BEYOND THE BIG BANG: A COLLECTOR'S GUIDE TO THE HUBLOT MP SERIES

A 50-day power reserve. A pocket watch shaped like a bullet. A wristwatch without hands, dial, or rotor. These are not concepts sketched on napkins and filed away; they are mechanical realities, sitting in collectors' safes and occasionally adorning the wrists of those willing to embrace the unconventional. They belong to Hublot and its acclaimed MP collection, a series of watches that exists to answer a question most brands never think to ask: what happens when you remove every assumption about what a watch should be?

The Nyon-based Manufacture has built its reputation on provocation. When Carlo Crocco paired gold with rubber in 1980, the Swiss establishment recoiled. When Jean-Claude Biver launched the Big Bang in 2005, critics questioned whether such aggressive design belonged in high-end watchmaking. Hublot's response has always been the same: to push further, build stranger, and let the watches speak for themselves.

The MP collection, also known as the Masterpieces, represents the purest distillation of this philosophy. Launched in 2011, it serves as Hublot's laboratory for the mechanically improbable, a space where engineers can pursue ideas too extreme for commercial ranges. The results have included world records, impossible complications, and collaborations with artists who view watches not as instruments but as sculptures that happen to tell time.

In January 2011, at the Geneva trade show, Hublot unveiled what would become its most technically ambitious range: the MP (Masterpiece) collection. Jean-Claude Biver described this new direction succinctly: 'More watchmaking, more mastery, more innovation.' These were not mere marketing words but a declaration of intent that would guide the collection's development for years to come.

To realise this vision, Hublot assembled a dedicated team of thirty engineers and developers, known internally as 'Confrérie Horlogère', devoted entirely to grand complications and extraordinary movements. This cadre of specialists would push the boundaries of what mechanical watchmaking could achieve, creating pieces that existed at the intersection of engineering prowess and artistic expression.

The MP designation itself carries significant weight. Each model represents a complete rethinking of traditional watchmaking conventions, whether through unprecedented power reserves, novel display mechanisms, or revolutionary winding systems. The numbering of MP models reflects their completion rather than conception, resulting in a sequence that occasionally appears non-linear to outside observers.

MP-01 was the inaugural Masterpiece creation that emerged as a barrel-shaped titanium chronograph that marked Hublot's first significant departure from its signature round porthole form. This watch housed a curved chronograph movement with a remarkable 10-day power reserve, achieved through three barrels working consecutively. The Monopusher Chronograph would go on to inspire the creation of another popular collection from Hublot, the Spirit of Big Bang.

Developed and manufactured entirely by Hublot's dedicated team, the MP-01 housed the HUB5100 mono-pusher column-wheel chronograph calibre that comprised 384 components and 43 jewels. The case, measuring 48 mm by 55 mm in satin and sand-blasted titanium with black composite resin, featured design elements that, whilst echoing tonneau-shaped competitors, maintained distinctively Hublot characteristics in its lugs and case sides. The mono-pusher chronograph represented the brand's growing confidence in developing in-house complications.

The second Masterpiece, christened 'La Clé du Temps' (The Key of Time), introduced a complication so unusual that it bordered on the philosophical. The MP-02 allowed wearers to modulate the perceived passage of time on their watch in three different ways: slowing it to quarter speed, maintaining normal time, or accelerating it fourfold.

A dedicated crown, marked with '-1/4x' and '4x' indicators, controlled this temporal manipulation, whilst an intermediate position returned the display to standard timekeeping. At 6 o'clock, a vertically mounted flying tourbillon added technical gravitas to this conceptually daring piece. The titanium PVD case, despite its substantial dimensions, achieved a comfortable wearing experience through thoughtful ergonomic design.

Various material iterations followed the initial 2011 release, including an untreated titanium version and a King Gold variant. In 2015, the MP-12 Key of Time Skeleton emerged, housing a skeletonised HUB 9012 movement in a black PVD-coated titanium case, demonstrating Hublot's commitment to evolving its Masterpiece concepts.

The MP-03 represented perhaps the most unconventional form factor in the entire collection: a pocket watch shaped like a bullet. Mathias Buttet, then the Head of Hublot's High Complications department, conceived the design during a trip to Mexico, where he observed locals wearing 9 mm bullets as necklaces, considering them lucky charms.

The resulting creation displayed time through a side aperture using rotating numerals that presented a digital-style readout. The bullet's top section could be lifted to reveal the flying tourbillon contained within the lower casing, which also served as the mechanism for setting and winding the watch. The HUB9003 calibre comprised 219 components and delivered a respectable 120-hour power reserve.

Multiple variants emerged, including diamond-set versions featuring 193 or 949 stones, alongside a stealthy black PVD titanium interpretation. The piece's diminutive size, comparable to a .44 Magnum cartridge, belied its mechanical sophistication.

If any single watch could be said to define the MP collection's ambitions, it would be the MP-05 LaFerrari. Unveiled at Baselworld 2013, this collaboration between Hublot and Ferrari's chief designer, Flavio Manzoni, achieved what many considered impossible: a hand-wound tourbillon wristwatch with a 50-day power reserve.

This world record was made possible by eleven mainspring barrels arranged in a vertical stack, reminiscent of the engine block from Ferrari's hypercar namesake. The HUB9005.H1.PN.1 calibre comprised 637 components and 108 jewels, with a vertically positioned tourbillon completing the mechanical spectacle. Time was displayed through rotating drums rather than traditional hands, and the entire assembly was visible through a complex sapphire crystal that echoed the LaFerrari's sculptural lines.

Such was the torque required to wind the movement that Hublot dispensed with traditional crown winding entirely, instead supplying an electric drill-like device to charge the mainsprings. The 2016 sapphire crystal variant pushed manufacturing boundaries further, requiring approximately 600 hours of work per case whilst weighing merely 53.5 grams.

The MP-06 continued Hublot's relationship with motorsport, honouring the legendary Brazilian Formula One racer for McLaren, Ayrton Senna. This 2013 release joined a series of Senna tributes that began with the first Big Bang Senna in 2007, followed by the Big Bang Foudroyante Senna, and the King Power Ayrton Senna.

Three variations of the MP-06 were produced, each in a numbered edition to commemorate Senna's remarkable 41 race victories and three world championship titles. The skeleton dial, crafted from sapphire crystal, offered unobstructed views of the precise tourbillon movement comprising 155 individual parts, with a five-day power reserve. Senna's logo, rendered in yellow, green, or red depending on the variant, occupied the 9 o'clock position, whilst each watch was presented in a specially designed box containing detailed miniatures of Senna's helmets from 1988, 1989, and 1991.

Building upon the barrel-stacking technology pioneered in the MP-05, the MP-07 presented an alternative aesthetic interpretation. Where its predecessor evoked a vertical engine, the MP-07's sandblasted and polished titanium case resembled a horizontal engine block, necessitating a different barrel arrangement.

The horizontal configuration accommodated nine barrels rather than eleven, reducing the power reserve from 50 to 42 days. However, this trade-off enabled significant improvements to the time display, which, like the LaFerrari, utilised rotating cylinders. The MP-07 demonstrated that Hublot's engineers could adapt their innovations to different form factors whilst maintaining the collection's core philosophy of extreme power reserves and unconventional displays.

Unveiled at Baselworld 2017, the MP-09 Tourbillon Bi-Axis marked Hublot's first multi-axis tourbillon, an achievement that placed the brand among the elite few watchmakers capable of producing such complications entirely in-house. The entire watch was designed from the movement outward, with the case and crystal serving to maximise visibility of the mesmerising double rotation.

The bi-axial tourbillon completes a full rotation on one axis every minute whilst simultaneously rotating on a second axis every thirty seconds. This frantic, seemingly chaotic motion creates a hypnotic visual effect, compensating for gravitational errors in multiple positions more effectively than traditional single-axis tourbillons.

To showcase this mechanism, Hublot developed a 49 mm case with a unique three-sided sapphire crystal that bulges at six o'clock, creating a viewing gallery for the tourbillon. The HUB9009.H1.RA calibre, comprising 356 components, delivered a five-day power reserve and beat at 3Hz. An innovative date corrector allowed advancement or retraction by a single day through simple lever movements.

The 2024 Rainbow 3D Carbon variant demonstrated Hublot's continued evolution of the concept, featuring a case that reproduced the rainbow effect typically achieved through gemstones but using coloured carbon composite inserts in a woven pattern.

Launched at LVMH Watch Week 2024, the MP-10 Tourbillon Weight Energy System represented one of Hublot's most radical departures from watchmaking convention. The watch dispensed entirely with hands, dial, and traditional oscillating rotor, replacing them with a roller display, circular power reserve indicator, and inclined tourbillon wound by two linear sliding weights.

The hours and minutes appear on rotating aluminium drums in the upper third of the display, magnified by an integrated lens. A circular power reserve with distinct green and red zones occupies the centre, whilst seconds are indicated directly on the tourbillon cage, which is suspended and inclined at 35 degrees. The movement and dial have been fused into a single entity; the mechanism itself serves as the watch's face.

The HUB9013 calibre required five years of research and development, eventually comprising 592 components. Two white gold weights slide vertically on rails flanking the movement, winding it bidirectionally through a patented shock-absorbing system that prevents damaging collisions with the banking. A large crown at twelve o'clock permits manual winding, whilst a retractable crown on the caseback allows time setting.

The rounded rectangular titanium case, measuring 54.1 mm by 41.5 mm by 22.4 mm, required sapphire crystals curved on three different planes. Subsequent 2025 releases introduced black ceramic and fully polished sapphire variants, each demonstrating Hublot's mastery of challenging materials.

Presented at Baselworld 2018, the MP-11 distilled the extended power reserve technology of its more exotic predecessors into a format that merged with Hublot's established Big Bang aesthetic. Seven mainspring barrels, arranged vertically and coupled in series, delivered a 14-day power reserve whilst maintaining a case thickness of merely 10.9 mm.

The HUB9011 calibre achieved this feat through ingenious engineering. To transmit energy from the horizontal barrel axis to the vertical wheels driving the time display, Hublot employed a 90-degree helical worm gear, a mechanism rarely seen in watchmaking. A slowly rotating disc, completing one revolution every fortnight, indicates remaining power reserve directly at the head of the aligned barrels.

The 45 mm case was offered in 3D carbon and sapphire crystal versions. The sapphire variant's crystal bulges to create a magnifying effect over the power reserve indicator, whilst the 3D carbon model pioneered a polymer matrix with three-dimensional carbon fibres, creating a case that was both ultra-light and highly resistant to impacts. The 2024 Water Blue Sapphire edition added a sixth variant to the MP-11 family, demonstrating that six years after its introduction, the model remained at the pinnacle of long power reserve technology.

The MP-13 Tourbillon Bi-Axis Retrograde made its debut at Watches and Wonders Geneva 2023 and it brought together complications that are rarely combined: a double-axis tourbillon with a dual retrograde display. The HUB6200 calibre, the 13th movement produced entirely in-house by Hublot's MP division, represented a significant engineering achievement.

The bi-retrograde display reads time from left to right, with the minute hand moving steadily whilst the hour hand jumps instantly between values, enhancing legibility. This configuration prevented the hands from passing over the tourbillon display whilst maintaining an elegant visual flow. Setting proved remarkably intuitive: the single-position crown advances minutes, which automatically moves the hours forward, with the mechanism designed to wind in only one direction to prevent damage inherent to retrograde displays.

The tourbillon itself is skeletonised and suspended without an upper bridge, granting an ethereal weightlessness absent in traditional constructions. The surrounding space has been opened and protected on both sides by anti-reflective sapphire, allowing light to flood the mechanism from multiple angles.

Achieving the 96-hour power reserve proved challenging. Retrograde displays are inherently energy-intensive, and bi-retrograde variants more so. The three variables of double-axis, bi-retrograde, and four-day power reserve had never been combined previously, making the MP-13 a technical first. Its 44 mm brushed titanium case, with its 2024 Black Carbon successor, maintained the organic curved silhouette established by the MP-09.

The MP-15 marked both a technical and artistic milestone: Hublot's first central flying tourbillon in series production, created in collaboration with Japanese contemporary artist Takashi Murakami. The partnership, which began in 2020, had previously yielded Classic Fusion models bearing Murakami's iconic smiling flower motif, but the MP-15 represented an entirely new creation from case to movement.

Murakami specifically requested the central tourbillon, challenging Hublot's engineers to relocate the regulating organ from its traditional position. This required repositioning the cannon pinion and hour wheel around the tourbillon cage, a co-axial construction that allows the complication to appear suspended in mid-air whilst two hands pass beneath to indicate hours and minutes.

The 42 mm case takes the form of Murakami's twelve-petalled flower, rendered entirely in sapphire crystal. The HUB9015 calibre, with twin barrels providing a 150-hour power reserve, can be wound manually or via a rechargeable electric tool that expedites the hundred crown turns required for full charge. A unique piece created for Only Watch 2023 featured 444 gemstones across its petals and a laser-engraved smiling face on the domed crystal, complete with Murakami's calligraphy 'Time of Rainbow'.

The 2024 Rainbow Sapphire variant replaced gemstones with Murakami's chromatic palette, each of the twelve titanium petal inlays set with coloured stones grouped to match the original smiling flower design. This represented what may be the final collaboration between artist and manufacture, making the MP-15 particularly significant in both horological and artistic terms.

Released to the public in June 2024, the MP-16 Arsham Droplet emerged from Hublot's collaboration with American artist Daniel Arsham, known for his 'fictional archaeology' approach that transforms everyday objects into future relics. The result was a revolutionary reimagining of the pocket watch, blending antique form with contemporary materials and production methods.

The Droplet takes its name from its organic, tear-shaped form, inspired by the fluid geometries found in nature. Measuring 73.2 mm by 52.6 mm by 22.5 mm, the piece can function as a pocket watch, pendant, or table clock, supplied with two titanium chains featuring Hublot's patented 'one-click' attachment system and a decorative titanium and mineral glass stand.

A sandwich construction of two domed teardrop-shaped sapphire crystals reveals the open-worked titanium case, described as resembling 'delicate lace woven in a droplet pattern'. Arsham's signature green rubber bumpers provide protection whilst bearing the artist's monogram. The Meca-10 movement at its heart delivers a 10-day power reserve, ensuring extended enjoyment without frequent winding.

October 2025 saw the evolution of the water theme with the MP-17 Meca-10 Arsham Splash Titanium Sapphire, Arsham's first wristwatch design for Hublot. Where the Droplet captured water at rest, the Splash froze the moment of impact, translating kinetic energy into wearable form.

The defining feature is a splash-shaped aperture carved into the dial, framing the skeletonised Meca-10 movement beneath. A frosted, box-shaped sapphire bezel, grown and manufactured in-house at Hublot's Nyon facility, wraps around the 42 mm titanium case, its laser-textured surface evoking water crystallised at the instant of disturbance.

The reduced case diameter was made possible by Hublot's newly downsized HUB1205 calibre, measuring 33.5 mm by 6.8 mm whilst maintaining the signature 10-day power reserve. Arsham's characteristic verdigris green appears throughout, from hands and numerals to minute track and power reserve indicator.

Over 14 years and numerous iterations, the MP collection has established itself as the purest expression of Hublot's technical ambitions and creative philosophy. From the tonneau-shaped chronograph of the MP-01 that started it all to the fluid sculpture of the MP-17, each Masterpiece has expanded the boundaries of what mechanical watchmaking can achieve and how it can appear.

The collection serves multiple purposes within Hublot's broader strategy. It demonstrates manufacturing capability, positioning the brand among the elite few houses capable of developing and producing grand complications in-house. It provides a testing ground for technologies that may eventually filter down to more accessible ranges. And it offers collectors objects that transcend mere timekeeping, existing at the intersection of mechanical engineering and contemporary art.

The collaborations with artists like Takashi Murakami and Daniel Arsham suggest future directions for the collection, marrying technical innovation with artistic vision in ways that neither party could achieve alone. The continued refinement of existing technologies, such as the downsized Meca-10, demonstrates that even established innovations can evolve to meet new requirements.