Hublot’s New Big Bang Unico fuses innovation with sustainability

May 12, 2023 Lydia Pili

Swiss Icons, Hublot & Nespresso join forces to release the first watch made using recycled Nespresso aluminium capsules and coffee grounds: the Big Bang Nespresso origin.

Big Bang Nespresso Origin

It was only several months ago that Swiss watchmaker Hublot announced its partnership with Japanese artist Takashi Murakami introducing thirteen new NFTs and thirteen unique timepieces including the Classic Fusion Takashi Murakami Black Ceramic Rainbow. Fast forward to today, and the Swiss watch manufacturer has unveiled a new type of partnership based on recycling and circularity. And who better to partner with than with fellow Swiss icon Nespresso?! Who over the past seven years has been partnering with a multitude of Swiss brands to develop new products from aluminium capsules as part of its Second life initiatives.

Together Hublot and Nespresso developed the Big Bang Unico Nespresso origin. This world first was possible thanks to the recycling system designed by Nespresso in 1991 that enables the separation of aluminium from coffee grounds allowing each component to be repurposed. In this specific case the coffee grounds were turned into watch straps, the recycled aluminium fused with the aluminium capsules were turned into the case, bezel, crown and pusher.

The unprecedented collaboration offers collectors the opportunity to get their hands on 1/200 limited edition pieces in an iconic green colour taken from Nespresso’s Master Origins Peru Organic capsule. The Big Bang Unico Nespresso Origin is a 42mm timepiece crafted in recycled aluminium that underwent an entire year of R&D to ensure colour uniformity across the different components.

By creating this symbolic watch, Hublot and Nespresso have demonstrated that it is possible to add value to recycled raw materials and circularity has no limits.

The Big Bang Unico Nespresso Origin is a watch born out of a close collaboration between the product development teams of Nespresso and Hublot, two pioneering Swiss brands, both of whom were founded in the 1980s. This is a watch that delivers three world firsts: a symbol of the infinite possibilities for upcycling: a Big Bang made from the recycled aluminium of Nespresso coffee capsules; the first watch with a rubber strap containing 4.1% recycled coffee grounds from Nespresso capsules and 8.2% recycled rubber; and finally, the first watch with a Velcro strap made with SCafé, a fabric containing 5% recycled coffee grounds and 95% recycled polyester. It took the R&D teams a whole year to achieve the uniformity of colour of the watch’s seven different materials, find the right balance of ingredients and perform the quality and durability testing on all the product components.

RICARDO GUADALUPE HUBLOT CEO

Big Bang Unico Nespresso Origin TECHNICAL CHARACTERISTICS

The Basics

Diameter: 42mm
Thickness: 14.5mm
Case Material: recycled aluminum
Dial Color: green
Lume: yes
Water Resistance: 10 atm
Strap/Bracelet: rubber and fabric option

The Movement

Caliber: HUB1280
Functions: hours, minutes, seconds, date and chronograph.
Diameter: 30mm
Thickness: 6.75 mm
Power Reserve: 72
Winding: self-winding
Frequency: 4 (28'800 A/H)
Jewels: 43