A Hublot ambassador since 2020, creative director Samuel Ross brings his unique graphic language to watchmaking for the first time with the limited-edition Big Bang Tourbillon Samuel Ross.
A 40-year focus on the “Art of Fusion” has resulted in a meteoric rise for Hublot, seeing it catapulted to the pinnacle of innovative watchmaking.
With the brand’s ability to combine seemingly diametrically opposed materials, plus an enduring drive to push the boundaries of what is technically and aesthetically possible, it has rewritten the rules of horology, leaving a new design language in its wake.
Fostering a desire to work with the most talented practitioners in alternate fields, the brand introduced its “Hublot Loves Art” initiative more than a decade ago.
Hublot has since collaborated with some of the most talented artists and designers of a generation. Ground-breaking in outlook and highly collectable, the resulting watches offer new interpretations of time and timekeeping. The most recent creator to take up the mantle is Samuel Ross.
Mirroring Hublot’s trajectory, renaissance man Ross has experienced an equally breakneck rise to prominence. Describing himself as a creative director, the 30-year-old multi-disciplinary artist, filmmaker, and fashion designer graduated from Leicester De Montfort University in 2012 with a first-class honours’ degree in graphic design and illustration.
Since then, he has collaborated with many brands and creative outlets – from Oakley and Nike to Dr. Martens and Mackintosh – launching his men’s Luxury Sportswear label A-Cold-Wall* in late 2015, and his design studio SR_A in 2019.
In 2019, Ross was awarded the prestigious Hublot Design Prize, and a year later he was announced as an official brand ambassador, an occasion marked by the unveiling of REFORM, a sculpture designed to encapsulate 40 years of Hublot.
Combining an ancient, organic material (granite) with a modern, manmade one (steel), Ross created his own ‘Fusion’, uniting past and present in a production process that involved both traditional hand-finishing and cutting-edge machining.
The deceptively simple, industrial form of the 40cm high artwork has now been reinterpreted in the 44mm Big Bang Tourbillon Samuel Ross – Ross’s first wristwatch collaboration with Hublot. Ross’s signature use of colour and love of stark geometry and urban design, come together with the innovation and precision that prevail in the work of both Ross and Hublot.
The distinctive, stylised hexagon of the Big Bang case is reflected in the titanium honeycomb mesh used on the sapphire dial, case, case back and strap. A basic building block of nature (seen in environments from beehives and snake’s scales to pineapple skin and snowflakes) the robust and efficient shape, that can be repeated without gaps or overlapping, has been appropriated as a standard for modern-day construction and design thanks to the seamless fit of each unit.
Here the hexagon is a visual symbol of the functionality of the watch – a key strand running through all of Ross’s design. Although it may be a wearable sculpture, Ross never loses sight of the need for it to be durable and ergonomic, the lightweight, openworked titanium structure and malleable rubber strap ensuring its comfort on the wrist. A proponent of colour theory, Ross has chosen orange – representing energy and optimism – for the strap and accents on the crown and tourbillon bridge and lateral bumpers that protect the case, a glowing contrast to the sober grey of the satin-finished case and bezel.
The 282-component, manufacture HUB6035 calibre within beats at 3 Hz and gives 72 hours of power reserve. Just 50 pieces will be produced, each one a piece of art that brings a new perspective and a new visual language
to watchmaking. To celebrate the launch, Ross’s signature colours will envelop Hublot’s 5th Ave boutique in New York City. The takeover will be repeated in Hublot stores across the globe, bringing the Samuel Ross universe to the world of horology.
“The youngest artist we have ever worked, Samuel Ross’s 360-degree approach is unique and intelligent, incorporating the watch, packaging, communication, and visual identity. What is so special about this collaboration is the direct interaction between design and object, ideas, and form. Samuel has pushed our team to work with new and innovative materials and shapes. It’s a really dynamic and fulfilling partnership.”
RICARDO GUADALUPE
HUBLOT CEO
‘Hublot personifies velocity, precision, and exploration. Pairing the unparalleled craft and expertise of Swiss watchmaking alongside a spirit of sharp, innovative thinking and design solutions, crystallised the cadence between Ricardo & I.
SAMUEL ROSS
Our goal is to create a universe that leverages the strengths of contemporary engineering, spatial design and digital. This is reflected in the focus on fine details, with striking, bold & unapologetic results.
We see the future of luxury as a lateral experience, offering a multigenerational access point that enables luxury to engage global audiences.’
CREATIVE DIRECTOR
Hublot Big Bang Tourbillon Samuel Ross Technical Specifications
Ref. 428.NX.0100.RX.SRA22 – Limited to 50 pieces
Movement
- HUB6035 Manufacture, self-winding micro-rotor, skeleton tourbillon
- Frequency: 3 Hz (21,600 A/H)
- Power reserve: 72 hours
- Number of components: 282
- Jewels: 26
Case
- Satin-polished titanium
- Diameter: 44 mm
- Thickness: 13.75 mm
- Water resistance: 3 ATM
- Caseback: Satin-finished titanium
- Bezel: Satin-finished and polished titanium
Dial
- Sapphire
Strap & Clasp
- Smooth orange rubber
- Titanium deployant buckle
Price
- 110’000.00 CHF / 115’000.00 EUR / 116’000.00 USD / 96’000.00 GBP
SAMUEL ROSS
A polymathic creative force, award-winning British designer, creative director and artist, Dr. Samuel Ross, deftly mines the cross-sections of socio-geographic relationships in the formulation of his works. Navigating themes located in anthropology, sociographic tendencies and 20th–21st Century industrialised societies, Ross’ output offers a commentary on equality, engagement and collective experience.
In 2015, at just 25-years-old, Ross self-funded his label, A-COLD-WALL– renowned for its material investigation and innovation, married with incisive explorations of Brutalist and abstract forms and precise execution. Through this holistically pioneering approach, Ross’ A-COLD-WALL is credited as redefining the parameters of streetwear and high fashion.
During the Hublot Prize exhibition at London’s Serpentine Gallery in 2019, Ross launched his latest venture – SR_A (Samuel Ross & Associates). SR_A is an industrial design studio operating within the fields of interior installation, architecture, furniture design, sound design and sculptural/visual communication, described by Ross as a vehicle for “…the progressive study of design and practical experience creation.”
Ross’ accolades include being named the British Fashion Awards’ Emerging Menswear Designer (2018) and receiving the Hublot Design Prize (2019). In 2020, he was named as one of Forbes’ 30 under 30 [Europe] and won both the GQ USA Fashion Award (2020) and People of the Year British Fashion Award (2020), the latter specifically for his philanthropic endeavours. Most recently he was awarded the Leader of Change British Fashion Award (2021) and an Honorary PHD appointed by the University of Westminster for ‘Doctor of Arts’ (2021). He has also been a finalist for both the LVMH Prize and ANDAM Award.
HUBLOT
Founded in Switzerland in 1980, Hublot is defined by its innovation, which began with the highly original combination of gold and rubber. This “Art of Fusion” stems from the imagination of its visionary Chairman, Jean-Claude Biver, and has been driven forward by CEO Ricardo Guadalupe since 2012.
The release of the iconic, multi-award-winning Big Bang in 2005 paved the way for new flagship collections (Classic Fusion, Spirit of Big Bang), with complications ranging from the simple to the highly sophisticated, establishing the extraordinary DNA of the Swiss watchmaking house and ensuring its impressive growth.
Keen to preserve its traditional and cutting-edge expertise, and guided by its philosophy to “Be First, Different and Unique”, the Swiss watchmaker is consistently ahead of the curve, through its innovations in materials (scratch-resistant Magic Gold, ceramics in vibrant colours, sapphire), and the creation of Manufacture movements (Unico, Meca-10, Tourbillon).
Hublot is fully committed to creating an Haute Horlogerie brand with a visionary future: a future which is fused with the key events of our times (FIFA World CupTM, UEFA Champions League, UEFA EUROTM) and the finest ambassadors our era has to offer (Chiara Ferragni, Pelé, Kylian Mbappé, Usain Bolt, Novak Djokovic).
Discover the Hublot universe at our network of boutiques located in key cities across the globe: Geneva, Paris, London, New York, Hong Kong, Dubai, Tokyo, Singapore, Zurich and at HUBLOT.com