Tried And Tested: The CIGA Design Hunter Titanium Skeleton Automatic

My first encounter with CIGA Design was with its Blue Planet model. In 2021, it won the Challenge Watch Prize at the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG), which obviously gave it some proper traction. Although CIGA Design has been producing watches since 2016, I’d say 2021 was really a turning point for the Shenzhen-based brand. Meanwhile, the brand offers a solid model palette across collections such as Aventure, Everest, Zodiac, and Edge.

In the Edge series, we find the original Edge, the Falcon, Vector, and last but not least, the Hunter. This article is about the latest addition to the Hunter model: the Hunter Titanium Automatic. We already informed you about the first Hunter Skeleton Automatic models, and about the follow-up to that model, the Hunter Vintage. In between, CIGA Design also presented a Tourbillon version of the Hunter, but we haven’t covered that model yet. It’s important to note that the Tourbillon has a reworked case compared to the original Hunter, and it’s made of titanium. Now, the new Hunter Titanium Automatic sports the same reworked case, which, in my opinion, is also visually improved.

CIGA Hunter Titanium Automatic

The new model isn’t a louder version of the Hunter. If anything, it’s the opposite. It’s a more resolved, more grown-up take on a watch that already had a lot of personality. The open-worked design language is still here, the in-house CD-07 caliber still ticks away in full view, and that distinctive three-layer octagonal tonneau case is instantly recognizable. The Hunter Titanium doesn’t look for a new silhouette. It’s refining the one we already know.

The case measures 47.5 × 41.5 mm, and it’s made from Grade 5 titanium, a step up from the more common Grade 2. That’s not just a spec sheet thing; Grade 5 brings a meaningful jump in strength and hardness while still giving you that light-on-the-wrist feel and the excellent corrosion resistance titanium is known for. Combine that with the openings cut throughout the case, which visually lighten the whole package, and the lugless profile that lets the case hug the wrist rather than perch on top of it, and you end up with a watch that wears far more compact than its dimensions suggest. It’s less “look at me” and more “look closer.” And honestly, that, for me, is a more interesting direction.

Putting on the CIGA Hunter Titanium

Picking it up immediately gives this refined, light experience, specifically because the Hunter is a rather substantial watch in terms of its dimensions. Its weight of only 92 grams almost feels a bit out of place, but it definitely adds comfort when wearing the watch. That 92 grams includes the bracelet, adjusted to fit my almost 18 cm wrist. Compared to the watch, the bracelet seems relatively thin at first. It is not even 3 mm thick over its entire length, compared to the watch’s 12.8 mm thickness. However, it didn’t bother me once on the wrist; it even felt like a good choice, suiting the watch very well.

Before putting the watch on the wrist, of course, the bracelet had to be sized. A task that requires some attention and caution. The system consists of pins that rotate in bearing bushings and must be pressed or hammered out of the bracelet to one side. After the correct number of links has been removed, the pins must be put back in, with the bushings positioned correctly in the center links. Nothing insurmountable, but it has to be handled with care. CIGA had sent us adequate tools along with the watch. I hope that is always the case; otherwise, they’re easy to source.

Enjoying the CIGA Hunter Titanium on my wrist

Once you wear the watch, it’s difficult to keep your eyes off it. There’s so much visibly going on inside the watch. Moving parts are the first to be noticed, so the balance wheel is among the first to attract attention. But all other parts are equally visible and worth examining more closely. I want to make a special note of the main spring. It can be seen at the top of the watch through its open barrel. So, actually, the degree of winding is visible, which is essentially an indicator of power reserve.

For a skeleton watch, the CIGA Hunter Titanium is very readable. Specifically, the white, luminous hand tips stand out against a busy background of the matte dark-blue movement structure and polished metal parts. Besides the luminous hour and minute hand tips, the second hand also sports a luminous tip. Of course, the index markers are luminous as well. My review watch gained less than 10 seconds a day, so not even a minute per week.

The Hunter’s glass case back

The joy of watching moving parts doesn’t stop at the curved, sapphire-covered crystal front of the watch. The glass back of the Hunter Titanium uncovers an equally interesting view. The anchor-shaped rotor certainly helps, as it obstructs as little of the movement as possible. The back of the movement structure, which was once called the base plate, isn’t blue like the front. It’s just matted titanium, without any added color. While most of the movement parts on the front are high-gloss polished, those visible from the back are matte. What struck me somewhat, looking at the case back, is that it’s completely flat. After wearing the watch, I would have thought the case back would be curved; it feels that way. It’s probably caused by the lug-to-lug measurement of 47.5 mm, which allows it to sit comfortably on the wrist.

Pricing and availability

The Hunter Titanium brings several elements from the Hunter Tourbillon into a more accessible automatic skeleton watch. Grade 5 titanium, a curved sapphire crystal, 5 ATM water resistance, Swiss Super-LumiNova, and the same Blue, Silver, and Carbon color variations. It is neither the most complicated model in the family nor the entry model. It is a more refined option within the Hunter family, in both product and price. CIGA’s Hunter Tourbillon weighs in at €2,199, while the Regular and Vintage models are priced at €649. The Hunter Titanium is priced at €999, which is an incredible value for money, if you ask me.  The CIGA Hunter Titanium is available through CIGA’s official online store or from one of its official dealers worldwide.

Conclusion

I find it difficult to position the Hunter Titanium. It is not a dress watch, nor a dive or pilot’s watch, and I don’t really consider it a sports watch either. Perhaps it is a watch with a sporty look. You probably know this type of watch from brands like Richard Mille, Hublot, and Bianchet, but CIGA places the Hunter Titanium in a completely different segment. This elusive quality is perhaps what makes the watch so special.

My colleague Jorg mentioned in passing that this wouldn’t be the right watch for me at all. And I know what he means; normally, I go for less flamboyant watches. And yet, the Hunter Titanium managed to capture and hold my interest. The most intriguing aspects of the watch are the finish and the 3D shape of the case and movement. Specifically, the many polished chamfers on the case and the movement baseplate come into their own beautifully.

What is your take on the CIGA Hunter Titanium? Would you wear it as a daily watch, or probably more for special occasions? How do you like the finishing? Let’s discuss it in the comments below!

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