by Sea Time – The Clocks of the Sea
Agneta, Extra Beat, Azzurra, to the futuristic Stealth. Hulls whose exploits have filled the sporting and sometimes the social news. Boats whose history is inextricably linked to Lawyer Gianni Agnelli, a passionate sailor, and great visionary. Vision today taken up by Lapo Elkann and reproposed in a timepiece conceived together with
Hublot
: the Big Bang Unico Teak Italia Independent interprets sailing stylings in a watchmaking key.
Through Italia Independent, of which he is artistic director, Elkann collaborates with the Nyon-based Maison.
Explains Elkann, “I started sailing at a very young age thanks to my grandfather Gianni, a love affair with extraordinary boats on which I was lucky enough to sail. Each of them is paired with a special memory, but Stealth holds a special place not only for her unparalleled and unique design, but also for being the boat with which we won the Fastnet. I am therefore very proud to be able to pay tribute to her with this new watch. A spirit perfectly recreated thanks to the technical expertise of our partner Hublot.”
Made in only 100 pieces, the Big Bang Unico Teak Italia Independent highlights the elegant contrast between the teak and carbon used for the bezel. The 45mm case is made of King Gold, a special alloy of gold and platinum, polished and micro-palleted. Recalls with the world of the sea are revived by the combination with a strap made from a real carbon fiber and Kevlar sail, sewn onto black rubber with stitching in the same shade. Features include a black and orange striped textured rubber strap. The choice to use orange, which is also found on the indexes, is not accidental and echoes the hue of the Tiketitoo, a sailboat designed by German Frers and built by Luca Bassani’s Wally shipyard. “There have been few in this industry who have really had the courage to make a change,” Elkann said in an interview that appeared in issue 13 of Top Yacht Design. “Among them I count Luca Bassani, whom I respect and admire for what he has been able to do in both sailing and motoring.”
And speaking of motor, the Big Bang Unico Teak Italia Independent is powered by the UNICO HUB 1242 caliber chronograph movement that has a 72-hour power reserve. A mechanical masterpiece whose details can be grasped thanks to the skeletonized dial.
*Official List 09/2019
