Hublot’s new 30-piece limited edition tourbillon aims to help prevent the extinction of rhinoceros
Zach BlassLuxury watches, especially tourbillon watches, can be very expensive – yet a rather regular audience is ready and willing to throw down a significant amount of cash for a killer timepiece. This is why I love it when watch brands leverage their intricate and expensive objects for a good cause. Hublot has long supported SORAI – Save Our Rhinos Africa and India – a rhino conservation organisation founded by former cricketer and Hublot ambassador Kevin Pietersen. The ‘Art of Fusion’ watchmaker has once again created a limited edition watch in support of Pietersen’s organisation: the Hublot Spirit of Big Bang Tourbillon 5-Day Power Reserve SORAI.
Why is rhinoceros conservation so crucial?
A fond yet sobering memory of mine is when I journeyed down to South Africa after graduating from high school, getting to see a white rhino on a safari. I was in awe seeing this animal in the wild, but I remember how long it took us to track it down as the then “near-threatened” classified animal, like all rhinos, are targeted by illegal poaching – their horns traded for significant sums due to the myth of their medicinal value science has long disproven.
In January of 2024, CNN reported that just two female northern white rhinos were left on Earth, but that the BioRescue group had successfully managed to conduct an embryo transfer via IVF – the first-ever IVF Rhino pregnancy. A miracle, but how the hell has it come to this?
The northern white rhino is, therefore, extinct in the wild, with only two left in captivity. This is just one subspecies of rhino, but all five species of rhino around the world are classified as critically endangered. The World Wildlife Fund claims there were approximately 500,000 rhinos that roamed Asia and Africa at the beginning of the 20th century, then approximately 70,000 rhinos in 1970, and now just 27,000 worldwide. So, Hublot and SORAI’s fourth collaboration comes at a critical time, with a portion of the sale proceeds of the new 30-piece limited edition Spirit of Big Bang Tourbillon 5-Day Power Reserve SORAI donated to the organisation to aid in its efforts. With all of the above in mind, now let’s turn our attention to the watch.
The case
Sometimes collaboration watches are very overt in style, but this limited edition Spirit of Big Bang is actually quite stealthy in nature. There is zero co-branding of the watch on its front side; it is only the caseback that reveals it is a numbered limited edition of 30 pieces with SORAI etched onto the movement-exhibiting sapphire crystal. Its 42mm case, 13.25mm thick and 30 metres water-resistant, is crafted in microblasted and polished grey ceramic, evocative of the colour of a Rhino and very robust in terms of scratch resistance. Although, unlike Rhinos, which weigh thousands of pounds, ceramic has the daily-wearer value-add of being very lightweight.
The dial and movement
Hublot’s manufacture HUB6020 movement takes centre stage on the dial, an openworked web of darkened bridges acting like suspension cables. The 5-day movement reveals its power reserve on an off-centred sub-dial at the 8’ position, while a larger off-centred sub-dial to the right indicates the hours and minutes. At 6’, you have a full view of the tourbillon. It is a very exposed calibre, with all of its components effectively in full view. This can create a very visually busy dial, but Hublot has done a great job of creating balance and maintaining legibility.
The straps
Rounding out this offering are two interchangeable straps that can be swapped with just your fingers: a grey fabric Velcro strap and a black rubber strap with a camouflage pattern. The grey fabric maintains a more under-the-radar monochromatic look, while the camouflage strap, ironically, nets a bolder visual on the wrist.
The verdict
While US$110,000 is certainly not in the average watch buyer’s budget, for an attractive 5-day manufacture tourbillon calibre packaged within a handsomely finished and on-trend tonneau-shaped case made in ceramic, I personally find the pricing to be very fair. And, at the end of the day, this is just a 30-piece limited edition. It is rare enough to draw further intrigue while presented in enough of a quantity that the portion of the proceeds donated stands to be substantial. Honestly, this is a design Hublot should have made a regular production model. The stealthy grey, black, and optional camouflage colour scheme is something I suspect those loyal to the brand would not need a charitable incentive to get behind. But, frankly, I am sure it makes the proposition that much better.
Hublot Spirit of Big Bang Tourbillon 5-Day Power Reserve SORAI pricing and availability
The Hublot Spirit of Big Bang Tourbillon 5-Day Power Reserve SORAI is available now as a limited edition of 30 pcs. Price: US$110,000
| Brand | Hublot |
| Model | Spirit of Big Bang Tourbillon 5-Day Power Reserve SORAI |
| Reference | 645.FX.8020.NR.SOA24 |
| Case Dimensions | 42mm (D) x 13.25mm (T) |
| Case Material | Microblasted and polished grey ceramic |
| Water Resistance | 30m |
| Crystal | Sapphire crystal front and back |
| Dial | Openworked |
| Strap | Set of two interchangeable straps: Grey fabric strap, Velcro closure Black rubber strap, camouflage decor (dark grey, light grey, and beige) |
| Movement | HUB6020, in-house, manual-wind |
| Power Reserve | 120 hours |
| Functions | Hours, minutes, power reserve indicator, tourbillon |
| Availability | Limited to 30 pcs. |
| Price | US$110,000 |