Watch Paparazzi

Football manager Gareth Southgate spotted wearing Hublot

Gareth Southgate arrived at Buckingham Palace to receive his OBE — one of English football's most distinguished honours — wearing a timepiece that commands its own form of respect on the wrist: the Hublot Big Bang Unico in 18KT King Gold, most likely reference 441.OM.1180.RX. The 42mm case in Hublot's proprietary King Gold alloy, a rose-gold formula enriched with platinum to improve scratch resistance and deepen colour saturation, is immediately identifiable against the brushed and polished surfaces visible in the sighting photograph.

The watch's most technically significant attribute is its movement. The UNICO HUB1242 is a column-wheel, flyback chronograph calibre developed and manufactured entirely in-house at Hublot's Nyon facility. Beating at 28,800 vph with 72 hours of power reserve, the movement is displayed through a fully skeletonised dial that exposes the gear trains, bridges, and escapement in dramatic fashion. The black ceramic bezel — fixed, with a polished inner ring — contrasts sharply with the King Gold case, creating the dual-material aesthetic that defines the Big Bang Unico generation launched in 2013.

The black rubber strap with its signature ribbed texture keeps the watch firmly in sport-luxury territory, a deliberate positioning by Hublot that has earned the Big Bang Unico a loyal following among athletes, entertainers, and executives who want mechanical credibility without sacrificing visual presence. The skeletonised chronograph sub-dials at 3 and 9 o'clock, the open-worked tourbillon-style aperture at 6, and the bold Arabic numerals in rose gold all contribute to a dial that rewards close examination.

Southgate's tenure as England manager — marked by two World Cup semi-finals and a Euro 2020 final — placed him among the most scrutinised figures in British public life. The OBE recognised that achievement formally. Choosing a Hublot Big Bang Unico for the occasion reflects a personality that balances traditional values with a willingness to embrace the contemporary: the watch is expensive, serious, and unmistakably modern.

On the secondary market, King Gold Big Bang Unico references trade at a modest premium to retail, reflecting steady demand without the speculative fever seen in some Rolex or Patek segments. For a collector, it represents a credible in-house chronograph with strong brand recognition — an entirely defensible choice at any palace.