30 November 2021 BIG BANG UNICO ARTURO FUENTE CERAMIC Hublot and cigar brand Arturo Fuente y Compañia have once again joined forces to present the Big Bang Fuente Limited Edition watch, in tribute to Carlos A. Fuente Sr., a giant in the cigar industry, a trendsetter, and father and patriarch of the Fuente family. El Maestro! Carlos A. Fuente Sr. was born in 1935 in Ybor City, a Cuban émigré neighbourhood in Tampa, Florida. While still in primary school, Carlos Sr. began working in his father Arturo’s small cigar business. Even as very young children, part of the household duties was to first make 50 cigars a day before they could start their homework. Impassioned by his family and the craftsmanship of making cigars, Carlos Sr. worked alongside his father Arturo until his father’s retirement. Taking over the reins of the family business in 1956, Carlos Sr. was ambitious and sought to expand the business, first in other parts of Florida before setting his sights on New York City. Carlos Sr. successfully enabled the company to flourish in the 1960s. Unfortunately, the United States embargo against Cuba forced the Fuentes to move their cigar production to Nicaragua. However, the family suffered further misfortune when, in 1978, their factory was burned down by Sandinista revolutionaries. Once again, the Fuentes were forced into exile and moved their operations to Honduras. And the adage that 'things always seem to go in threes' came true when, in 1980, the new factory also burned down. "You have a choice: give up or fight on. The first is not an option." Despite this run of bad luck, Don Carlos did not give up the fight, and he opened a new factory in the Dominican Republic. Since then, Arturo Fuente cigars have become one of the most highly renowned and most sought-after brands in the world. Read more “Arturo Fuente cigars are consistently rated among the best cigars in the world. It was therefore natural that – brought together by our common desire to push the boundaries of excellence, each in our own field – our two companies joined forces and have been partners since 2012. It is in this same spirit that we are taking this opportunity to pay tribute to the patriarch Don Carlos Sr.” Ricardo Guadalupe HUBLOT CEO “The Fuente family and I are very touched to have been able to pay tribute to Don Carlos with this extraordinary timepiece. Each of the patterns which it features reflect something of my grandfather's epic story and his vision, and pay tribute to the values shared by the Fuente cigar company and the Hublot Manufacture.” Carlito Fuente The Big Bang Fuente Limited Edition watch pays tribute to the remarkable saga of Carlos A. Fuente Sr. His vast knowledge of his field, along with his dedication and his vision for his brand, made him a shining light to those who knew him and a reference for the cigar industry. With the help of Manny Iriarte, the Fuente family's designer, the teams at Hublot have infused the iconic Big Bang with all the codes which are so dear to the Dominican cigar company. This starts with its 44-mm diameter case, whose black engraved ceramic picks up the pattern of the tobacco leaf, dancing to the rhythm of the mountain breeze, which is one of the key elements for the Fuente family. The case houses the famous UNICO calibre HUB1242 manufacture movement, a flyback chronograph offering a 72-hour power reserve. The Roman numerals favoured by the Fuente add a remarkable note of authenticity to the timepiece. These numerals are taken from the clock which has historically appeared on the family crest. This is in reference to the Fuente motto: "We will never rush the hands of time." Another emblem, that of a crowned lion, appears at 9 o'clock in recognition that the brand supplied cigars to the Spanish court and in honour of its great patriarch. The back of the watch is engraved with "Big Bang Limited Edition" along with the number of the piece in the limited edition run of 100 pieces. Fuente's historic logo appears in the centre, and its current initials "AF" (for Arturo Fuente) have here been replaced with "CF", in reference to Carlos Fuente Sr., along with the words "Edición de homenaje" (which is Spanish for "edition in homage"). In quotation marks, the dedication by Carlito Fuente Jr. reads: "Our Father, Our Friend, Our Hero." Available in a limited edition of 100 pieces, the Big Unico Arturo Fuente Ceramic comes in a spectacular lacquered wooden gift box which serves as a presentation case for the watch as well as a cigar humidor. Lifestyle ARTURO FUENTE Learn more Online and in Boutique exclusive Includes a Hublot complete service. The Hublot Complete Service ensures our select watches continue to move with precision. Learn more technical specifications case reference 421.CI.0190.VR.OPX21 Size 44 mm case Engraved Microblasted and Polished Black Ceramic bezel Engraved Microblasted and Polished Black Ceramic water resistance 100m or 10 ATM crystal Sapphire with Anti-reflective Treatment dial Sapphire Crystal Dial movement movement HUB1280 UNICO Manufacture Self-winding Chronograph Flyback Movement with Column Wheel power reserve 72 Hours strap & clasp strap Black Rubber with Black Calf clasp Black Ceramic and Black-plated Titanium Deployant Buckle Clasp LATEST NEWS THE COUNTDOWN IS ON: TWO WEEKS TO GO UNTIL HUBLOT STARTS THE CLOCK ON UEFA WOMEN’S EURO 2025™ FOOTBALL COMES TO SWITZERLAND THIS SUMMER WITH THE UEFA WOMEN’S EURO 2025™. HUBLOT, THE FIRST WATCH IN FOOTBALL, WILL TIME EVERY MINUTE AS THE TOURNAMENT’S OFFICIAL TIMEKEEPERNYON, Switzerland, 18 June 2025 – Two weeks to go! The UEFA Women’s EURO 2025™ begins on Wednesday July 2 and Hublot will be there to time every minute. The festival of football will be contested by 16 teams across eight venues in Hublot’s home country of Switzerland. As the first luxury Swiss watch in football, Hublot will serve as the tournament’s Official Timekeeper, reprising its role from when the event was held in England three years ago. learn more ONE CLICK TO SUMMER MODE June 5th, 2025, Mykonos - If there’s one thing not to miss this season, it’s the launch of the new Big Bang Unico Summer 2025 and the unforgettable Hublot Summer event that comes with it. Since 2017, Hublot has been beach-hopping through the most exclusive Mediterranean hotspots, bringing its bold energy to the places where summer never sleeps. In the heart of Mykonos, Hublot Ambassador and the world’s fastest man Usain Bolt and Friend of the Brand, Mattia Vitale, member of DJ trio Meduza set the tone for an exclusive summer celebration with press, clients, KOLs and members of the Hublot family. Drenched in sun-kissed orange and Mediterranean blue, the Big Bang Unico Summer 2025 captures the essence of endless days under the sun, warm sand between your toes and waves gently lapping the shore. learn more
