The 200-piece limited-edition Big Bang Unico Nespresso Origin is the result of the first-ever collaboration between the two premier Swiss brands – Hublot and Nespresso. It is the world’s first watch to use recycled Nespresso aluminium capsules and coffee grounds in the manufacturing process.
Ricardo Guadalupe, Hublot’s CEO, comments: “This is a watch that delivers three world firsts: a symbol of the infinite possibilities for upcycling: a Big Bang made from the recycled aluminium of Nespresso coffee capsules; the first watch with a rubber strap containing 4.1% recycled coffee grounds from Nespresso capsules and 8.2% recycled rubber; and finally, the first watch with a Velcro strap made with SCafé, a fabric containing 5% recycled coffee grounds and 95% recycled polyester. “
Since it was founded in 1986, Nespresso has revolutionised coffee consumption for casual drinkers and connoisseurs alike with its portioned system, which delivers both precision blends and exceptional taste. In 1991, the brand added to its recycling commitment by implementing a system that separates the coffee grounds from the aluminium capsules, enabling each component to be repurposed efficiently.
Over the last seven years, Nespresso has partnered with prestigious Swiss brands to create new products from used aluminium capsules and coffee grounds as part of its ‘Second Life’ initiative. Hublot, through its Art of Fusion initiative, is renowned for developing new alloys, materials, and composites used in the manufacture of watch components.
It was only a matter of time before the two Swiss brands collaborated, and that is how coffee capsules and grounds are now part of a watch. The aluminium from the capsules is fused with Hublot’s recycled aluminium to become the Big Bang Unico Nespresso’s 42-mm case, bezel, crown and pusher. Meanwhile, the used coffee grounds form part of the watch’s rubber and fabric straps.
According to Hublot, 28% of the recycled aluminium used in the watch comes from Nespresso coffee capsules. The metal is anodised in vibrant green, then satin-finished and polished. The crown – engraved with Nespresso’s iconic “N” logo – and the pusher undergo the same treatment. The vibrant green colour is a nod to Nespresso’s Master Origins Peru Organic capsule. The bottom of the case and the container are both made from recycled titanium, or Eco-Titanium, as Hublot likes to call it.
To create the rubber strap, Hublot’s experts had to blend 4.1% coffee grounds and 8.2% recycled white rubber with other ingredients to achieve the desired colour, quality and durability. For the fabric strap, Hublot has collaborated with SingTex, one of Nespresso’s partners who was already using recycled coffee grounds to produce a fabric called Scafé.
This 100 per cent recycled fabric – composed of 5% coffee grounds and 95% recycled polyester – has been used for the first time to make a watch strap. The titanium deployant buckle of the rubber strap, with its decorative recycled aluminium cap, and the sport buckle of the Velcro strap are also in the same anodised green colour as the case.
Working with Nespresso’s experts, “it took the R&D teams a whole year to achieve the uniformity of colour of the watch’s seven different materials, find the right balance of ingredients and perform the quality and durability testing on all the product components,” says Ricardo.
The Big Bang Unico Nespresso Origin is the first watch to come in Hublot’s all-new Greenbox case. Henceforth, this case will accompany all Hublot watches. Created entirely from oak, including its hinges, the box is carved from mostly traceable wood, whose sourcing and manufacture promote short supply chains.
Designed to be a reusable item, 98% of the box’s removable interior is made from eco-friendly and recycled components, such as recycled fabrics, plastic yarns, PET and eco-labelled recycled paper and cardboard. For the 200 Bang Unico Nespresso watches, the Hublot Greenbox case has been specially decorated with the two brands’ logos, affixed using coffee grounds.
“The Big Bang Unico Nespresso Origin is the perfect illustration of the harmonious coexistence between circularity and luxury. It demonstrates that circular products can be just as elegant and refined as conventional luxury products, proving that it is possible to combine environmental values and aesthetic requirements without compromise,” said Guillaume Le Cunff, Nespresso’s CEO.
