Strap for Big Bang Unico 45 Red Sapphire

No. The bracelet is integrated directly into the case via a proprietary attachment system: there is no standard lug to connect an off-the-shelf strap. It is a radical design choice, and it deserves to be treated as such. At the atelier I build the strap to measure, working on the physical watch itself, not from a generic dimension.

The work is carried out by appointment only, at <a href="/pages/casati-booking">Casati Milano</a>, Via XX Settembre 15, Milan. I bring the watch to the bench, take measurements directly from the case, and build the attachment inserts around that specific geometry. I do not work from photographs or declared dimensions: I need the watch in front of me.

I would choose Mississippi Alligator in a bold shade — a deep red or a glossy black that speaks to the translucent red ceramic of the case. This watch has an extremely strong visual presence: a leather that is too restrained would diminish it rather than complement it. The alligator texture holds its own against the material complexity of the case without feeling out of place.

With ordinary care, five or six years of daily wear are perfectly achievable. Leather needs to be kept away from prolonged exposure to water and treated occasionally with a neutral conditioner. A well-tanned alligator does not deteriorate: it ages, changes tone, develops a patina that tells the story of its use — and for me, that is the finest result possible.

It is not a surface-coloured ceramic. Hublot's patented process combines aluminium oxide with chromophore pigments, then subjects the material to 72 hours of pressure at 2000°C. The colour is within the structure of the material itself, not applied as a coating. I have had this watch on the bench at the atelier: the translucency is genuine, not a photographic effect from a catalogue shoot.