Many words can be used to describe Ulysse Nardin’s deep and varied modern lineup, but one unifying concept that ties the brand’s offerings together is audacious design. This commitment to bold and aggressive style flows through its 2021 novelties collection, and the new limited edition Diver X Skeleton is a prime example of this. By combining the impactful and futuristic tool watch principles of the successful Diver X line with the intricate showcasing of the Skeleton X series, the limited edition Ulysse Nardin Diver X Skeleton offers one of the brand’s most unrestrained and vibrant diver offerings to date.
The 44mm case of the Ulysse Nardin Diver X Skeleton follows the same sporty modern pattern as previous Diver X models, with a heavily toothed unidirectional dive bezel, distinctive stepped lugs, and low, narrow rectangular crown guards. This combination leads to a bold, hefty presence in initial images, but Ulysse Nardin increases this model’s visual impact further with a few custom touches. The case is finished with a mix of bead blasted and brushed surfaces, then capped off with a deep desaturated navy blue PVD for a dark and oceanic matte look. The concave bezel insert shares this blue shade, but adds a dynamic range of accents with its Carbonium carbon composite construction and bright white diving scale with safety orange accents. This dynamic orange tone reappears for the rubberized orange crown guards, visually breaking up the case side and injecting a touch of dramatic contrast. Ulysse Nardin rates the case of the Diver X Skeleton for a respectable 200 meters of water resistance.
Ulysse Nardin carries over the central “X” motif of the Diver X line with the Diver X Skeleton but carves away nearly everything else to showcase its reworked in-house movement. This multi-part centerpiece functions as much of the bridge assembly for the movement itself, and the brand emphasizes its multi-part construction with several visual layers and a mix of blue PVD finishing shot through with vibrant orange accents. The beveled rectangular indices and distinctive paddle hands of previous Diver X models make an appearance here in the same PVD blue for a cohesive look, and the brand further integrates the internal and external looks with a bezel-matching blue Carbonium cover for the mainspring barrel at 12 o’clock. Ulysse Nardin visually balances this element at 6 o’clock with the intricate and airy silicon balance, with its Ferris wheel-esque arrangement of nickel flyweights.
Inside the Ulysse Nardin Diver X Skeleton beats the in-house UN-372 automatic movement. Using the Skeleton X line’s UN-371 movement as a base, the UN-372 adds an X-shaped winding rotor to the skeleton design. Outside of the skeleton flourishes, finishing for the UN-372 remains somewhat spartan, without embellishment to distract from the silicon escape wheel, anchor, and balance assembly. The power reserve stands at 96 hours at a slightly low 21,600 bph beat rate. The Ulysse Nardin Diver X Skeleton is paired with the brand’s modern and sporty rubber strap in a choice of either matching midnight blue or a bold diving orange for added visual impact
Combining its aggressive modern diver design language with an intricate skeleton dial and an attention-grabbing colorway, the limited edition Ulysse Nardin Diver X Skeleton delivers one of the boldest and most dramatic offerings on the brand’s current menu. Only 175 examples of the Ulysse Nardin Diver X Skeleton will be made to commemorate the brand’s 175th anniversary in 2021. The Ulysse Nardin Diver X Skeleton
Category: Ulysse Nardin Watch
Ulysse Nardin Trilogy 41mm
Cross-industry collaborations tend to be a bit hit-or-miss, especially when the co-branding of the product is somewhat half-baked. What is more interesting, however, is when two brands from very different commercial worlds sit down and put their heads together to come with something that effectively blends their regular products’ aesthetics while simultaneously harnessing the technical attributes for which each company is known. This can result in a new and novel proposition for both parties. The Ulysse Nardin Hourstriker Phantom Limited-Edition Watch created in conjunction with Devialet is an excellent example of this kind of partnership bearing palatable fruit.
On the surface, a luxury speaker company and a luxury watchmaker don’t seem to have too much in common aside from the word luxury. However, there is more than one thing binding these two brands together. First is a bizarre familial link between the two: Emmanuel Nardin, one of the founders of Devialet, is a direct descendant of the Ulysse Nardin family. Second is the pursuit of excellent sound: Devialet through its market-leading speaker systems and Ulysse Nardin through its mastery of striking movements.
Real technical substance underpins this joint venture. Both Ulysse Nardin and Devialet put their research and development teams to work on this project with a simple goal: To create a watch with unrivaled acoustic performance and sound quality.
The watch takes its name — Phantom — from Devialet’s flagship product, The Phantom. A new generation of high-definition connected speakers, The Phantom can kick out sound up to 108 dB SPL (that’s pretty loud in layman’s terms). By sharing their experiences in their respective industries, Ulysse Nardin and Devialet have managed to get the output of the Ulysse Nardin Hourstriker Phantom Limited-Edition Watch (reference 6103-132) up 85 dB to 100mm (remarkable for the watchmaking industry). You can hear this refined sound either every 30 minutes (on the hour and half-hour) or on command by depressing one of the two case pushers. The second pusher can be used to switch the 30-minute chimes off, should you need a bit of quiet.
One of the hardest things for any brand concerned with making a striking mechanism with exceptional audio clarity to master is keeping the case wearable and robust. Here, Ulysse Nardin Hourstriker Phantom Limited-Edition Watch has excelled by keeping the diameter of the polished titanium case down to 43mm. As one would expect for a striking watch, the water resistance is only 30 meters, but, in truth, this is one kind of watch I wouldn’t want anywhere near water at all, considering the caseback features eight perforations for improved sound delivery.
So how have they done it? What have they changed to achieve such a loud and crisp sound? The self-winding UN-610 movement has a few tricks up its sleeve to go along with a sufficient 42-hour power reserve. Most notable is an alteration to how the “timbre” (the piece that is is struck by an internal hammer to emit a sound) is fixed in place.
When the timbre is struck it causes vibrations in the air around it, resulting in sound being created. Normally, these vibrations occur within the very limited air supply within the watch. The sound is effectively trapped inside the watch. What Ulysse Nardin Hourstriker Phantom Limited-Edition Watch and Devialet have done, is set that sound free. In the UN-610 caliber, the timbre’s heel is attached to a system of torsion arms, which react to the vibrations around them, essentially forcing the sound out of the case, via transmission arm communicating these vibrations to a thin membrane that sits on the underside of the watch. The membrane’s large surface area acts as an amplifier, displacing a much larger amount of air than one would normally have to play with inside a watch case. Truthfully, this mechanism’s theory is comparable to that of a loudspeaker and its cone and membrane.
The handsome and (visually) striking dial design is inspired by Chladni’s figures, which are shapes formed by the materialization of vibratory waves (anyone who had an old Windows media player will get the idea). This particular pattern is reminiscent of the protective net placed over the tweeters in Devialet’s speakers. The unusual orientation of the Arabic numerals is a nod to the way a Naval compass might be printed and a link to Ulysse Nardin’s nautical history. The Ulysse Nardin Hourstriker Phantom Limited-Edition Watch comes on a black alligator strap fastened by an ardillon buckle.
Ulysse Nardin Dual Time 42mm
Recently, Ulysse Nardin has demonstrated its boldness by designing ultra-modern watches with architectural openworked movements or complex displays. The brand is also about complications and, ironically, the simplification of these complications. One should keep in mind the work undertaken by the brand with Dr Ludwig Oechslin to simplify its perpetual calendar. In the same vein, one of the most emblematic displays by UN is the dual time and today this watch gets a complete overhaul. Meet the fully reshaped Ulysse Nardin Dual Time 42mm.
Making complex things simple was Oechslin’s philosophy regarding watchmaking during his days at Ulysse Nardin. He was the creative genius behind the Freak, the Trilogy of Time collection (a trio of watches named Astrolabium Galileo Galilei, Planetarium Copernicus and Tellurium Johannes Kepler), and of course, the Perpetual Calendar he created for the brand in 1996 to celebrate its 150th anniversary. But prior to that, in 1994, another watch made some noise, the Dual Time, with its patented instant time zone adjustment – one of the most practical of its kind on the market.
Now, in 2020, the brand has reshaped its strategy and remodelled most of its collections, with a far more daring design language and modern shapes. As such, the new Ulysse Nardin Dual Time 42mm isn’t the watch you’ve known in the past. Forget about the classic, round Dual Time of the early 2000s, the new models are sporty and contemporary. However, what hasn’t changed is the super-practical way of setting the time when travelling.
The Dual Time models have a case inspired by the brand’s recent creations, such as the Skeleton X with the iconic three-horn lugs and contrasting colours for the case and its bezel. Measuring 42mm in diameter, it is available in three versions: two of them are made from brushed stainless steel with a contrasting bezel in blue or in black; the third model is the top-of-the-range, with an 18k rose gold case and a blue bezel. The strap is perfectly integrated with the rest of the watch and is available either in alligator or in structured rubber.
The dial also recalls some of the boldest creations of Ulysse Nardin with its large Roman numerals at 3, 6, 9 and 12 o’clock and the central applied rectangle in the middle – a design element found in some openworked movements, here integrated into the display. The dial is sunray brushed and is available either in black or in blue. The applied indexes, hands and rectangle match the case material.
What really matters is the display, with central hours and minutes for the local time, a patented big date at 2 o’clock, a small seconds at 6 o’clock and, important, a circular window at 9 o’clock with a magnifier. This is your permanent home time indicator. Regarding settings, the Ulysse Nardin Dual Time is among the simplest to set. The central hour hand adjusts forwards or backward with the simple touch of the “+” and “-” pushers located opposite the crown. Changing the time zone when landing after a flight is a matter of seconds.
Powering this new Ulysse Nardin Dual Time 42mm is the calibre UN-24, an automatic movement fitted with the brand’s patented dual time module on top. Running at 4Hz, it stores 42 hours of power reserve. The movement, visible under a sapphire caseback, features a new oscillating weight with a prominent, encircled UN logo.
Ulysse Nardin Classico Jade 37mm
In 2013, Ulysse Nardin Classico Jade 37mm launched Jade as a tribute to a revered gemstone that the royal court in China considered “crystallized magic”—the link between heaven and earth. Now, five years later, five new Jade ladies pay homage to an even more precious stone: the diamond.
These exquisite timepieces have a new round case shape and a new home in the Classic Collection. Graced with classic hour, minute and second hands powered by the collection’s dedicated calibre, the self-winding and ever-reliable UN-815, the flagship editions fuse Haute Joaillerie techniques, time-honoured craftsmanship and captivating feminine allure.
Ten diamonds in a delicate leaf-like wave motif adorn the lower left quadrant of the round mother-of-pearl dials; 76 more sparkle on the stunning bezel in stainless steel.
The very feminine color options – blue leather strap and oversized blue Arabic indexes, white leather strap with grey numerals, or garnet red leather strap with red numerals – perfectly match the mother-of-pearl’s sumptuous tones and the diamonds’ incandescent fire.
The blue and grey editions are also available with more discreet bezels in unadorned stainless steel.Ulysse Nardin Classico Jade 37mm
Ulysse Nardin Classico Manara
Celebrated Italian erotic comic book artist Milo Manara and legendary watchmaker Ulysse Nardin Classico Manara have teamed up to create a series of ten enchanting erotic watches.
Milo Manara’s erotic watches take you on a voyage into the depths of a mythical sea of desire where Ulyssa, a mermaid, and Nadia, a woman, meet, discover and love each other in a timeless, nautical reverie.
Based on Manara’s illustrations of underwater encounters between a hauntingly beautiful woman and a mythical mermaid, the watches are a palindrome, each one a unique, timeless moment that exists independently from the others. Using micro painting over 150 years of watchmaking knowledge and experience, Ulysse Nardin Classico Manara has transferred Manara’s story onto ten watch faces in a series that is unveiled for the first time at the SIHH in Geneva in January 2019. Where mermaids and sharks bask freely in clear waters, in an underwater world freed from the constraints of time, the tale told on each one of these ten, unique watch faces is a visual feast recounting of a love story between an earthly woman and an other-worldly mermaid. The Sapphic story unfolds under the waves, in a place where time has no bearing.
A mermaid and a human meet and engage tenderly under the watchful eye of a distant shark. Like the sirens in Homer’s classic tale of Ulysses, Manara’s mermaid enchants the young woman, taking her into a sensual embrace. Each scene is a moment where time disappears, and love propels them as they rock gently in the ocean waves.
“I had to think of a theme that brings all these ten images together and yet leaves each one its autonomy, so that it works on its own without the need for the others”, Manara explained from his studio in Valpolicella, Italy. “This is not a linear story but there is a common thread based on two characters; one is a timeless girl and the other, a mermaid”.
Born in northern Italy, Manara has been a graphic illustrator for over fifty years. He was classically trained as a painter, studying the works of Rubens, Caravaggio and de Chirico before defining his own style. For this series of watches, Manara chose a universal theme – erotic love – and created characters that exist in their own time frame.
“It is clear that these women represent an ideal. If we look at Greek classicism and the Renaissance, one can see that the morphology of the physical model has changed over the centuries. I see my work as a continuous reinterpretation of the ideal model.”
Manara has created just ten of these illustrations, a series that Ulysse Nardin has reproduced using micro painting. High in the swiss mountains, artisans at the Ulysse Nardin Headquarters in Le Locle have been working during approximately 50 hours around the clock to miniaturize each of Manara’s drawings on the dials, a surface which is roughly ten times smaller than the original water color paintings. The art of miniature painting shows that perfection is indeed in the details.
There is an explosion of colours in the sensual details. From the deep blue of the sea to the coral reef barrier, to the little waves details on the surface of the water and the color of the mermaid’s lips and jewels, it has all been painted by hand using a brush the width of a single eyelash. Patience is key. To enhance Manara’s erotic scenes, a lacquer has been applied as a topcoat on the acrylic painting, reflecting the light and nobility of Manara’s art work. Made of polished stainless steel, these Milo Manara special editions will also be manufactured in 5N rose gold. Ten pieces per drawing will be produced in stainless steel and ten pieces in rose gold, making the series limited to a mere 200 pieces in total.
Powered by the UN-320 self-winding manufacture movement and beating at the rhythm of silicium technology – which Ulysse Nardin Classico Manara has mastered for decades – only the hours and minutes are displayed in order to leave a maximum amount of space on the watch faces for the drawings. The hands are discreet, leaving the drawings to star on the face of each watch. These Classico Manara in 40 mm will be set on dark blue alligator straps to align with the color tonality dictated by Manara. As a special gift from Ulysse Nardin, each watch purchase will be accompanied by an original numbered Milo Manara print, signed by the artist himself.
Ulysse Nardin Classico Manara Manufacture 40mm
It might surprise you to learn that the Ulysse Nardin Classico Manufacture will be the first watch in the brand’s Classico range to feature its own in-house movement. The Ulysse Nardin Classico Manufacture is a simply styled watch, with a pleasingly restrained dial that features central hour and minute hands, a going seconds sub-dial at 6 o’clock, and a small, round date window within the seconds sub-dial. Let’s take a quick closer look at this new release.
As expected on a restrained “Classico” watch, the hours are marked by applied thin gold lines, while 12, 3, and 9 o’clock are indicated by slender Roman numerals. All of the markers are applied, in contrast to the sub-dial surround, which is sunk into the dial. This multi-levelled approach creates a bit more interest in a dial that could otherwise appear plain. In addition to the gold markers, the dial of the Ulysse Nardin Classico Manufacture is marked with small luminous dots. On the cream dial, these white dots are almost invisible in daylight, but come alive after dark, making this piece usable no matter the time.
There’s a fine line between plainness and successfully executed classicism, and I think the Ulysse Nardin Classico Manufacture strikes a good balance. The dial is finished in a slightly iridescent frosting, which is continued by the edge of the sub-dial, before giving way to a concentric circular ridge pattern. There may not be much going on, but the subtle shifts in patterning or depth give just enough visual engagement to make this watch face desirable. Getting this right, or even bothering to use the different patterns in a creative but tasteful way is essential to any good design.
The established Ulysse Nardin anchor logo is also applied in the same material and fashion as the hour markers, creating a satisfying link between all the necessary dial elements. The gold hands themselves are of a simple, traditional shape with bold luminous inserts. They are excellently weighted and look very elegant against the reserved backdrop and within the slick case that is designed to catch eyes, not cuffs.
The 40mm case is made of 18ct rose gold and stands just 9.6mm from the wrist. The classically styled housing is polished with no sharp edges – perfect for being worn under a shirt cuff. The front and back crystals are both sapphire, with the dial-side crystal treated with an anti-reflective coating for enhanced clarity. The watch is held on your wrist by a leather strap, brown for the cream dial variant, and colour-coded blue for the blue dial model. The strap is fastened by a tang buckle, which I think is a good choice for a watch this classical in style.
So when you turn the watch over in your hands, what do you see? Through the sapphire case back, the new in-house UN-320 movement is visible. The rotor weight dominates the aperture and is rendered from matching rose gold and sports a black Ulysse Nardin logo against a nicely patterned background. The UN-320 features a silicium hairspring and an anchor escapement. It has automatic winding and has a power reserve of 48 hours. The case is water resistant to 30 meters, but it’s not a watch that is designed for active wear.
The bi-colour movement has rhodium plated bridges, finished with a circular Geneva wave. The proliferation of blued screws (with three visible screw heads attaching the rotor bearing to the automatic device framework) and the meatiness of the red jewels (of which there are 39 in total), gives this in-house calibre a real sense of colour. In addition to the chunky jewels, the pivots that can be seen poking through appear refreshingly robust.
It doesn’t seem that Ulysse Nardin have attempted to do anything too flashy with the design of this movement, and they should be applauded for their restraint. Its one unusual complication is the ability to set the date both forwards and backwards, which is something that has become almost a trademark feature of Ulysse Nardin by now. It will probably save you a handful of seconds a year, unless you wear this watch as an occasional piece, in which case, this extra function becomes quite useful. For a brand that makes its hay by launching crazy, mind-blowing machines, the Ulysse Nardin Classico Manufacture is a very welcome addition to a range that was in need of some mechanical modernisation. It will carry a price tag of $14,500. With a versatile in-house calibre in their pocket, expect Ulysse Nardin to roll out the UN-320 and its derivatives across a range that should become more desirable for its presence.
Ulysse Nardin Executive Dual Time 42mm
Irecall the first time that I saw the Executive Dual Time watch. I was visiting Ulysse Nardin at a watch trade show and saw some models I hadn’t yet familiarized myself with being displayed. Clearly they were UN watches but they didn’t really have that typical UN look many people associate with the brand. “Executive” in the name seemed to hint that UN wanted these watches to be aimed at business types looking for a solid daily wear. The construction was impressive and I couldn’t get over that super legible dial – but did I like the watch?
After spending some time with a Ulysse Nardin Executive Dual Time watch I can easily say that I do in-fact really like the watch. At first I wasn’t sure, but the piece really grew on me in a serious way – thanks in most part to a combination of factors including the movement, legibility and quality. I still don’t know how it fits into the overall DNA of the Ulysse Nardin product family and frankly I don’t even care. Ulysse Nardin is an independent watch maker – and they can design and release whatever they like without making sure it fits into some prescribed mold.
This specific Ulysse Nardin Executive Dual Time watch is the reference # 243-00/42. Look online and you’ll find a seriously intense assortment of styles in the collection. The steel (also available in 18k rose gold) case is 43mm wide and has a very broad lug structure and strap. This makes it feel larger on the wrist while not looking like a big watch. 43mm wide not considered too large today and the mostly round case with thick bezel keeps it from looking at all large on the wrist. The bezel mind you is black ceramic. Here the material is used properly to add color, shine, and of course ceramic’s high level of scratch resistance.
Ulysse Nardin did a good job making the case interesting, but not too strange. Completely polished, the finishing is well-done and the little details on the case prevent it from being boring. The proprietary strap connection on the lugs forces you to buy only Ulysse Nardin straps, but you could argue it is worth the unique look. It is even easy to appreciate the detailing put into the crown guard and the crown with its applied UN logo. On the other side of the case are two ceramic pushers and a serial number plate. While this is not a limited edition watch, Ulysse Nardin likes to personalize each piece with a plate containing its unique serial number.
I am impressed that the Ulysse Nardin Executive Dual Time watch has a water resistance of 100 meters. That isn’t incredibly high or anything, but more than I would have expected in this style of watch. Over the dial is a sapphire crystal with the proper amount of AR coating to prevent as much glare as is possible. Another sapphire crystal is over the case back to show the movement.
Dial legibility, as I said, is very good. One of the key pluses of the collection in my opinion. On this model, the dial is a glossy black with a mixture of applied and printed hour markers. UN properly used diamond cut and polished hour markers and hands to create a high level of contrast but also retain that fancy sparkle people want from polished metal. At anything over $1,000 these days, brands have little excuse to not use diamond cut elements for the dials. Demand “diamond cut” people.
Design-wise, the dial has that large rectangular minute indicator with round subsidiary seconds dial, and other elements that don’t seem to go together on paper. This seemingly random assortment of design cues from brands like Cartier and Roger Dubuis actually made sense together – but perhaps not at first. Like I said, I wasn’t sold on the dial design of the watch until after I had lived with it for a while. Now I truly appreciate the combination of elegance and functionality. The dial does have lume, but not a whole lot. Quality SuperLumiNova is used in part on the hands and some hour markers on the inner scale. Having said that, the high contrast dial by itself is easy to read in the dark without the lume.
So what about the dual time function? Ulysse Nardin released this system apparently back in 1996, and it still remains a strong module the brand manufactures. Inside this watch is the caliber UN-24 automatic movement. This is composed of a modified base Swiss ETA 2892 automatic movement. On it is a special Ulysse Nardin module which adds a big date indicator and the second time zone. What impresses me about the UN-24 are two things. First, the movement works really smoothly. You get the feeling that all the kinks were worked out of the movement long ago and making adjustments feels secure and controlled. Sometimes movements feel as though they are barely working and that development was rushed – not here though.
A feature on the date adjustment that you’ll appreciate is the ability to adjust the date both backwards and forwards. Trust me – this is a good thing. The dual time feature is indicated via a window that shows the time in 24 hour format. This is the same as a GMT function, but it uses a disc versus GMT hand to indicate the second timezone. When you adjust the time via the crown, both times change. The trick is in the two pushers on the left side of the case – these are used to change the local time (main dial) both forward and back in time. The result is an easy to read, easy to adjust GMT watch for traveling. The pushers even have handy plus and minus symbols on them. The ability to move the date and time zone in both directions shows a dedication to the user experience that is actually a bit rare in this industry.
More than many watches, the Executive Dial Time watch received a fair number of compliments while on my wrist. I guess it does have a nice “executive” look to it. The strap is available in both textured rubber and alligator. The double-fold over push-button deployant is made from smooth polished metal in a style I’ve never seen before. Even that element has a lot of attention put into it. Overall, it is the many small details that make this a good watch. I glowingly praise it to anyone who might benefit from its functions and can see this handsome watch sitting on their wrist. As seen, the retail price for the Ulysse Nardin Executive Dual Time watch
Ulysse Nardin Diver Net
Around 30 adventurers will set off from Les Sables d’Olonne on Sunday November 8th, at the start of the 9th edition of the Vendée Globe, the ineffable non-stop and unassisted yacht race around the world. A circumnavigation of 21,638 nautical miles (40,075 kilometres) which only takes place every four years and for which Ulysse Nardin has the honour of being the Official Timekeeper. Ulysse Nardin Diver Net is a not marketed concept watch.
The Swiss watchmaker has been making marine chronometers of incomparable reliability for explorers since 1846 and continues this tradition by supporting the Vendée Globe. This year, the yachtsmen will spend a minimum of 70 days at sea before returning to Les Sables d’Olonne and crossing the finish line. During this odyssey, they will inevitably be confronted with the 5,000 billion pieces of the floating plastic that pollutes the ocean.
Ulysse Nardin Diver Net has turned its efforts towards researching and developing solutions for the growing plastic pollution crisis in our oceans. The watchmaker has implemented a dedicated research unit to studying materials from the sea, particularly the characteristics of oyster shells, algae, marine PET (plastic bottles) and polyamide fishing nets. The team is currently researching several avenues of sustainable innovation for future watchmaking projects.
In October 2020, Ulysse Nardin Diver Net marked the first milestone in its commitment to the marine circular economy with the launch of the new “R-STRAP”. The strap made of fishing nets is compatible with the DIVER, MARINE and FREAK X watches and made from recycled fishing nets, one of the main sources of ocean plastic pollution.
Today, Ulysse Nardin Diver Net is taking their commitment further by introducing the DIVER NET, a concept watch in which each trim element has been designed to be as environmentally friendly as possible. A totally innovative and “upcycled” watch for which the search for suppliers was key.
For the case, middle, back and bezel decoration of the DIVER NET, Ulysse Nardin has placed its trust in three young Breton designers who have created the first fishing net recycling sector in France. FIL&FAB recovers nets that are no longer in use from harbors and transforms them into polyamide pellets, a raw material that is highly resistant to friction. These partners have an industrial design and transition background, with a real sensitivity to the product.
“A design object is creating one which has been thought out from start to finish to fulfill its functions without damaging the environment”, emphasizes Yann Louboutin, one of the three founders of FIL&FAB. “Our association with Ulysse Nardin is natural: it is inevitably first and foremost linked to the sea, to Ulysses, the Odyssey, adventure, exploration, gusts of wind, salt spray and so on. We also share the desire to produce reliable objects, made to last, while reducing the ecological impact. Today, we are devoting our energy to trying to curb environmental problems, and no initiatives should be considered too small. Recycled materials are a necessity for the future.” – Yann Louboutin, one of the three founders of FIL&FAB, a supplier of recycled plastic from fishing nets (Brittany, France)
The research around the DIVER NET has consisted of redesigning its trim elements, leading the watch to feature a wrist strap made from PET plastic from the sea, transformed into reels of thread by the Swiss company TIDE. This supplier is also working to stop the production of virgin plastic at its source and use the huge resources already available. In its search for low-impact solutions, Ulysse Nardin has also replaced the traditional sapphire glass by a transparent ceramic glass, machined in the Swiss Jura. The transparent ceramic glass is a material used with the goal of having a lower environmental impact by limiting energy when it is manufactured. The innovation department has thus appraised and tested several solutions, which may be extended to other products.
The DIVER NET is a concept watch that explores important environmentally-friendly innovations while keeping the brand’s tradition of brilliant watchmaking alive. In fact, the silicon technology of the UN-118 movement can be admired through the back of its 44mm case. This concept diver watch is equipped with a concave inverted unidirectional bezel, also made of recycled fishing nets, with a curved transparent ceramic glass instead of a traditional sapphire glass. The white, gray and green dial, with its majestic white “UN” lettering, heralds the mechanical marvel that sits within it. On the hour-markers and hands, the acid green Superluminova makes it easier to see the time in the dark. Green touches – symbolizing nature – are omnipresent: on the dial, bezel, crown protector and on the stitching on the recycled PET strap. The dial also features a power reserve indicator at 12 o’clock, as well as a date window and a small second hand at 6 o’clock.
“The sea has always been part of our brand’s DNA and exploration has always been our spearhead”, stresses Patrick Pruniaux, CEO of Ulysse Nardin. “There is generally a strong willingness and interest of the staff members to support initiatives to improve the brand’s environmental performance. Our intention is not to be the first to innovate with sustainable materials, but rather to show the watch industry that it is possible to make our customers aware of recycled materials, even for luxury items. We would be very happy if our innovations were somehow ‘open-source’.”
To convey the message of this nontraditional watch, Ulysse Nardin has chosen Mathieu Crepel, a “Ulysses” of the company, as its ambassador. World champion snowboarder, Olympic medalist and surfer, he instinctively glides from snowflakes to waves and is heavily involved with The Water Family, an organization dedicated to the education of water protection and health of the planet.
“When you surf, you are faced with the problem of plastic on the beach, in the water and so on. It has harmful effects on marine fauna and flora. I am proud to be able to support Ulysse Nardin in a reflection that leads them to use recycled materials. They are at the forefront in working with the noblest and most durable materials. This recycled plastic in turn becomes a raw material that can be used for an exceptional product. This is an important brand statement: manufacturing luxury goods now requires a global approach. Being the spokesman for the launch of this watch makes me want to motivate and inspire people even more. It’s an achievement,” stated Mathieu Crepel.
Ahead of the Vendée Globe, Mathieu Crepel will symbolically go and take a piece of ice from the top of the Pic du Midi in the Alps, which he will bring back to Les Sables d’Olonne, to prove microplastic can now be found on mountain tops, and has entered the cycle of the elements: nanoparticles evaporate in the clouds and it snows plastic. Mathieu’s goal is to highlight the crucial importance of this land-ocean relationship and the fact that snow and ice are no longer pure.
In addition to Mathieu, another Ulysses will participate in the Vendée Globe race. The celebrated yachtsman, Sébastien Destremau, will face the Everest of the seas for the second time. In the previous edition, after a Dantean journey of 124 days, he received a hero’s welcome. “I was convinced that there would be nobody left, but they were all there, cheering and clapping me. Thousands of people! I’ve never forgotten that moment and I decided to take part in the 2020 Vendée Globe as a thank you to them,” Sébastien Destremau says. This year, he will be starting aboard the “Merci” (Thank You) monohull.
“This Merci is a signal of my gratitude. It supports this intimate, professional or planetary message, ranging from the ‘thank you, Mom’ to the ‘thank you, Earth’.”His entire project is carbon neutral and he is taking on this challenge to experience great sea adventures.“I want to give meaning and emotion to this adventure.” There is no doubt that the new sailing exploit of this modern-day Ulysses will be a voyage full of emotion. During his odyssey, Sébastien Destremau will alternately wear the DIVER X NEMO POINT, the DIVER X CAP HORN and the DIVER X ANTARCTICA. “Wearing a watch that isn’t going to let you down, no matter what storm hits you, is the most important thing.” according to him.
Ulysse Nardin Diver X Skeleton 44mm
Many words can be used to describe Ulysse Nardin’s deep and varied modern lineup, but one unifying concept that ties the brand’s offerings together is audacious design. This commitment to bold and aggressive style flows through its 2021 novelties collection, and the new limited edition Diver X Skeleton is a prime example of this. By combining the impactful and futuristic tool watch principles of the successful Diver X line with the intricate showcasing of the Skeleton X series, the limited edition Ulysse Nardin Diver X Skeleton offers one of the brand’s most unrestrained and vibrant diver offerings to date.
The 44mm case of the Ulysse Nardin Diver X Skeleton follows the same sporty modern pattern as previous Diver X models, with a heavily toothed unidirectional dive bezel, distinctive stepped lugs, and low, narrow rectangular crown guards. This combination leads to a bold, hefty presence in initial images, but Ulysse Nardin increases this model’s visual impact further with a few custom touches. The case is finished with a mix of bead blasted and brushed surfaces, then capped off with a deep desaturated navy blue PVD for a dark and oceanic matte look. The concave bezel insert shares this blue shade, but adds a dynamic range of accents with its Carbonium carbon composite construction and bright white diving scale with safety orange accents. This dynamic orange tone reappears for the rubberized orange crown guards, visually breaking up the case side and injecting a touch of dramatic contrast. Ulysse Nardin rates the case of the Diver X Skeleton for a respectable 200 meters of water resistance.
Ulysse Nardin carries over the central “X” motif of the Diver X line with the Diver X Skeleton but carves away nearly everything else to showcase its reworked in-house movement. This multi-part centerpiece functions as much of the bridge assembly for the movement itself, and the brand emphasizes its multi-part construction with several visual layers and a mix of blue PVD finishing shot through with vibrant orange accents. The beveled rectangular indices and distinctive paddle hands of previous Diver X models make an appearance here in the same PVD blue for a cohesive look, and the brand further integrates the internal and external looks with a bezel-matching blue Carbonium cover for the mainspring barrel at 12 o’clock. Ulysse Nardin visually balances this element at 6 o’clock with the intricate and airy silicon balance, with its Ferris wheel-esque arrangement of nickel flyweights.
Inside the Ulysse Nardin Diver X Skeleton beats the in-house UN-372 automatic movement. Using the Skeleton X line’s UN-371 movement as a base, the UN-372 adds an X-shaped winding rotor to the skeleton design. Outside of the skeleton flourishes, finishing for the UN-372 remains somewhat spartan, without embellishment to distract from the silicon escape wheel, anchor, and balance assembly. The power reserve stands at 96 hours at a slightly low 21,600 bph beat rate. The Ulysse Nardin Diver X Skeleton is paired with the brand’s modern and sporty rubber strap in a choice of either matching midnight blue or a bold diving orange for added visual impact.
Combining its aggressive modern diver design language with an intricate skeleton dial and an attention-grabbing colorway, the limited edition Ulysse Nardin Diver X Skeleton delivers one of the boldest and most dramatic offerings on the brand’s current menu. Only 175 examples of the Ulysse Nardin Diver X Skeleton will be made to commemorate the brand’s 175th anniversary in 2021. The Ulysse Nardin Diver X Skeleton
Ulysse Nardin Blast Hourstriker 45mm
Before we wore time, we heard it. Clocks chimed in the heart of every medieval city. Clocks made by brilliant craftsmen who would, through miniaturisation , create domestic clocks, and then hand held timepieces, capable, despite their small size, to strike the passing hours. Inspired by watchmaking’s past and the possibility of moving musical timekeeping into the future, Ulysse Nardin wants you to hear time again, not read it.
It has been several years in the making but Ulysse Nardin Blast Hourstriker has found a new way to make sound. Introducing the Blast Hourstriker, an innovative new striking watch that breaks barriers in sound technology.
This art of marking the time with music has always been a part of Ulysse Nardin’s technical arsenal. It was revived in the 1980s, under the impetus of Rolf Schnyder and given a new lease of life in 2019 when the Swiss Manufacture collaborated with French audio technology company Devialet on the next level of watchmaking acoustics, which was launched in the Classico Hourstriker Phantom.
This year Patrick Pruniaux Ulysse Nardin’s CEO, has again made the choice to make sound central to the brand’s drive for more futuristic ways to reinterpret traditional watchmaking crafts.
Ordinarily, to generate the sound needed to mark the passing hours, the hammers strike a wire gong wrapped around the movement to which it is attached. The acoustic wave spreads into the middle of the mechanism and is partly absorbed by it. In these conditions, the sound heard lacks power and its harmonics are partially muffled by the material of the timepiece.
For the Blast Hourstriker Ulysse Nardin’s team of engineers decided to set themselves two challenges: Make the chiming mechanism visible on the dial side; Further improve the quality/power output ratio. A challenge that was already started with the Classico Hourstriker Phantom watch.
To achieve these goals, Ulysse Nardin’s engineers and watchmakers developed the UN 621 caliber. In order to guarantee optimal precision of Ulysse Nardin’s first in house automatic striking manufacture movement, it is powered by a flying tourbillon one that is equipped with a variable inertia balance wheel, a silicon hairspring, anchor and escape wheel. Its contemporary lines have also been made sleeker and stamped with the now iconic X associated with the brand’s latest generation of timepieces.
The most complex phase of the Blast Hourstriker’s development involved redesigning the entire kinematics of this 330 component striking caliber to allow this highly sophisticated mechanism, which is usually hidden from view, to be seen dial side.
When the striker is on, the mechanical ballet that makes the watch’s sound is visible on the hour and half hour, but even its occasional activation is just as beautiful. By pressing the button located at 10 o’clock, the mechanism, driven by a specially dedicated barrel, is triggered The hour rack and the inertia regulator start to turn the hammers, visible in an opening made at 12 o’clock, hit the gong whose shape has been subtly worked to bypass the cage of the flying tourbillon.
Finally, to ensure that the Ulysse Nardin Blast Hourstriker striking mechanism acoustic performance perfectly audible, this movement incorporates a titanium membrane developed in collaboration with Devialet the French audio technology company with whom Ulysse Nardin worked on its torsion lever used in 2019 ’s Classico Hourstriker Phantom; one of whose co founders is a direct descendant of the Ulysse Nardin family.
As in the Classico Hourstriker Phantom, the torsion lever connects the heel of the gong to the fine membrane In this construction, it is pressed against a grid to prevent it deforming in the event of extreme external pressure. This diaphragm is 3/10th of a millimeter thick and treated with black DLC, which offers a large deformation area, which, when under load, moves a large volume of air, which improves the audibility of the sound produced.
The Blast line’s signature double X cut into the rose gold caseback also ensures the security of this sensitive Devialet membrane, which, once in action, basically acts like a hi fi speaker releasing and amplifying the gong’s sound.
An exceptional mechanism requires an exceptional case. So Ulysse Nardin decided to encase a movement inspired by the power of nature in a design inspired by a powerful man-made machine the stealth airplane. To truly allow the sound of the Blast Hourstriker to resonate,
the distinctive 45 mm Blast case was given a black DLC titanium middle, capped with 5 N 18 kt rose gold, for improved acoustics. To silence this imposing timepiece with the button located at 8 o’clock on the middle must be pressed and then the ‘ or ‘ position at the tip of the
function selector hand located at 8 o’clock checked.
The three straps that come with the Ulysse Nardin Blast Hourstriker allow its different personalities to be explored. The black high-tech, waterproof velvet option emphasizes its aerodynamism, while the alligator brings its more sophisticated side to the fore. In addition, a rubber strap is also available for this model. Whatever you choose, remember the Blast Hourstriker is made to be heard not seen.
Unveiled during the Watches and Wonders 2021 event, the Ulysse Nardin Blast Hourstriker is an innovative new striking watch.
In 2019, the Swiss Manufacture collaborated with French audio technology company Devialet and launched in the Classico Hourstriker Phantom. This year, with the Blast Hourstriker watch, the luxury Swiss brand has opted for more futuristic ways to reinterpret traditional watchmaking crafts. In general, to generate the sound needed to mark the passing hours, the hammer strikes a wire gong wrapped around the movement to which it is attached. The acoustic wave spreads into the middle of the mechanism and is partly absorbed by it. In these conditions, the sound heard lacks power and its harmonics are partially muffled by the material of the timepiece.
For the Blast Hourstriker, Ulysse Nardin had to find the solutions for two challenges. The first one was to make the chiming mechanism visible on the dial side. The second challenge was to improve the quality/power output ratio.
To achieve these goals, Ulysse Nardin Blast Hourstriker developed the UN-621 caliber. For ensuring optimal precision of Ulysse Nardin’s first in-house automatic striking manufacture movement, it is powered by a flying tourbillon; one that is equipped with a variable-inertia balance wheel, a silicon hairspring, anchor and escape wheel.
The most complex phase of the Blast Hourstriker’s development involved redesigning the entire kinematics of this 330-component striking caliber to allow this highly sophisticated mechanism, which is usually hidden from view, to be seen dial side.
When the striker is on, the mechanical ballet that makes the watch’s sound is visible on the hour and half hour, but even its occasional activation is just as beautiful.
By pressing the button located at 10 o’clock, the mechanism, driven by a specially dedicated barrel, is triggered. The hour rack and the inertia regulator start to turn; the hammers, visible in an opening made at 12 o’clock, hit the gong whose shape has been subtly worked to bypass the cage of the flying tourbillon.
Finally, to ensure that the Ulysse Nardin Blast Hourstriker striking mechanism acoustic performance perfectly audible, this movement incorporates a titanium membrane developed in collaboration with Devialet, the French audio technology company with whom Ulysse Nardin worked on its torsion lever used in 2019’s Classico Hourstriker Phantom. Interestingly, one of whose co-founders of Devialet is a direct descendant of the Ulysse Nardin family.
As in the Classico Hourstriker Phantom, the torsion lever connects the heel of the gong to the fine membrane. In this construction, it is pressed against a grid to prevent it deforming in the event of extreme external pressure. This diaphragm is 3/10th of a millimetrer thick and treated with black DLC, which offers a large deformation area, which, when under load, moves a large volume of air, which improves the audibility of the sound produced.
The Blast line’s signature double X cut into the rose gold case back, also ensures the security of this sensitive Devialet membrane, which, once in action, basically acts like a hi-fi speaker– releasing and amplifying the gong’s sound. To truly allow the sound of the Blast Hourstriker to resonate, the distinctive 45mm Blast case was given a black DLC titanium middle, capped with 5N18-kt rose gold, for improved acoustics.To silence this imposing timepiece with the button located at 8 o’clock on the middle must be pressed and then the ‘ON’ or ‘OFF’ position at the tip of the function selector hand located at 8 o’clock checked.
The three straps that come with the Ulysse Nardin Blast Hourstriker allow its different personalities to be explored. The black high-tech, waterproof velvet option emphasizes its aerodynamism, while the alligator brings its more sophisticated side to the fore. In addition, a rubber strap is also available for this model.
