When two major forces come together, something wonderful is bound to happen. The emergence of the Black Mamba stems from the collaboration between Kobe and Nubeo, a partnership driven by the mutual respect and admiration that exists between one of the world’s greatest athletes and one of the most exclusive luxury watchmakers.
The collective objective is to create a timepiece that unites sports superstardom with extraordinary design and creativity. Kobe is a sporting icon with a widely-respected drive for excellence; Nubeo is known for distinct and innovative design.
These watches are all limited editions. Even the pieces available for purchase have significance to Kobe. For starters, the basic Black Mamba version is limited to 810 pieces. I’m sure this is a reference to his 81 pt. game. The Ultimate version for both the black sapphire and the orange sapphire version are limited to 240 pieces. Of course, “24″ is a reference to his number. Finally, his MVP collection is limited to only 24 pieces. That’s self explanatory.
As to the materials used, the Black Mamba draws out the full aesthetic potential of the most innovative materials. Rubber, Grade 5 Titanium, and Ceramic are the primary materials used in manufacturing the Black Mamba. They are all notable for their light weight, high resistance and ergonomic features. But they are not easy to handle, especially in a watch as complex as the Black Mamba, and this has lengthened the process of component design and manufacturing.
Among the most striking features of the Black Mamba is the matt finish of its surfaces, along with DLC (Diamond Like Carbon) treatments which confer added strength to the components while providing the Black Mamba with a sophisticated and fascinating black finish.
The case of the Black Mamba is probably the most complicated in watchmaking history. One-hundred and thirty-one components were used to manufacture the case, excluding movement, dial and bracelet. Below is the list of components used in manufacturing the Black Mamba.
* Ceramic Case – 2 Components
* The Bezel – 37 Components
* Titanium Inner case – 38 Components
* Crown – 14 Components
* Push Buttons – 24 Components
* Bracelet Fixation – 16 Components
Partnering with Kobe has been “a dream come true” for Nubeo. After all, who hasn’t imagined embarking on an exciting adventure with their hero? Working as a team, Kobe and Nubeo are leveraging their common attributes, such as readily facing multi-faceted and complex challenges with unsurpassed vigor and optimism that generates results. Ultimately, the keys to Kobe’s triumphs as an athlete closely resemble those of Nubeo’s success as a luxury watch maker: innate abilities, intuition and creativity.
Most Nubeo designs are focused on ocean environments and this luxury watch is no different. The cost for the Black mamba starts out at $22,000 and tops out at $285,000 thousand dollars for the most limited version which includes materials like black titanium, ceramic, black sapphires, and sapphire crystals.
