Watch Paparazzi

Footballer Kylian Mbappé spotted wearing Hublot

Kylian Mbappé was photographed wearing the Hublot Big Bang Unico Titanium Rainbow, a 45mm skeleton flyback chronograph that represents one of the most visually assertive pieces in the Swiss manufacture's catalogue. The sighting appears to be at a promotional or brand-related engagement, consistent with Mbappé's formal ambassador relationship with Hublot — a partnership that has seen the footballer front multiple limited campaigns since his rise to global prominence with Paris Saint-Germain.

The watch in question is the Big Bang Unico Titanium Rainbow, most consistent with reference 411.NX.1117.LR.0999. The 45mm titanium case is set with a continuous run of baguette-cut multicoloured sapphires traversing the bezel and case flanks in a deliberate chromatic sequence — red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet — a feat of lapidary engineering that demands extraordinary precision in stone matching. The strap transitions from red to violet alligator leather, mirroring the colour graduation of the case. The dial is fully skeletonized, exposing the architecture of the HUB1242 calibre beneath.

The HUB1242 is a manufacture movement of genuine substance: a uniblock column-wheel flyback chronograph with an integrated UNICO architecture, operating at 28,800 vph with a 72-hour power reserve. It was developed entirely in-house, a significant milestone for Hublot in asserting its credibility among movement-focused collectors who had previously questioned the brand's technical bona fides.

Among collectors, the Rainbow variant occupies a specific niche — it is unambiguously loud, making no attempt at subtlety, and is priced accordingly. It attracts a clientele more interested in the intersection of jewellery and horology than in traditional watchmaking restraint. That demographic aligns precisely with Mbappé's personal aesthetic and his generation's relationship with luxury: expressive, immediate, unapologetic.

At a retail price of $70,500 USD, the Big Bang Unico Titanium Rainbow sits at a premium tier within Hublot's Big Bang family, justified primarily by the intensive hand-setting labour involved. Grey market pricing tends to track close to retail on gem-set Hublot pieces, as the secondary market for heavily jewelled sports watches remains relatively illiquid compared to equivalent steel chronographs.