If you are a devout follower of tennis (like me) you will have enjoyed the rivalry between the big 3. I remember commentators saying that Pete Sampras’s record of 14 Grand Slams would never be beaten. Fast forward 20 years and three players have surpassed this amazing achievement. What Djokovic, Federer and Nadal have contributed to this sport is nothing less than phenomenal. With Roger and Rafa retiring, the Sensational Serb is the last man standing. Irrespective of your favourite player Novak is now the undisputed GOAT (greatest player of all time) with unequalled statistics. As well as being an elite professional athlete Novak has numerous lucrative sponsorship deals with luxury brands including Hublot. Between them, they’ve created a very cool limited edition watch (100 pieces) called the ‘Big Bang Unico Djokovic’.
Within the world of sports brand ambassadors have become very big business. Ultimately, elite athletes get paid millions of dollars to promote luxury timepieces. If you have a sceptical disposition you might assert this is the primary motive rather than personal preference. However, in today’s world, this is an effective form of strategic marketing. From my perspective, it’s all about the integrity of the design. For that reason, I believe the ‘Big Bang Unico Djokovic’ is a resounding success.
In the watch industry, the use of radical materials has been a game changer. The ‘Big Bang Unico Djokovic’ has a composite case fabricated from elements of Novak Djokovic’s racquets and shirts. In fact, Hublot used 25 HEAD racquets along with 17 dark blue and 15 light blue Lacoste polos, worn by the champion Djokovic over the 2023 season. The result is a distinctive two tone blue textured case that weighs only 49 grams. This perfectly compliment the minimalistic matte blue skeletonised dial, with white luminescent indexes. Other features include tempered anti-reflective Gorilla glass, highlighted yellow pusher (reference to tennis ball) open-worked hour/minute hands and second-hand with Novak Djokovic logo. Overall the composition is highly appealing and the quality first rate.
Beneath the 42mm façade lies a Hublot’s Unico manufacture self-winding movement crafted from aluminium and weighing only 6.1 grams. The Calibre HUN1280 comprises 43 jewels and contains 354 individual parts. This innovative column wheel mechanism is showcased via the exhibition case back. Functionally the ‘Big Bang Unico Djokovic’ features hours, minutes, seconds and a chronograph facility. The watch also has a power reserve of 72 hours and is water resistant to a depth of 100 metres.
The ‘Big Bang Unico Djokovic’ comes with three straps (blue Velcro fastener fabric, blue and white rubber) and retails for $52,700.
