Wristwatch Journal
Before you get any ideas, pink is hardly “the new black,” but one can’t help but be impressed at the combined gumption and technical aptitude it took for Hublot to produce this pink Big Bang in collaboration with design firm Garage Italia. It’s actually not the first time Hublot has partnered with the Italian customizer and cultural hub — the two names produced a special blue-clad Classic Fusion (dubbed “Infinitely Blue”) in 2019, dreamed up by the brand’s creative director Lapo Elkann. This time, though, the collab is built atop Hublot’s popular Big Bang platform, using a titanium case that’s been anodized in “Millennial Pink,” a color that’s seen plenty of airtime in the last decade in Wes Anderson films, as well as in various fashion circles (looking at you, Marc Jacobs, Gucci, and Balenciaga), despite being one that even Pantone can’t quite seem to agree on. Is it Pale Dogwood 13-1404? Candy Pink 14-1911 TCX? Or maybe Rose Quartz 13-1520?
Specifications
Brand: Hublot
Model: Big Bang Millennial Pink
Dimensions: 42mm x 14.5mm
Water Resistance: 100 meters
Case Material: Pink anodized titanium
Crystal/Lens: Sapphire
Movement: Hublot HUB1280 UNICO Manufacture self-winding chronograph
Frequency: 4Hz
Power Reserve: 72 hours
Strap/Bracelet: Pink knit Velcro strap with anodized aluminum sport buckle, pink rubber strap with titanium deployant clasp
Price & Availability: $20,900 USD
Whatever it is, the gender-bending Millennial Pink (also sometimes referred to as ‘Tumblr Pink” and “Scandi Pink”) is still having a moment, and finally, it’s come for the watch world, so who else would be bold enough or have enough crossover sway in the fashion and lifestyle luxury space than Hublot to be able to pull it off? Were it not for the bubblegum-pink handset and bright pink straps, the matte-finished case itself could be easily mistaken for a spinoff from last year’s salmon dial craze, or more simply, brushed rose gold. But rather than being rendered in precious metal, this watch is cased in ultra-light titanium, making for a neat little subversive twist. Sure, it might not be for you, but the look is still undeniably quite cool. Personally, I’d reserve judgment until I saw it on a dark gray strap to better match the matte gray screws in the bezel and the dark movement bridges visible through the skeletonized dial, but I’m still here to give credit where credit is due: This is a bold watch on multiple accounts, and I love it for that.
Unlike the 2019 collab edition, which had an oversized Garage Italia logo occupying the entire 3 o’clock subdial, the co-branding is much more muted here — and the watch is significantly better off for it. The customizer’s logo is still part of the 3 o’clock subdial, but it’s significantly smaller and doesn’t distract from the rest of the watch’s design — which is already not for lack of restraint in any capacity. Visible both through the dial and the exhibition caseback is Hublot’s in-house produced HUB1280, a column wheel chronograph with a flyback complication. The watch ships with a pair of straps that can be easily swapped out at a push of the button: a sporty woven nylon and Velcro affair and a rubber strap with a titanium deployant — both rendered in the same ambiguous tone of pink. Once again, the price for the Hublot Millennial Pink Big Bang is $20,500 USD. You can learn more at hublot.com.
