

Hublot Big Bang Black Magic Evo

Ref.: 301.CI.1770.RX
$11,800.00 US retail price September 16th, 2010
Pros
  • the quality of the manufacture and the finishing
  • the resistance to the scratches
  • the comfort
Cons
  • the crown that is not screwed
  • a sober watch but not really discreet
Brand Hublot
Model name
Big Bang Black Magic Evo
Reference
301.CI.1770.RX
Case material
Micro-blasted ceramic / titanium / resin
Case diameter (without crown)
44,50 mm
Case diameter (crown included)
50 mm
Caliber
Hublot 4100
Base Caliber
In house ETA 7750 clone
Functions
Chronograph
Date
Hour
Minute
Second
Crystal
Dual-face crystal with anti-reflective coating
Power reserve
42h
Transparent back
Yes
Lug width
25,08 mm
Length from lug to lug
53,76 mm
Case thickness
14,90 mm
Strap material
Natural rubber
Clasp type
Deployment clasp
Clasp material
Steel with black PVD coating
Total weight
134 grammes
Retail price USA at September 16th, 2010
$11,800.00
Comfort (/15) 13
Movement (/20) 12
Movement Optimisation / Garnishment (/5) 3.5
Ease of handling and adjustment (/5) 5
Movement control proceeded by the Manufacture / horlogical awards (/3) 1
Power reserve (/2) 1
Complications (/5) 1.5
Finishing (/20) 17.5
Dial finishing (/6) 5
Case finishing (/6) 6
Quality of garnishment / caseback engraving quality (/2) 1.5
Crystal quality (/4) 3
Clasp finishing (inner and extern) (/2) 2
Functionality (/20) 15
Diurnal legibility (/5) 5
Night legibility (/4) 4
Water resistance (/3) 1
Strap : ease of size adjustment + ease of substitution (/4) 2
Clasp : quality and safety (/4) 3
Additional items (/10) 3
Limited edition (/3) 0
Watch delivered with several straps (/2) 0
Quality of the watch box (/1) 1
Portability with shirtsleeves buttoned (/2) 1
Goodies included (/1) 0
Understandability of the brochure (/1) 1
Value for money (/15) 13
When to wear it ? For a big party at the Billionaire, Porto Cervo !
Users opinion
70%
like this watch
Do you like this watch?

“Evo”, the maturity for the Big Bang?

In watch making as well as in automobile, a small main body “relooking” allows modernizing a model without too much questioning what has made the success of the initial version.

The differences between this Black Magic (the ceramic Big Bang’s nickname) and its predecessor are subtle: stick markers replace the numbers, smooth dial made of genuine carbon and above all, ceramic finishing instead of brushed polishing.

All these modifications bring a little discretion to a Big Bang that some thought till nowadays a little too loud.
Of course, the “Big Bang Touch” is always recognizable at the first glance.

But the whole really gains in maturity.

A particularly successful finishing

The shot-blasted finishing is particularly a success: matt, it is aesthetically close, in terms of execution, to a PVD treatment.

But, on the contrary to this last one, it is of an absolute resistance.

The ceramic being impossible to scratch, the watch will be “eternally” new.
Only a fall on a hard surface could damage it by “breaking” the casing.

This evolution does not question the Hublot’s leitmotiv: the fusion of the materials.
Thus, push buttons, screws and crowns are still made of titanium.
Not essential but so much more enhancive than the “merely” steel.

The movement

Hublot equips this Evo with an internally made movement on the basis of an ETA 7750 (entered in the public domain since several years), for which some improvements have been developed: specific bearing, traditional regulating organ (non ETACHRON), tri-compax deviation of the minutes meter, as well as a specific cut of the bridges.

Hublot equips this Evo with an internally made movement on the basis of an ETA 7750 for which some improvements have been developed.

Even if it is not obviously real technical optimizations (difficult to improve a 7750), the result is really successful aesthetically speaking.

All the more the oscillating weight, (always in “honeycombed Tungsten”) does not hide too much the view on the engine.

It also allows avoiding a generic movement while evading from the costs of a 100% manufacture development.

Nevertheless, the finishing is a little industrial but is of good quality.

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A comfortable chronograph

When wearing it, the natural rubber strap is a model of comfort, even in case of strong heat.

The sobriety of the dial allows a very good readability, nightly and daily, thanks to the Super-LumiNova generously applied.

It is a pity however that the dial is made of carbon, a material that has became relatively “ordinary” nowadays: for a piece of that level, a dial made of a more exotic or atypical material could indeed have been hoped (such as silicon or ceramic…)

 

What to remember

You may love or not the Big Bang, it is nevertheless a reference model in the actual production.
And even if the bill is quite high, it is one of the rare watches that ally an original design to an impeccable quality of manufacture.

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