Hublot’s love affair with skulls is far from just a new fling. With the first collection of skull-themed pieces going back around 2 years with the “Skull Bang” created in collaboration with Lauren Picciotto of Chronopassion, it was about time that Hublot created something more complex with the theme.
And so we present the Classic Fusion Tourbillon Skull, which, as the name would imply is quite the skeletal piece! What you have here is basically the well-known Classic Fusion Skeleton Tourbillon that has been completely redesigned and readapted inside and out.
Perhaps not immediately obvious, the case is made of a material totally new to Hublot, and that’s ceramic-coated aluminum. What starts out as aluminum is given a special MAO (Micro Arc Oxidation) treatment that produces surface conversion, resulting in a hard, adhesive ceramic layer on the surface of the aluminum. The ceramic has a hardness of 1000 Vickers while remaining much lighter than solid ceramic. The erratic distressed finish is achieved through manual sending, giving each piece a unique pattern and look.
Even if only cosmetically, the 5-day manual winding skeleton tourbillon movement has gone through several modifications to enhance the skull theme. For one thing, the bridges and mainplate have undergone a 3D machining process that transforms the flat components into three-dimensional sculptures. These components are done given a galvanic electroplating treatment, producing the bone-white color rather than metallic tone on the bridges and plate. The tourbillon bridge has also been fashioned in the shape of a skull.
Also interesting to note is the use of Roman numerals for the hour markers, something that’s totally new for Hublot. It creates a sort of “memento mori” feel about the watch, a link between watchmaking tradition and modern boldness.