Being part of the Big Bang line, the case of the Unico GMT Titanium is business as usual for the most part. An engraved stencil-style 12-hour scale adorns its bezel, sadly serving no real functional purpose, though visually pleasing. Most notably, its broad rectangular pushers, which operate the local time hand, provide clear distinction between this and its chronograph siblings. If anything, the design is somewhat reminiscent of earlier Big Bang Chronograph models. Using a screw-down crown and well-sealed push-pieces, the new replica model is good for a water resistance of 100m, perfect for those travel days where a little pool time could be included.
The luxury replica HUB 1251 self-winding caliber fitted in this new model packs quite the punch, both in terms of technical prowess and design. To begin with, its quickset indication is superbly practical and easy to use, with the top pusher advancing the home time by an hour, and the lower pusher setting time back. A safety lock-out mechanism is built in to block the ability to push both pushers at once.
There’s really nothing special here, as the Unico GMT replica model is fitted with the same one-click quick changing strap setup as all its Big Bang siblings. That said, Hublot rubber straps are some of the more comfortable offerings on the market, and this model is just the same. The stock strap is blue with black accents, as previously mentioned, though we can’t help but wonder what it would look like on a matching shade of slate grey.
That said, it was Miami, where the boldness of the fake Hublot is welcomed with open arms, but even in more conservative settings this piece is just under-the-radar enough to get by. As noted above, the piece wears very comfortably, though at 45mm it’s fairly substantial on the wrist. I was also surprised by its overall heft considering its titanium casing.
However, this is another solid release from Hublot that strives to win over the enthusiast sect. We all know the brand takes a fair bit of heat for its „limited edition everything“ replica watches, and the fact that it seems as though they release a new watch every day of the year, but recently they’ve been consistently proving that there’s much more to the brand than flash and marketing jargon. We witnessed Geneva play host to a handful of replica watch auctions last week, with the likes of Christie’s, Phillips, and Sotheby’s descending on the city and dropping some hammers. As the dust settled, it is obvious that the fake vintage Rolex reigns supreme, with the rolex Daytona Ultimatum sale at Phillips selling all 32 of its lots, the price is rather cheap. The big one in the mix – the one-of-a-kind white gold Daytona, dubbed the „Unicorn“ – gave buyers some kind of a horn, selling at a low price as well, making it the second cheapest Rolex ever sold at auction.
While the conversation around casa de Time+Tide this week has been mostly centered around the ever-increasing demand for vintage Daytonas, and whether their astronomical prices are even sustainable, what also began to emerge as a trending topic was the apparent flow-on effect these high prices are having on other brands like the replica Omega, who smashed their Geneva auction estimates right out of the park, and even broke a few records of their own.
Of course, it had the celebrity factor. It might not be much of a surprise to see a few Speedmasters enter the mix, but it was to see that at the Phillips Geneva Watch Auction: Seven, all smashed well through their estimates. There was the first-of-its-kind Omega Speedmaster ref. 2915-1 „Broad Arrow“.
It’s only inevitable that as prices for fake vintage Rolex watches continue to skyrocket, collectors are going to look to get their thrills elsewhere. And with a history as storied as theirs, vintage Omega is showing that it’s the answer https://www.cindyforcongress.org.
Not to get too metaphysical with you on a Saturday morning, but does three replica watches count as a list? Honestly, I have no idea anyway, and the fact is I couldn’t find too many more ‚true‘ champagne dials that were released in 2018. And there’s even one or two I can think of that aren’t technically public yet, but proper, cork-popping champagne? Not so many. Why is that so? Perhaps it’s because champagne is an acquired and, dare I say, sophisticated taste.
A dial variant of last year’s two-tone number, this version swaps out pedestrian black for fantastic champagne! To be honest, it looks gold as well.
Montblanc’s dials have promoted to the next level in 2018, with this smoky, gradated champagne number being a case in point. And while it’s offered on the chronograph versions too, this simple 1858 Automatic is our personal pick.
It is no surprise to all that the amazing Grand Seiko is on this list. Those who know their champagne dials are amongst their finest work.
Released early last year in Geneva, the Big Bang Unico GMT — which technically is a dual time zone watch and not a true GMT, as there’s no hand running on a 24-hour scale — is the first arrival in the Big Bang family with a multiple time zone indication, powered by a then new in-house caliber with some tricks up its sleeve. Practical and understated aren’t often words that come to mind when the name Hublot is part of the topic, giving us further grounds to dive into the new piece to see whether it has the chops to convert some of those less keen on the perpetual brand.