In October 2011 at the Musée des Arts et Métiers in Paris, Hublot took the world of watch-making by storm when it unveiled a watch movement unlike any other, a miniature homage to the ancient and obscure Antikythera mechanism of Greek antiquity.
The ancient Antikythera mechanism which dates back to 150 BC, served as an astronomical calculator as well as a sort of ancient “GPS” system, since the celestial bodies were often used as a reference point in navigation. The mechanism has the oldest known complex gear mechanism and is sometimes called the first known “analog computer” in human history.
Recreating this mechanical marvel alongside the Antikythera Research team was a huge achievement for Hublot. Not only did it validate Hublot’s position as an haute horlogerie manufacture, but also gave Hublot a link to an epoch that no other watchmaker could claim. But perhaps the most surprising part to many watch aficionados’ disappointment was Jean-Claude Biver’s decision to never make the Antikythera movement or watch commercially available, as he intended for it to serve solely as a homage to the great minds of millennia past. Only four examples would ever be made, with two currently on display at the Musée des Arts et Métiers and the National Museum of Athens, one is in Hublot’s own collection, and the final example will be sold at a special auction to be held in 2014.
But this wouldn’t be the end of Hublot’s Antikythera story. Remember, the 2011 Hublot Antikythera movement was based on all the research made on the original fragmented mechanism up until 2008. Since then, the Antikythera Research team has made some astonishing discoveries, so you can be sure that Hublot will continue to come out with new Antikythera concept.
One of the problems with the original Antikythera mechanism was that it was far too complex for our 21st century minds to fully grasp and appreciate. I mean, has anyone honestly referred to the Metonic or Sorros cycles in the past few centuries?
So this year in Baselworld, slightly shadowed by the mind-blowing La Ferrari as the brand’s talking piece of the show, Hublot surprised us with a simplified version of the Antikythera mechanism (well, as simple as you can make an Ancient Greek astronomical calculator), with fewer complications than the original mechanism (295 components and 7 complications vs. 495 components and 14 functions), allowing the entire movement to be further miniaturized to fit into a wearable watch case.
The Antikythera SunMoon displays both solar and lunar calendars, as well as the position of the sun and moon in the night sky. Superior to the traditional moonphase indications found on watches, the Antikythera Sun Moon shows the shape of the moon in the sky, the name of the constellation behind the Moon, as well as the time required for the Moon to pass through a constellation. The watch also shows the constellation located behind the Sun and the time required for the Sun to pass through a constellation.
The movement is housed in a new square-shaped Titanium case, with a round dial giving the impression of looking throw a porthole at the night sky. The movement is equipped with a flying tourbillon that serves as the seconds indicator, and boasts a power reserve of 120 hours. It has been simplified from 14 to 7 functions, and is considerably smaller and thinner than the original Hublot Antikythera mechanism.
The display back shows the movement finished in matte and satin ruthenium, complete with a giant central gear which bears a striking resemblance to the front of the original antique mechanism.
The Neo-Antikythera or MP-07 will join the other super-complicated Hublot pieces in the Masterpice collection, and will be limited to just
20 pieces.
In the coming weeks and months, I will be covering the entire Hublot/Antikythera story from both mechanical and philosophical aspects, so stay tuned!
Amr Sindi The Horophile