It's a new material. It's a world first. It's exclusive to Hublot. Here is a watch with a dial made from osmium crystal.

What is osmium? As far as we are aware, this is the rarest metal on our planet. The origins of osmium date back to the formation of the Earth and the primitive solar nebula. Metal alloys from the same group –which have a very high melting point – must have formed at depths over 2900 km where the temperature is sufficiently high to melt these elements. Convection movements raised these materials to the surface, almost unchanged since the formation of our planet.

Where is osmium found? 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.

What are its main properties? As well as being the rarest metal on Earth, it is also very hard; it is also the densest and heaviest metal at 22.6 g/cm3 (heavier than platinum, iridium or rhenium).

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.