Even with a high-profile roster featuring legends like 24-time Grand Slam winner Novak Djokovic and three-time Super Bowl champ Patrick Mahomes, Hublot’s most impressive athlete-ambassador has to be Usain Bolt. Though he retired nearly a decade ago, no sprinter has come close to matching the Jamaican superstar’s Olympic triple-triple—winning gold in the 100m, 200m, and 4x100m relay at Beijing 2008, London 2012, and Rio 2016. He holds three untouched world records in those events—one of which is cleverly incorporated into the new Big Bang Reloaded Usain Bolt.
Between 6 and 8 o’clock sit the numerals 6-5-8—viewed upside down, as a passerby might, they read “9.58,” his 100m world-record time set in 2009. The lightning bolt-shaped chronograph second hand harks to his signature “Jumpman”-like pose, while the polished 18K yellow gold bezel bears his mantra: “Anything is Possible, Don’t Think Limits.”
Hublot had another outside-the-box idea for the caseback. “Authentic soil” from Bolt’s childhood training ground in Jamaica is enshrined between two sapphire crystals that sit inside of a lightning bolt—though no images were provided of the element. Power comes from the HUB1280 Unico Manufacture, aka the Unico 2, the sequel to the aesthetically appealing caliber that’s powered the Big Bang since 2010. Presented in a skeletonized, open-worked format, the Unico 2’s column wheel, oscillating clutch, and flyback are highlighted with colors of the Jamaican flag to increase visibility. Made of 18K yellow gold and frosted carbon, the bezel is secured by six H-shaped gold screws. The model is secured to the wearer via one of two interchangeable One Click wristbands: one in yellow gold-toned Velcro fabric and the other in black, yellow, and green camouflage rubber.
“Working on this watch with Hublot allowed me to rewind and replay my race journey, every second, every stride, every finish line,” said Usain Bolt in a statement provided by Hublot. “To do it with a partner who’s been with me since 2010, even after I hung up my spikes, makes it more than a watch. It conveys meanings and beliefs such as trusting yourself, sprinting beyond limits, pushing every boundary. The lightning-bolt hand? My pose. A green and yellow pulse with Jamaica in my heart. The soil in the case-back? The ground that made me. Wear it, own it, and make your own history. Time waits for no one, but you can beat it.”
Priced from $30,000 and limited to 200 examples, the Hublot Big Bang Reloaded Usain Bolt is available now online.