Hublot presented another masterpiece at Baselworld 2014 – Classic Fusion Tourbillon Firmament is a watch with a dial made from osmium crystal, the rarest metal on our planet. As well as being the rarest metal on Earth, it is also very hard; it is also the densest and heaviest metal (heavier than platinum, iridium or rhenium). Osmium crystal is used as a dial on this timepiece’s skeleton tourbillon. Osmium is part of the platinum group and is therefore found in the same places as platinum, mainly in Russia and South Africa. Approximately 10,000 tonnes of platinum ore will contain approximately 28 grams of osmium. It is estimated that there are some 200 tonnes of osmium reserves, compared with 13,000 tonnes of platinum, which is itself a rare metal.
In its compact and crystallised form, it becomes inalterable in air and its brilliance will never fade. Its blueish sparkle is unique amongst metals. And there lies the wonder of osmium crystal dials: osmium crystals vary in size from tenths of a millimetre to just a few millimetres, making osmium in its crystal form one of the greatest new developments in the precious metals market. Thanks to the research of a team of scientists and researchers based in the Swiss Canton of Valais, osmium is crystallised using a highly sophisticated process; this enables it to reach its melting point (3,033 degrees Celsius), changing its structure and transforming it into osmium crystal.
The result is breathtakingly unique and its natural brilliance is intense, hence the name of the watch Classic Fusion Tourbillon Firmament as its brilliance evokes the wonder of the heavens.
