Hublot Big Bang e UCL: The £4,500 Smartwatch

This article on the Hublot Big Bang e UEFA Champions League looks at a proper Swiss luxury watch brand making a proper smartwatch, and on paper it doesn't feel like a compromise. It feels like Hublot decided to build the best-looking smartwatch possible and price it accordingly.

Which they did. And it costs a fortune.

Design and First Impressions

According to Hublot's packaging, buyers get the watch, a charging dock designed to resemble something from a Porsche Design catalogue, and documentation printed on heavy stock paper. This is luxury product theatre by design, and it's clearly meant to justify the price before the watch is even switched on.

There's a titanium case version and a black ceramic option that looks properly menacing in photos. The titanium has a brushed, almost industrial finish that catches light well. At 42mm, it's reported to wear larger than the spec suggests, making this very much a statement watch. Anyone looking for subtle should look elsewhere.

The weight is worth noting. Reviewers and owners commonly describe it as substantial rather than heavy, the kind you notice on the wrist. Compared with something like an Apple Watch Ultra, the Big Bang e is widely said to feel like the more serious piece of kit, despite the Ultra's own robust build.

The AMOLED Display

By most accounts the display is stunning: a high-resolution AMOLED screen that makes colour and depth pop on every watch face. The default UCL faces, with their star ball motif and electric blue accents that Hublot has made its signature for this collaboration, are widely praised. Goal animations reportedly light up the whole screen, an effect that should land well with any football fan.

AMOLED displays with this much gloss tend to show fingerprints and smudges easily, and this one is no exception according to owner reports. It's a small thing, but it undercuts the luxury feeling somewhat, since mechanical watches don't come with the same upkeep.

The always-on display is reported to work well. Unlike some Wear OS watches that dim heavily when not in active use, the Big Bang e reportedly stays legible and attractive throughout. The skeleton watch face, a nod to Hublot's mechanical pieces, is said to look particularly effective in always-on mode, simulating movement components convincingly enough that from a distance it can pass for a genuine mechanical watch.

The UCL Features: Gimmick or Glory?

The UCL-specific features include real-time match notifications, goal alerts, lineup information, and exclusive watch faces that change throughout the tournament. On match days, the watch is designed to work as a proper second screen experience.

For a football obsessive, having live match updates delivered to the wrist via a tap, with the score updating instantly, is a genuinely useful proposition, arguably more convenient than repeatedly checking a phone.

But if you're not a Champions League fanatic, this represents a substantial premium for features that see real use only a limited number of times a year. The tournament runs from September to June with breaks, so outside of match days these are essentially decorative watch faces, however well designed.

Owners report that the goal alert vibration is notably strong, reportedly noticeable even through a jacket, which suggests Hublot put real effort into the haptics.

Wear OS: The Good and The Annoying

This runs Wear OS, which brings the full Google ecosystem: Google Pay, Gmail notifications, WhatsApp, Spotify control and the rest. According to the specifications and user reports, the processor is snappy, with little lag switching between screens or launching apps.

Health tracking covers step counting, heart rate monitoring, and GPS for runs. Anyone buying this primarily for fitness tracking is likely buying it for the wrong reasons. This reads as a luxury object that happens to track health metrics, not a fitness device that happens to look good. Sensor accuracy appears broadly in line with other Wear OS devices, but the appeal here is clearly aesthetic rather than athletic.

Wear OS on this watch reportedly still has its quirks: apps that misbehave occasionally, notifications that arrive late or not at all, and the odd freeze that requires a restart. None of this is unique to Hublot, since it's a longstanding Wear OS complaint, but on a watch at this price point it stands out more than it should.

There's also something philosophically awkward about a watch at this price needing to be charged nightly, or close to it, when mechanical watches at a fraction of the cost can run for days or years without intervention. An automatic watch keeps going without ever needing to be plugged in, which makes the daily charging routine here feel slightly at odds with the price tag.

Battery Life: The Inevitable Compromise

Battery life is rated at 1 to 2 days with normal use. That drops to a single day under heavy use, such as GPS tracking with the always-on display at full brightness and frequent notification checking. Two days is achievable with more conservative settings.

The charging dock itself is well made, with solid metal construction, a USB-C connection, and an angle suited to bedside use. A full charge reportedly takes around 90 minutes. Still, daily charging is a significant ask on a watch priced like a decent used car.

Whether this bothers a prospective buyer likely depends on habit. Anyone already charging a phone nightly may find adding the watch to that routine becomes automatic quickly enough. But it's worth knowing what you're signing up for, particularly for anyone coming from mechanical watches exclusively, since the adjustment does require a shift in mindset.

Size and Wearability

The design appears versatile enough for the gym, the office, and smarter occasions like dinners, despite its size and presence, based on how the watch is marketed and reviewed.

The rubber strap is widely described as comfortable, a sensible choice for a smartwatch meant to be worn all day, even if it's less refined than leather or a bracelet. It's also easily swapped: Hublot offers a range of straps, and the quick-release system is reportedly quick and simple to use.

Water resistance is rated for shower and swim use rather than diving. The touchscreen is reported to remain responsive even when wet, reportedly performing better in these conditions than some rival smartwatches.

One limitation follows directly from the case height. At this thickness, the watch is likely to catch on shirt cuffs, making it a poor fit for formal dress despite the luxury positioning. This is fundamentally a sports watch, or smartwatch, at heart, not a dress watch, and it shouldn't be mistaken for one.

The Value Question

The price is steep. Very steep. You could buy an Apple Watch Ultra and a proper automatic Omega for the same money. Or a Tudor Black Bay and an Apple Watch. Or a used Speedmaster and literally any smartwatch you want.

So who is this for? It's for someone who wants the best-looking smartwatch money can buy and doesn't want to compromise on aesthetics for functionality. It's for the Hublot collector who won't wear an Apple Watch because it doesn't match their collection's aesthetic. It's for the football obsessive with money to burn who wants match notifications delivered via Swiss craftsmanship.

Is it worth the money? That's the wrong question. Nothing at this price point is "worth it" in any objective sense. You're paying for design, brand prestige, exclusivity, and probably some badge appeal too. But if those things matter to you, and the budget allows, then it's easy to argue it's worth it, because there's nothing else quite like it.

Compared with the TAG Heuer Connected, another Swiss luxury smartwatch, the Hublot is widely considered the more striking design: bolder, more distinctive, more unapologetic about what it is. The TAG is arguably the safer, more tasteful choice. The Hublot is pure theatre.

What I'd Change

Battery life, obviously. If Hublot could stretch this to three days between charges, it would transform the ownership experience. The tech isn't quite there yet for AMOLED at this size, but it's the clear priority for the next version.

I'd also like to see more exclusive apps. The UCL integration is great, but what about partnerships with other sports? Formula 1, rugby, golf? Hublot sponsors enough events to build an entire ecosystem of exclusive content and features. Right now, outside of Champions League season, you're essentially wearing a very expensive Wear OS watch.

And reportedly the charging cable is on the short side, which could be mildly inconvenient depending on outlet placement near the bed. A minor gripe, but worth flagging.

The Bottom Line

Overall, this watch makes little logical sense on paper. It's too expensive, the battery drains too quickly, and much of the same functionality is available elsewhere for a fraction of the price.

But logic isn't why anyone buys a Hublot. You buy a Hublot because you want something bold, different, unapologetic, and this delivers that in smartwatch form. It's arguably the most fashionable smartwatch money can buy, full stop. Nothing from Apple, Samsung or Garmin comes close aesthetically. The UCL features look genuinely useful for football fans, and the build quality appears properly premium.

Would I recommend buying one at full price? Probably not, for anyone prioritising practicality, given there are mechanical watches out there that could last a lifetime for similar or less money. But it's easy to see the appeal, and easy to understand why someone might be reluctant to part with it once they had it, purely for how it looks in every room.

If you're a Hublot person, you probably already know if you want this. If you're a smartwatch person curious about luxury, this is the one worth considering. If you're neither, an Apple Watch will likely leave you happier and richer.

But it has to be said, this thing looks good.