The latest Hublot and Depeche Mode collaboration, which was conceived to raise funds for charitable causes, is the Spirit of Big Bang Depeche Mode. This 100-piece limited edition is a microblasted and polished black ceramic iteration of Hublot’s tonneau-shaped watch.
Fourteen years ago Hublot and Depeche Mode announced their first collaboration, dedicated to raising public awareness and funds for several environmental and humanitarian causes. Since then, this partnership has been renewed with each of the British band’s subsequent tours and has raised over USD 2.3 million for the Teenage Cancer Trust and charity:water.
Dave Gahan and Martin Gore of Depeche Mode with Hublot CEO Ricardo Guadalupe (R)
In March 2023, Depeche Mode announced its big comeback with the release of Memento Mori, its 15th studio album, along with a worldwide concert tour. Still in collaboration with the band, which has sold over 100 million albums, Hublot is helping to raise funds and awareness for Conservation Collective, a global charity that unites a network of regional philanthropic foundations working to protect, conserve and restore natural environments.
Thanks to Depeche Mode & Hublot funding, the first round of projects tackling plastic pollution at the grassroots in 2023 supported seven impactful initiatives across seven countries, with three more rounds of funding set to empower even more positive change. The projects aim to turn the tide on plastic by driving locally-led waste management, and plastic-free and clean-up initiatives.
It was against this backdrop that Hublot and Depeche Mode teamed up again in Berlin, 11 years after their first joint event in the German capital, to release a new limited-edition watch: The Spirit of Big Bang Depeche Mode.
The Spirit of Big Bang’s signature tonneau shape is designed with Hublot’s iconic All-Black aesthetic. Created in collaboration with Depeche Mode, the design combines the skull motif – an emblem seen in the video announcing the band’s return – with an hourglass to symbolise the passage of time.
The centre of the dial is filled with small black ceramic spheres that symbolically flow back and forth as the wrist moves, conveying the concept of Memento Mori. This Latin phrase, meaning ‘remember you must die,’ is intended to prompt reflection on the transience of life. Alongside the dial, the initials DM, the British band’s logo, appear at 6 o’clock.
The indices take the form of pyramid-shaped studs, a motif echoed on the black ceramic bezel. Measuring 42 mm, the barrel-shaped case is made of sand-blasted and polished black ceramic. It houses a self-winding HUB1710_SD calibre movement with a 50-hour power reserve.
Each of the Spirit of Big Bang Depeche Mode comes with two straps, which are easily interchangeable thanks to the patented One Click system. The first is made from recycled materials and Velcro, in line with Conservation Collective’s plastic pollution initiatives. The second, in black rubber, closes with a black titanium folding clasp. It includes the pyramid-shaped studs already featured on the bezel and dial, creating an exceptionally ‘rock’ vibe.
Each of the 100 pieces in this limited edition will come in a special box containing a 10” vinyl single of Depeche Mode’s Wagging Tongue, only available as part of this package, and produced using green energy and recycled PVC!
