Watch Paparazzi

Footballer Kylian Mbappé spotted wearing Hublot

Kylian Mbappé, one of the most commercially visible footballers on the planet and a formal Hublot ambassador, was recently seen wearing the Hublot Spirit of Big Bang 45mm in 18k King Gold, reference 601.OX.0183.LRx — a skeletonized chronograph that retails at $47,000 and sits squarely in the upper tier of Hublot's sport-luxury lineup.

The Spirit of Big Bang line was introduced to broaden the Big Bang family beyond its original 45mm round case, adopting a tonneau-shaped profile that wears more elegantly on the wrist while retaining the brand's signature porthole bezel construction. On the 601.OX.0183.LRx, that bezel is rendered in satin-finished and microblasted 18k King Gold — Hublot's proprietary alloy that incorporates additional elements to improve surface hardness — and secured with the house's trademark titanium screws. The case measures 45mm in diameter, 14.4mm thick, and carries a 100-meter water resistance rating.

At the movement level, Hublot deploys the caliber HUB1240, a self-winding skeleton chronograph with a column-wheel mechanism, horizontal clutch, and 50 hours of power reserve. The openworked dial leaves the bridges, wheels, and chronograph architecture fully exposed, with the skeletonization executed symmetrically to maintain legibility — a balance Hublot engineers worked to refine across several iterations of this caliber. The movement oscillates at 28,800 vph and is finished to a standard consistent with its price positioning.

Among collectors, the Spirit of Big Bang in precious metal occupies an interesting space. It attracts buyers who find the round Big Bang too ubiquitous and want something architecturally distinct without leaving the Hublot ecosystem. The King Gold version carries genuine material value alongside the complication premium, which tends to stabilize its secondary market performance better than steel references in the same family.

Mbappé has been a Hublot ambassador since 2020, and his choice of the King Gold Spirit of Big Bang aligns with the brand's positioning at the intersection of luxury and elite sport. On the grey market, the 601.OX.0183.LRx trades close to its $47,000 retail figure, reflecting steady but not speculative demand — a watch worn for its presence rather than its investment thesis.