The ambassador of the Nyon-based manufacturer and legendary tennis player, Novak Djokovic, has finally received a unique watch dedicated to him. It’s even more special because it’s made from components of his own sports equipment.
With the retirement of Roger Federer and (recently) Rafael Nadal, Serbian Novak Djokovic has become the biggest star still playing tennis. Judging by the numbers alone, one could even say he’s the biggest in history – Djoker has amassed 24 Grand Slam titles and won the Olympic Championship this year in Paris. Like all the greats of the sport, the Serbian also has his own watch brand – since 2021, he has been an ambassador for Hublot Replica (after stints with brands like AP and Seiko). Since then, he has regularly worn watches from this manufacturer, but only now will he be wearing a model that is, in many ways, truly unique.
Big Bang Unico Novak Djokovic
The unique elements of the watch bearing the tennis player’s name are many, but the most important are undoubtedly its construction and the materials used. When designing the watch, Hublot kept in mind that wearing it during a tennis match imposes certain technical and ergonomic requirements. The watch must be durable, yet lightweight and comfortable, so that it is practically unnoticeable on the wrist.
The result of this design effort is the BB Unico, whose case is made from a combination of resin and material recycled from Djokovic’s used rackets and shirts. Hublot states that the production process used 25 HEAD tennis rackets and 17 navy blue and 15 blue Lacoste polo shirts, which Djokovic used during the 2023 season.
The base of the new composite, in addition to the aforementioned epoxy resin, is quartz powder and glass fiber, combined into a lightweight, yet durable, and moldable material. Additional elements, uniting the entire piece, are made of aluminum. The case, with its characteristic classic Big Bang shape, measures 42 mm in diameter, is 14.5 mm thick, and is water-resistant to 100 m. To the right of the case, are two large, round stopwatch buttons – the start/stop button is colored bright green, reminiscent of a tennis ball.
Further slimming down has been achieved with the front glass. Instead of sapphire, it is unusually made of tempered Gorilla glass – similar to the type used in smartphones and twice as light as traditional sapphire.
Beneath it is a partially transparent, skeletonized dial with two counters at 3 and 9 o’clock, a date display, three centrally mounted hands, and a view of the working elements of the movement. The dial elements are made of blue anodized aluminum, while the second hand is crowned at the bottom with the official Djokovic logo.