Starting today, a new Chinese year marks the end of the Year of the Ox and the start of the Year of the Tiger. For watchmakers, this is has meant the release of timepieces that are inspired by the majestic animal. And the newest in a slew of ‘Year of the Tiger’ watches is Hublot’s Spirit of Big Bang Carbon Gold Tiger.

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After successfully launching the Big Bang All Black Zermatt and a series of watches for LVMH Watch Week, Hublot’s Spirit of Big Bang Carbon Gold Tiger marks the first time the barrel-shaped watch is made in frosted carbon and 18K yellow gold. The 42mm (Ref. 642.QX.0113.RX.TIG22) watch comes with a combination of frosted carbon and gold across its case – the frosted carbon forms the case, with the 18K yellow gold occulsions creating patterns that are reminiscent of a tiger’s stripes. Perfectly fitting into Hublot’s ‘Art of Fusion’ philosophy, the process of creating the material results in gold occlusion patterns that are unique every single time, like the stripes of a tiger; it also ends up giving each of the 200 pieces a unique look. Carbon also ends up creating a watch that is light, hardy, and scratch-resistant.

“People born in the Year of the Tiger are born leaders, courageous and energetic, and never afraid to take risks. This is Hublot. We live by the mantra ‘first, unique, different’, which is why the challenger spirit of the tiger is so inspiring to us. With its frosted carbon and 18K yellow-gold case, the Spirit of Big Bang Carbon Gold Tiger is also a technical first for us, a daring expression of an iconic form designed for today’s boldest leaders,” says Ricardo Guadalupe, CEO, Hublot.

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The watch has a skeletal dial, with the workings of the self-winding chronograph, HUB4700 caliber visible in certain parts. The exposed date ring rotates under the edges of the indexes, with the date window, appearing at 4:30. The chronograph subdials are at 3, 6, and 9 o’clock. The watch has a water resistance of 100 metres. The HUB4700 calibre is a successor to the famous El Primero caliber, and gives this watch a 5Hz frequency and a 50-hour power reserve. The skeleton movement with silicon regulating element ensures performance, precision, and reliability. The caseback is made of frosted carbon with yellow gold occulsions as well.

The Year of the Tiger theme continues on the straps – the watch comes with a black structured rubber strap which features stripes, fastened with a black ceramic and black-plated titanium deployant buckle clasp. Given Hublot’s One-Click system, the watch comes with an additional strap in yellow gold fabric with velcro black ceramic buckle.

All images: Courtesy Hublot