Introducing the Ulysse Nardin Grand Deck Marine Tourbillon

Ulysse Nardin dropped anchor in the nautical world in 1846 and is still exploring maritime watchmaking paths and sailing the high seas with amazing designs such as the new Grand Deck Marine Tourbillon.

Its wood inlay dial is inspired by the longitudinal design of sailboat decks with light teak slats under a blue aluminium boom (cylindrical rigging perpendicular to the mast to rotate the sail) held in place by halyards and winches bearing the minute hand. The retrograde hand glides over a semi-circular translucent blue bridge featuring the white minute track. The jumping hours appear in a double display at 12 and the flying tourbillon spins at 6.

The 44mm white gold case houses the manual wind UN-630 calibre which fuels the 48-hour power reserve.

Price: 280,000 CHF

By Sharmila Bertin

Introducing the Ulysse Nardin Classico Manufacture

Watchmaker Ulysse Nardin founded his business in Le Locle in 1846. The brand famous for its pocket and marine chronometers is celebrating its 170^th anniversary in 2016. To commemorate its legacy, the brand has designed a timeless limited edition watch (170 available) that also comes in a more contemporary version: Classico Manufacture.

Both timepieces have a 40mm steel case and functions fuelled by the self-winding UN-320 calibre which provides a 48-hour power reserve. The exclusive model’s dial is awash with white Grand Feu enamel bearing blue Roman hour numerals and a minute track; two blue leaf-shape hands track the hours and minutes in the centre whilst the small seconds wrap around the date at 6.

The second model has a blue sunburst dial with baton-shape hour markers and applied silver Roman numerals.

Price: 8,500 CHF (enamel dial) – 7,500 (blue dial)

By Sharmila Bertin

The Le Locle watchmaker has been steeped in the ocean world since its very foundations as proven by the anchor on its current logo. The brand has been designing marine chronometers since the company was first founded in 1846 by Ulysse Nardin (1823-1876). The limited edition Ulysse Anchor Tourbillon (18 for each shade of gold) beautifully encapsulates the watchmaker’s passion for the big blue. The undulating engine-turned dial is coated in translucent Grand Feu enamel to depict the soft sea swell. Two silver or gold “poire” hands glide over the Breguet-style Arabic hour numerals and minute track on the chapter ring. The waves washing over the blue dial meet around the tourbillon spinning at 6 o’ clock and topped by a power reserve indicator. The powerful manual wind calibre in the 44mm case fuels the 8-day power reserve. Price: 84,000 CHF (rose gold) – 88,000 CHF (white gold). Sharmila Bertin

The 21^st century working girl doesn’t have to choose between technology and glamour. She lives in the here and now, is in tune with the world and is a business woman who hops between planes and juggles different time zones without her style ever slipping. Picture her in a fitted suit, high heels and an Executive Lady on her wrist. Ulysse Nardin has designed a timepiece with a Dual Time system for our globetrotting heroine. The system displays local time in the centre and home time in a display at 9 o’ clock which can be set using the ceramic pushers at 8 and 10 on the case side. Diamond indices and Roman numerals lie on a white, purple or brown mother-of-pearl dial. A diamond small seconds lies at 6 whilst a large date display stands at 2. The functions are brought to life by the self-winding UN-24 calibre inside the 40mm diamond-covered steel case. Price: 20,500 CHF. Sharmila Bertin

There a few timepieces with a second time zones designed especially for women. Anyone would think that only men could travel and play at being globetrotters…Well that’s not the case! Women travel too be it for business or pleasure and switch between different time zones. Ulysse Nardin has designed a range of the self-winding Dual Time Manufacture Lady with these jetsetters in mind. The bezel on the 37.5mm rose gold or steel case comes with or without diamonds. The white mother-of-pearl or black lacquer dial glitters with diamonds in place of standard indices, on the large XII at 12 o’ clock and the small seconds counter at 6. Local time appears in the centre tracked by two spear-shape hands whilst home time lies in a black-on-white display at 9 o’ clock. The date appears in a double display at 2. Price upon request. Sharmila Bertin

There’s no doubting this piece’s true blue DNA: its navy rubber coating, the ocean waves washing over its case in a controlled sea swell, its serious water resistance (200m) and, of course, its name! 1846 of the limited edition Blue Ocean, part of the Marine Diver collection, are available in tribute to the year the company was founded by Ulysse Nardin (1823-1876). The 45.8mm case has undergone the vulcanisation treatment, a chemical process which makes the rubber less plastic and more elastic to coat the rotating graduated bezel, screwdown crown and its covers. Powered by the self-winding UN-26 calibre, two gold and blue spear-shape hour and minute hands track the time on the dial. The small seconds is twinned with the date display at 6 o’ clock and the power reserve appears at 12 o’ clock. Price: 10,800 CHF

Chinese astrology became popular in the West during the 20th century and is traditionally based on 12-year cycles represented by 12 animals. Among these, in 8th place of the zodiac, is the goat which began ‘its’ year on 19 February, just past. 2015 is therefore set to be rather artistic as this little mammal symbolises creativity, imagination and therefore, by extension, fantasy. Ulysse Nardin rightly puts its creativity to work on the dial of its Classico, here, which is chiselled and filled with enamel. A white goat with its kids is peacefully positioned on a blue-tinged decor lightly nuanced by a golden shrub. At the heart of this miniature painting three watch hands display hours, minutes and seconds. These features are powered by a UN-815 COSC-certified automatic calibre which has a 42-hour power reserve and is housed in a pink gold 40mm diameter case. Price: 39,800 CHF

The bright blue of this piece by Ulysse Nardin catches your eye whilst its mechanical heart draws you in. The watch expertly plays with transparency and depth with a 1 minute flying tourbillon spinning on the sapphire plate at the base of the dial. A blue mask features two metallic openwork hour and minute hands yet the dial has no time markers (indices, figures and/or minute track). At the peak of this distinctive dial lies a conical dual display with the date on a blue background at 12 o’ clock. Four notes automatically ring out on the hour and the chime can be set for hours, quarters and minutes using the bolt on the case at 9 o’ clock. The clock is brought to life by a manual wind movement inside the 46mm white gold case. Simply press a button at 11 o’ clock to silence the Imperial Bleu. Price: 750,000 CHF

Named after the famous Florentine explorer Amerigo Vespucci (1454-1512), the Italian navy’s training ship is still in service after launching in 1931 and its three rigs of square sails are sailing the high seas on the Classico’s enamelled dial. The artisans at Ulysse Nardin have recreated a miniature version of the military frigate, its black hull’s two white strips and 2800m² of hessian sails beneath a stormy blue sky. Captured in a 40mm rose or white gold case, the enamel Amerigo Vespucci dial decorated with colours and decadent detail lies beneath three hands which spring from the 26 sails. The hours, minutes and seconds are brought to life by a COSC-certified UN-815 chronometer calibre. The self-winding mechanical movement also provides a 42-hour power reserve. 30 of each gold model are available. Price: 39,800 CHF (red gold) – 42,900 CHF (white gold)