Introducing: The Hublot Big Bang Unico SORAI - A Limited Edition for Rhinos

The Watch Just a year and a half since partnering with Save Our Rhino Africa India (SORAI), Hublot has announced a second limited-edition ceramic Big Big Bang UNICO SORAI. Limited to 100 pieces, a portion of the proceeds from the sale of this new and very green Hublot will form a donation for Care for Wild , a massive rhino sanctuary in South Africa that is being supported by SORAI. Following the original tan ceramic Big Bang Unico SORAI from the fall of 2019, this new version is meant to invoke the rich green landscape of South Africa in the summer and thus has a warm green micro-blasted ceramic case. Measuring 45mm wide and a bit over 15mm thick, the 2021 Big Bang Unico SORAI has a matching green skeletonized dial and markers and the watch comes with a pair of quick-change straps, including a camo-effect rubber and a green fabric strap. Common to the Big Bang Unico format, the SORAI uses one of Hublot’s manufactured flyback chronograph movements. Automatically wound and packing 72 hours of power reserve, the MHUB1242 is equipped with a column wheel and ticks at 4 Hz. Partially visible through the complexly skeletonized dial, this movement offers time, date, and a 60-minute chronograph measurement with flyback capability. Kevin Pietersen, founder of SAORI, feeding a rhinoceros. SORAI, which was founded by Kevin Pietersen, is an initiative to help protect endangered animals by working with a number of organizations and partners. In this case, SORAI has helped connect Hublot with a front-line effort in the fight to protect rhinos from the threat of poaching. At first glance, this Hublot may look like a standard Skittle from a colorful bag of Big Bangs (I’m still crushing on the 42mm Yellow Magic ), but look a bit closer and you’ll find a cool and rather subtle geometric rendering of a rhino in the sub-seconds display at nine o’clock. Not only is this a lovely little detail that blends into the complex stage of this Hublot’s skeletonized dial, but it’s also a hint as to this watch’s own greater purpose. The Story Founded in 2001, Care for Wild Rhino Sanctuary is the largest rhino sanctuary and orphanage in the world and you can find it tucked within the lush confines of the Barberton Nature Reserve in South Africa. Part of a greater UNESCO World Heritage site in this area, the reserve is more than 28,000 Ha and growing. Petronel Nieuwoudt, founder of Care For Wild, also feeding a rhinoceros. Hublot does not specifically list what percentage of each sale will go to SORAI and Care For Wild, but they do clearly state that it is a large portion of the sales and that those funds are earmarked for saving and caring for orphaned baby rhinoceroses. Have you ever seen a baby rhino? They don’t quite look real, and they are painfully cute . COVID created a scenario in which there were fewer people watching the rhinos (both for protection and eco-tourism) and the poachers seized the opportunity to hunt rhinos with less opposition and attention. “On the ground, every day is a battle”, Pietersen says, “...a race against time by the teams of dedicated specialists who rescue, rehabilitate, and release these rhinos back into the wild.” And so, this big green watch has a mission. In a world that has a seemingly endless supply of ecological and conservation needs, I do like that Hublot has a focused goal. Furthermore, I think it’s encouraging to see working elements from the conservation world – like SORAI – returning to Hublot for a second limited edition. While this is little more than speculation, I think it suggests that these partnerships can have a real effect. As a bleeding-heart softie with a YouTube history full of baby rhinos, I like it when luxury supports entirely non-luxurious goals. Limited to 100 units and selling for $24,100, maybe you want a very cool green ceramic watch, maybe you want to think of the baby rhinos whenever you check the time (I feel you), or maybe you just want to stick it to the poachers while wearing a big modern chronograph with a cool backstory. Regardless, good looking out, Hublot. The Basics Brand: Hublot Model: Big Bang Unico Sorai Reference Number: 411.GX.5220.NR.SOA21 Diameter: 45mm Thickness: 15.45mm Case Material: Green ceramic Dial Color: Green Lume: Yes Water Resistance: 100 meters Strap/Bracelet: Camo rubber and a green fabric strap The Movement Caliber: Hublot MHUB1242 Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds, date, 60-minute flyback chronograph Power Reserve: 72 hours Winding: Automatic Frequency: 28,800 vph Jewels: 38 Pricing & Availability Price: $24,100 Availability: May 2021 Limited Edition: 100 pieces For more, click here.A big green watch with a big green heart.