Hublot unveils a diver's watch able to withstand the pressure exerted at a depth of 4,000 metres, created in association with the Oceanographic Museum of Monaco. The brand officials say it has taken 18 months of research, development and testing to present the Oceanographic 4000.
For the Oceanographic Museum of Monaco and the Institut Océanographique Fondation Albert 1st Prince de Monaco the partnership with a watch brand is a premiere.
By choosing to support the Oceanographic Museum of Monaco, Hublot has decided not only to honour the history and heritage of the Monaco institution, but has also chosen to give its active support to the study and preservation of the oceans by making a financial contribution to the missions and scientific surveys conducted by the Institute.
The first official meeting of the partnership will be the "DEEP SEA Conference"to be held on October 13 at the Oceanographic Institute of Paris.Hublot will be the main partner.
To be described as a "montre de plongée" (diver's watch), resistant to the pressure exerted at the record depth of 4,000 metres, the watch had to meet the exacting specifications of the international standards of Swiss watchmaking (NIHS).
Starting with its seal, tested by Hublot in a Roxer tank (Roxer machinery has the ability to repair and confirm the water resistance on professional divers watches such as the Rolex Sea-Dweller or the Omega Planet Ocean), submerged and pressurised to the equivalent of 5,000 metres. To ensure the water tightness of the watch and to resist this extreme pressure, the synthetic sapphire crystal is 6.5 thick. This is thicker than normal, but is reasonable for this level of resistance. The case back is screw-down, a sine qua non for reaching such depths. It is made of grade 2 titanium. As its case is made of titanium or, in its other, All Black version, carbon fibre (both materials chosen for their extreme lightness and technical features appropriate for the specifications), the Oceanographic 4000 is still light on the wrist - although its diameter of 48 mm and its volume are substantial.
From the brightness standpoint, the time and elapsed time measured by the flange must be legible from a distance of 25 cm in the dark. To meet this requirement, the dial, the flange and the hands of the Oceanographic 4000 have been optimised to have a larger surface area treated with SuperLuminova™, a luminescent material emitting a green colour in the titanium version.
The Oceanographic 4000 has a helium valve, a feature essential to any diving watch capable of descending to great depths. An essential feature when the watch is used in diving chambers, the helium valve allows gases that have infiltrated the watch during the descent to safely escape during the ascent. The valve fitted to the Oceanographic 4000 is made of stainless steel, positioned at 10 o'clock, visible from the left-hand side lug.
The watch comes with two tongue and buckle straps ("Town" & "Diver"). The "Town" strap is in black rubber. The "Diver" strap, a blend of rubber and nylon, longer than a standard strap, has been developed to be worn over a diving suit up to 8 mm thick.
Technical details
Reference 731.NX.1190.RX and 731.QX.1140.RX
Series Limited to 1000 pieces for the titanium version
Numbered 01/1000 to 1000/1000
Limited to 500 pieces for the All Black version in black carbon fibre
Numbered 01/500 to 500/500
Case "King Power" - 48 mm diameter
Crystal Sapphire with anti-reflective treatment
Water resistance Certified to 400 ATM or 4,000 metres
Tested to 5,000 metres according to the NIHS standards
Movement Mechanical with automatic winding HUB1401
No. of components 180
Jewels 23
Power Reserve Approximately 42 hours
