by Elizabeth Lowry

The Big Bang All Black Green is a sportsman’s watch. In addition to the scratch resistant sapphire dial cover, the 301.CI.1190.GR.ABG11 comes with hardy wrist strap that is bordered with kelly-green stitching and is made of a combination of black rubber and alligator skin. The strap is worth describing in greater detail since it is a design feature that manages to circumvent complaints regarding the durability of Hublot’s regular rubber straps. The “gummy alligator” is rubber on the inside and alligator on the outside, which means that it carries the strength and versatility of both alligator skin and rubber. This rubberized alligator strap was a distinctive feature of Hublot’s special edition Fifa World Cup watches and fastens with a stainless steel buckle. More specifically, the gummy alligator strap was a key component of the watch that Hublot designed for the Mexican soccer team in 2010.

But obviously the strap is not the only part of this watch worth mentioning. The All Black Green has a black ceramic bezel anchored by matte black titanium screws and a matching black ceramic case. The black dial is decorated with bright green hour and minute markers and is inset with three smaller dials showing hours, minutes, and seconds. These smaller “sub-dials” are another Hublot trademark: the ability to look inside the watch to see how it works.

Pros: This watch is water resistant up to 100 meters, its hands and hour markers are luminous, and it includes a date-display and a stopwatch function. It also operates by Hublot’s trademark HUB 4100 self-winding chronograph movement.

Cons: Numerous imitations have been made of this particular watch, so it’s important to be vigilant and to buy from an authorized dealer.

A larger 48mm limited edition of this watch a Big Bang King All Black Green–is available also. The larger All Black Green boasts a rotating bezel and is waterproof to a depth of 300 meters (almost 1000 feet), rather than the standard 100 meters.

The official retail price of the Big Bang All Black Green is $18,3000, but it can be found for up to 3000 dollars less at sites selling luxury watches, and of course Ebay. This model is extremely popular, so even if you buy it and decide that you’re not so keen on it, it should be easy to re-sell at a decent price. The popularity, durability and versatility of this watch (not to mention its resale value) suggest that it is a good buy.