HUBLOT x Depeche Mode: A Unique Model As A Tribute To The British Band
The new Spirit of Big Bang Depeche Mode, designed in collaboration with Depeche Mode, is a tribute to the British band's latest album and world tour, Memento Mori. Memento Mori calls on us to live in the here and now and to reflect on the value of time. This message is symbolised on the watch by a skull motif decorated with an hourglass.
Fourteen years have passed since Hublot and Depeche Mode announced their first collaboration, with the mission of raising public awareness and funds for various environmental and humanitarian causes. Since then, this partnership has continued with each subsequent tour of the British band and has raised over 2.3 million US dollars for the Teenage Cancer Trust and charity:water.
In March 2023, Depeche Mode announced a brilliant comeback with the release of their 15th studio album Memento Mori and a worldwide concert tour. In collaboration with the band, which has sold more than 100 million albums, Hublot is helping to raise funds and awareness for the non-profit organisation ConservationCollective. The global charity organisation brings together in its network regional philanthropic foundations around the world that are committed to protecting, preserving and restoring the environment. Thanks to the support of Depeche Mode and Hublot, the first grassroots projects were supported in 2023, with seven effective initiatives in seven countries to combat plastic pollution.
Three further rounds of funding are intended to bring about even greater positive change in the future. The projects aim to tackle the global problem of plastic pollution by promoting local initiatives to manage waste, prevent plastic and clean up the environment.
With this in mind, eleven years after their first joint initiative in the German capital Berlin, Hublot and Depeche Mode have joined forces once again to launch a new limited edition watch: The Spirit of Big Bang Depeche Mode. The Spirit of Big Bang's characteristic tonneau shape is designed in Hublot's iconic all-black aesthetic. Developed in collaboration with Depeche Mode, the design combines the skull motif - an emblem from the video heralding the return of the band - with an hourglass symbolising the passage of time. In the centre of the dial are small black ceramic spheres that symbolically flow back and forth with every movement of the wrist, conveying the concept of Memento Mori. This Latin phrase, which means "Be aware of your mortality", is intended to encourage reflection on the transience of life. The initials DM, the logo of the British band, can be seen next to the dial at six o'clock. The indices are in the shape of pyramid-shaped pins, a motif that is repeated on the black ceramic bezel.
The 42 mm barrel-shaped case is made of sandblasted and polished black ceramic and houses a self-winding HUB1710_SD calibre movement with a power reserve of 50 hours. Each Spirit of Big Bang Depeche Mode comes with two straps that can be easily interchanged thanks to the patented One-Click system. The first is made from recycled materials with a Velcro fastening, in line with the Conservation Collective's initiatives against plastic pollution. The second, made of black rubber, is fastened with a black titanium folding clasp. It features the pyramid-shaped rivets that can already be seen on the bezel and dial, giving it a rock look.
Each of the 100 copies of this limited edition comes in a special box containing a surprise: a 10" vinyl single of Depeche Mode's Wagging Tongue, only available in this set and made with energy from renewable sources and recycled PVC.
Photos: PR