The English electronic music band Depeche Mode has had a longstanding partnership with Hublot, coming together to create limited edition watches sold to support various good causes, including raising public awareness and funds for environmental and humanitarian efforts. Their collaboration began 14 years ago with a series of watches featuring unique dials reflecting the band’s albums. 

Now, as Depeche Mode releases its latest album, this classic collaboration is making a return. The latest offering from Hublot is the Spirit of the Big Bang Depeche Mode, featuring a skull motif in homage to the band’s latest album, Memento Mori.

While the skull motif is a common theme in watches, the Big Bang Depeche Mode manages to distinguish itself with a more genuine backstory. The band had previously taken a hiatus, but they broke their silence last year with the release of the new album “Memento Mori” and a tour, partly in honor of the passing of one of its members. The band had already planned the album “Memento Mori,” and the tragic incident solidified their determination to bring the album to fruition as a reminder for people to live life to the fullest.

Another notable feature of this watch is its all-black palette. However, Hublot’s all-black aesthetic feels particularly special compared to other brands’ offerings because it was one of the original brands to make such a palette popular. The Big Bang All Black was a massive hit when it was released in 2006 and had a significant impact on the market.

But more importantly, the latest Depeche Mode edition’s case isn’t just another black PVD-coated steel case; it’s a genuine black ceramic case. This means the color won’t fade with scratches. The adoption of ceramic as the case material also sets it apart from many other all-black watches on the market.

Despite the ceramic material, the case retains a significant amount of detail such as faceted surfaces and bevels, done in contrasting finishes such as polished and sandblasted. This is notable since ceramic is more challenging to finish. Additionally, the buckle is also ceramic, which is unusual as most ceramic watches opt for a PVD-coated metal buckle.