For the 4th consecutive FIFA World Cup, Hublot is the official timekeeper. As such, Hublot will time all 64 games at the World Cup in Qatar, from the opening match on November 20, to the final in the Lusail Stadium in Doha on December 18.
The 129 official referees will be timing the game with the new Big Bang e FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 on their wrists. This smartwatch is also available to consumers – as a 1,000 pieces limited edition – featuring a new “timeline” function, which will take fans of the world’s largest football tournament right into the heart of the action – even before it begins.
The new Big Bang e FIFA is a Gen3 connected watch and, according to the watchmaker, is “the highest performing” Big Bang e to date. With an even larger and improved high-definition screen, every aspect of the game will be captured by the newly designed dedicated football app.
Before the tournament starts, the Big Bang e FIFA will be in countdown mode, keeping track of the days until the opening match between Qatar and Ecuador. Then, with 15 minutes to go before each match, the watch will deliver team line-ups and player profiles, so the wearer can feast on the details from the comfort of their wrist.
As a game kicks off, the watch will automatically enter “match mode” and activate “timeline,” a feature created exclusively for this watch. It will help fans capture the most memorable and important moments in each game.
This is how it works: at the outer edge of the dial, there will be a scale split into five sections, indicating the first and second halves, additional time allowed in each half, and half time. If a goal is scored, the watch will show a match event animation mentioning the player’s name, and a football symbol will appear at the appropriate minute mark on the scale. The same thing happens if there is a yellow card, a red card or a penalty.
If a match goes beyond normal time, the watch display will automatically switch into extra time mode, and then again into shootout mode, in the event a match goes to penalties. Each penalty is recorded by a football with a green or red outline to indicate whether or not the attempt was successful. A final “match period animation” shows when the game is over, and the final score.
At any point during a game, the wearer can replay these events by scrolling around the dial using the watch’s crown. After five seconds of inactivity, the watch automatically switches into “low consumption mode” to save battery. This legible, ergonomic and interactive functionality is unique to the new Big Bang e FIFA.
Beyond the software wizardry, the watch is, like all Hublots, the result of high-end watchmaking techniques. The imposing, exquisitely machined 44mm case is micro-blasted and polished black ceramic and black titanium, similar to Hublot’s mechanical watch icon, the Big Bang.
But in place of a mechanical heart, we have a Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear 4100 processor. Running on it is Wear OS3, the latest version of the OS and tailor-made by Google for the watch. It also comes with a full suite of preloaded apps that enable wearers to stay connected, track activity, health and more. Wearers can add more apps of their choice via Google Play. The watch is also iOS compatible.
The watch’s impressive hardware specification includes an accelerometer, a gyroscope, a microphone, a speaker, GPS and a heart-rate monitor. It also comes with the promise of all-day battery life and a two-hour charge to full from empty. Bluetooth 5.0 will connect it to a wide range of devices and accessories. The watch is water-resistant to 3 ATM.
The Big Bang e FIFA is highly personalisable, with dozens of dial options available through the accompanying smartphone app. The official version has a burgundy dial and a black and burgundy lined rubber strap inspired by the flag colours of the State of Qatar. Fans will also be able to choose dial and strap designs in the colours of each of the 32 participating countries.
It’s a watch designed for style-conscious people who lead active lives – and who love football!
