Entrepreneur Lapo Elkann spotted wearing a Hublot

Lapo Elkann was photographed on the wrist with a piece he had a direct hand in creating — the Hublot Big Bang UNICO Italia Independent Skeleton, reference 411.YL.5190.NR.ITI15, a 500-piece limited edition born from the partnership between Hublot and Elkann's own Italia Independent group. It is, in every sense, a personal watch.

The ref. 411.YL.5190.NR.ITI15 measures 45mm and combines a yellow gold bezel with a black micro-blasted ceramic case middle — a material contrast that is central to Hublot's design language and particularly striking in skeleton form. The dial is fully open-worked, revealing the HUB1242 calibre: an in-house automatic flyback chronograph movement running at 28,800 vph with a 72-hour power reserve. Column-wheel control and a horizontal clutch give the chronograph a crisp action, and the movement architecture is finished to a standard that rewards close inspection through the skeletonized bridges.

The Big Bang UNICO platform, launched by Hublot in 2011, represented a significant moment for the brand — it was the first time Geneva had produced a manufacture flyback chronograph entirely in-house, ending reliance on the ETA/Valjoux base that underpinned earlier Big Bang chronographs. The Italia Independent collaboration pushed the UNICO into co-branded territory with genuine creative credibility; this was not a logo exercise. The khaki and black colour palette, the limited run of 500, and the skeletonized finishing gave the reference a distinct collector identity within the broader Big Bang family.

Lapo Elkann is the grandson of Fiat patriarch Gianni Agnelli — a man whose own wrist game became the stuff of horological legend. Lapo has built a separate identity as a creative entrepreneur, and Italia Independent, launched in 2007, sits at the intersection of fashion, lifestyle, and personal branding. Wearing reference 411.YL.5190.NR.ITI15 is not celebrity product placement; it is a founder wearing his work.

On the secondary market, the Hublot Big Bang UNICO Italia Independent trades at a modest premium to its original retail positioning given the limited production and the closed collaboration. With a UK RRP in the region of £18,900, grey-market pricing has remained relatively stable, reflecting steady collector demand rather than speculative heat. For buyers seeking a Big Bang with a documented creative provenance, the 411.YL.5190.NR.ITI15 remains a coherent choice.