Hublot debuts ultra-premium US$5,800 Wear OS smartwatch

Although Apple commands the reputation as having the most premium smartwatch on the market, it is actually Google Wear OS smartwatches that are among the most expensive on the market. Tag Heuer’s Connected smartwatch is one notable example, but Hublot looks like it wants to steal some thunder. The oddly named Hublot 'Big Bang e' comes comes with a hefty price tag starting at US$5,200 and extending to US$5,800.

Apart from the Hublot name, what exactly helps to justify the sky-high asking price? Well, it certainly isn’t the specifications. Both models on offer sport standard 42mm OLED touchscreens and are powered by the aging Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear 3100 SoC that is mated to just 1 GB of RAM and 8 GB of storage. The battery is also 300 mAh, which is all pretty standard fodder for any Google Wear OS-powered device.

Where the Hublot Big Bang e helps to differentiate itself from a standard smartwatch is in its use of either a titanium case or a black ceramic case. It also features custom watch faces designed by storytelling artist Marc Ferrero. Every three hours, the dial changes color for a total of eight different looks over a period of 24 hours. Each full hour is marked with a custom animation that lasts five seconds.

The pair of Hublot Big Bang e smartwatches will be sold online exclusively, at least initially, before rolling out to boutiques and traditional watch retailers.