Watch Paparazzi

Basketball player Kobe Bryant spotted wearing Hublot

Kobe Bryant was caught on camera wearing what is arguably the most personal timepiece ever produced with his name on the dial: the Hublot Big Bang Unico Retrograde King Gold 'VINO' Bryant, reference 413.OX.4738.PR.KOB15. With only 100 examples made, the sighting was never going to be casual — this is a watch built exclusively for Bryant's inner circle and the most determined collectors.

The 413.OX.4738.PR.KOB15 is built on Hublot's 45mm Big Bang Unico case in King Gold, the brand's proprietary 18-carat rose gold alloy developed in-house to resist scratching better than standard gold compositions. The movement is the HUB1240, a COSC-certified column-wheel flyback chronograph with a 72-hour power reserve, running at 28,800 vph. The retrograde complication — rare in this format — sweeps a subdial hand forward through the chronograph minutes then snaps back instantaneously, a mechanism that requires considerably more engineering than a standard linear display. The dial itself incorporates purple and gold tones referencing the Los Angeles Lakers' iconic colorway, with Bryant's 'VINO' moniker — a nickname he adopted late in his career to evoke the idea of improving with age like a fine wine — inscribed as part of the personalisation.

From a collector standpoint, the Hublot Big Bang Unico Retrograde Kobe Bryant reference 413.OX.4738.PR.KOB15 occupies rare territory. At 100 pieces, it sits in the same ultra-limited category as Hublot's most sought-after athlete collaborations, but the combination of Bryant's tragic passing in January 2020 and the deeply personal 'VINO' theming has pushed desirability significantly beyond what the original retail price reflected.

Kobe Bryant's relationship with Hublot ran deep. He was a genuine brand ambassador rather than a passive endorser, involved in design decisions and publicly vocal about his appreciation for mechanical horology. Wearing his own signature piece was entirely in character — Bryant treated personal branding with the same precision he applied to footwork in the post.

At a UK RRP of approximately £30,290 — roughly $38,000 at prevailing rates — the watch was already positioned at the serious end of the market. On the secondary market, examples in unworn condition with full documentation now command a substantial premium, driven by scarcity, the King Gold case material, and the irreplaceable weight of Bryant's legacy.