The official watch of the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil has been unveiled by Hublot, who have made some major changes for the commemorative timepiece.
The 45.5mm Big Bang Unico Bi-Retrograde Chrono marks a first for the Swiss watch manufacture. It’s the first time a bi-retrograde function has appeared alongside a central chronograph on any of its watches and the automatic, column wheel, dual coupling UNICO Manufacture calibre that makes it possible has a patent pending.
The 385-piece movement took 18 months of research and development to create.
Two examples of the watch will be available in limited numbers, with 200 pieces of the Ceramic Carbon and just 100 pieces of the King Gold Carbon model being made.
The Bi-Retrograde complication is employed in the new watch with the purpose of timing a football match with retrograde minute and second hands covering a colourful arc at the 12 o’clock position. The arc maps out the course of a 45minute football match half with the addition of 15minutes, allowing for the allocation of extra time.
Two pushers either side of the crown allow Start, Stop and Reset functions while the 2 o’clock pusher also selects 1st half, half time, 2nd half and end of match status, displayed above the arc.
Such constant, rapid movement of the hands caused the watch’s designers problems in not only meeting the required energy demands but ensuring the operation of the time display, a sub dial at the 6 o’clock position and seconds counter at the nine o’clock, was unaffected. Designers built in a 72 hour power reserve and through selective choice of materials, ensured the lowest possible power consumption and friction coefficients.
Dial highlights in yellow and green, the colours of the Brazilian flag, and an image of the FIFA World Cup trophy on the rotor complete the design.
