Since 2007, Hublot and the Senna family have worked closely to pay homage to the late F1 pilot Ayrton Senna, and to help raise funds for the family’s NGO, The Instituto Ayrton Senna.
The MP-06 is the 4th limited-series collection Hublot launches that bears the legendary F1 pilot’s name (well, if you don’t count the one-off Big Bang All Black Ayrton Senna sold at the 2007 Monaco Senna Celebration charity auction) and it seems that with every edition, Hublot ups the ante.
The MP-06 is the most complicated Senna piece to date, and the first to join the ranks of the Hublot ” MP’s” alongside such pieces as the Key of Time and Cathedral Minute Repeater. While we might have expected a case such as the King Power or Big Bang for the canvas like past Senna editions, Hublot opted for something radical this time.
Now, this isn’t the first time Hublot has released. In fact, the first piece ever from the MP collection (Hublot’s more experimental, ultra high-end line) the MP-01 mono-pusher chronograph was a larger, bolder tonneau shape. For the MP-06, Hublot has created a slimmer, sleeker case. Made in either matte black PVD treated Titanium, King Gold or natural Titanium, the MP-06 is not overbearingly big, as the slightly curved case fits the wrist’s contours quite comfortably.
The almost invisible sapphire dial is open at the 6 o’clock position, exposing the tourbillon cage beneath. The Senna brand logo in yellow at 9 o’clock adds to the high-octane look of the watch. Above the sapphire sits the chapter ring, with the minutes rail in black, and applied satin-finished black metal hour-markers filled with a copious amount of yellow Superluminova.
Designed and manufactured entirely in-house, the manual-winding skeleton tourbillon movement was made to be as see-through as possible. The cutout bridges are finished in dark ruthenium plating with satin-brushed and circular grained surfaces. The movement houses 2 barrels stacked on top of each other, fashioned to resemble brake disks. The 2 barrels are able to deliver a power reserve of 5 days.
The eye-catching strap really makes the watch pop, and is made of a rubber backing to make the strap more flexible and resistant to sweat. On the top is perforated calf leather, a more traditional design cue for automotive racing watches. Between the rubber and black calf is a strip of yellow calf leather revealed through the perforations; the touch of color on the strap harmonizing well with the strong accents on the dial.
The MP-06 Senna will be available in 3 editions (Black Titanium pictured, Titanium with green accents and King Gold with red accents), each limited to 41 pieces; the number of the late racer’s Grand Prix victories
Amr Sindi The Horophile