The partnership between British synth-rock band Depeche Mode and luxury watchmaker Hublot, which has now lasted over a decade, has resulted in a new watch with the ethereal name Spirit of Big Bang Depeche Mode produced in a limited edition with overarching social concerns in mind.
The Latin phrase »memento mori«, which has been in use since the Middle Ages, is intended to remind us of our own mortality—a motif that has been present in art, literature and philosophy for centuries. This is also the meaningful name of the last album and world tour of the exceptional British band Depeche Mode and now also the inspiration and clear message of their new collaboration with the Swiss watch brand Hublot.
In this spirit, the all-black Hublot design combines a skull motif with an hourglass symbolizing the passage of time. In the center 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. 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 caliber movement with a power reserve of 50 hours. Each of the Spirit of Big Bang Depeche Mode comes with two straps, the first is made from recycled materials with a Velcro fastener, the second is made from black rubber. Each of the 100 copies of this limited edition comes in a special box containing a 10″ vinyl single of Depeche Mode’s »Wagging Tongue«, made with energy from renewable sources and recycled PVC.
The thoughtful use of materials also refers to the aforementioned overarching ecological and humanitarian concerns of the collaboration, with which they refer to initiatives such as the global charity Conservation Collective. Its network brings together regional philanthropic foundations around the world that are committed to protecting, preserving and restoring the environment. In addition, the collaboration between the iconic watch brand and the world-famous rock band has raised over 2.3 million US dollars for the Teenage Cancer Trust and charity:water in the past. [Red.]
