Watch Paparazzi

Footballer Xherdan Shaqiri spotted wearing Hublot

Xherdan Shaqiri, the Swiss winger known for spectacular goals and an equally spectacular taste in watches, was photographed wearing one of Hublot's most technically demanding creations: the Big Bang Unico Sapphire, reference 411.JX.4802.RT. At the time of the sighting, Shaqiri was playing for Stoke City, and this piece — rare, transparent, and immediately recognisable — reflects the kind of wrist statement that elite footballers have come to favour.

The Big Bang Unico Sapphire debuted in 2016 and represented a significant engineering challenge. The entire 45mm case — mid-case, bezel, lugs, and caseback — is machined from laboratory-grown synthetic sapphire, one of the hardest materials used in watchmaking, registering 9 on the Mohs scale. The process requires specialised CNC equipment and generates significant material waste, which partly explains the watch's substantial price point. The characteristic blue tint of ref. 411.JX.4802.RT comes from a treatment applied to the sapphire, giving the watch an eerie, futuristic depth while leaving the movement fully visible on all sides.

At the heart of the 411.JX.4802.RT beats Hublot's manufacture HUB1242 UNICO calibre — a column-wheel, lateral clutch flyback chronograph with 72 hours of power reserve, oscillating at 28,800 vph. The movement features a skeletonised architecture specifically designed to maximise visual impact inside the sapphire case, with the column wheel and lateral clutch visible through the dial. For Hublot, whose early reputation rested on design rather than manufacture credentials, the UNICO movement was a meaningful statement of horological intent.

Limited to 500 pieces worldwide, the Big Bang Unico Sapphire carries genuine scarcity — not the inflated limited-edition figures some brands deploy for marketing purposes. Among Hublot collectors, the sapphire case models occupy a distinct tier: technically demanding to produce, polarising in aesthetics, and consistently sought after on the secondary market. The blue sapphire variant in particular benefits from strong visual identity.

Shaqiri's choice aligns with a broader pattern among elite European footballers who gravitate toward high-complication, visually arresting pieces. The Big Bang Unico Sapphire carried a UK list price of £43,600 at the time of the sighting, placing it firmly in serious collector territory.