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footballerSpotted February 2023

Footballer Cristiano Ronaldo spotted wearing a Hublot

footballer Cristiano Ronaldo spotted wearing a Hublot 821.OX.0180.RX
Who & what: 18K King Gold Hublot Square Big Bang Unico Reference 821.OX.0180.RX

Cristiano Ronaldo was photographed arriving ahead of an Al-Nassr match with a distinctive square case visible on his wrist — the 18K King Gold Hublot Square Big Bang Unico, reference 821.OX.0180.RX. The sighting is notable not only for the watch's six-figure aesthetic presence but for what it says about Ronaldo's long, commercially intertwined relationship with the Swiss brand.

Hublot introduced the Square Big Bang as a geometric departure from the original round Big Bang silhouette first launched in 2005. The ref. 821.OX.0180.RX measures 42mm across its tonneau-shaped case and is rendered in King Gold — Hublot's proprietary 18-karat rose-gold alloy developed in-house and patented for its enhanced resistance to surface scratching and oxidation. The case pairs with a structured brown alligator strap secured by a King Gold deployant clasp, and the skeleton dial exposes the movement architecture beneath open-worked bridges.

The beating heart is Hublot's HUB1280 calibre, an entirely in-house column-wheel flyback chronograph movement. It oscillates at 28,800 vph, offers a 72-hour power reserve from twin barrels, and is COSC-adjacent in its finishing standards — a genuine manufacture movement that counters longstanding criticism that Hublot relied on modified ETA or Valjoux ebauches in earlier references. The movement is visible through both the dial side and the sapphire caseback.

Ronaldo has been a Hublot brand ambassador since 2013, and his association with the manufacture has spanned limited editions, co-designed pieces, and consistent on-wrist appearances across Champions League finals, World Cups, and now Saudi Pro League fixtures. His choice of the Square Big Bang over flashier diamond-set variants signals a degree of collector awareness — the ref. 821.OX.0180.RX is a cleaner, more architecturally coherent expression of the line.

At a list price of £37,100 — approximately $44,850 USD — the 18K King Gold Square Big Bang Unico sits firmly in the upper tier of Hublot's standard catalogue. On the secondary market, King Gold Big Bang references in good condition tend to trade close to or slightly below retail, reflecting healthy but not speculative demand. For collectors, the combination of an in-house flyback movement, a proprietary gold alloy, and genuine manufacture credentials makes this reference one of the more defensible pieces in the broader Big Bang family.

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