SpotlightThe Ulysse Nardin Diver Net Vendée Globe Sails Into A Sustainable Sunset

To commemorate the 2024 Vendée Globe, widely regarded as the toughest solo non-stop sailboat race around the world, Ulysse Nardin present the Diver Net Vendée Globe, a watch that celebrates the impossible, brutal, even. Recounting their experience with maritime timekeeping that began in the 19th century, the Le Locle based watch brand reprise their role as official timekeepers of the race, having previously timed the quadrennial event in 2020-21. This latest Diver Net timepiece takes the brand’s sustainability efforts far into the future. Besides the standard recycled steel, upcycled carbon fibre and recycled fishing nets used to create the Diver Net Vendée Globe watch, the brand have even used upcycled silicon for the anti-magnetic escapement. In presenting this eco-friendly watch, Ulysse Nardin once again pave the way forward into a sustainable future.

Relentless At Sea And On The Wrist: Ulysse Nardin Diver Net Vendée Globe

First held in 1989, the Vendée Globe is a sailing endurance race across the world with a one-person crew with no external technical or race support. Held every four years, the non-stop race is widely regarded as among the toughest challenges at sea, and is called the ‘Everest of the sea’ as an indication of how difficult it is. And yet, more climbers have summited Mount Everest than sailors have completed the 45,000km race that involves extreme temperatures and climatic conditions, exhaustion, and inevitable damage to the boats. On November 10, the race flagged off from the bay of Les Sables d’Olonne in France and will end when the sailboats have travelled across the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans to return to the starting point on the Atlantic coastline.

Held every four years, Vendée Globe is a non-stop, solo endurance race, widely regarded as the toughest challenge at sea

it is called the ‘Everest of the sea’ as an indication of how difficult it is. And yet, more climbers have summited the Everest than sailors have completed the race

The 45,000km race involves extreme temperatures and climatic conditions, exhaustion, loneliness, and inevitable damage to the boats

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This projected route has been mapped on the sapphire crystal caseback window on the Ulysse Nardin Diver Net Vendée Globe. The words, ‘The only solo unassisted non-stop sailing race around the world’ sit around the periphery of the partial world map. Behind the tinted sapphire crystal, one can glimpse the automatic UN-118 manufacture calibre, with anti-magnetic silicon and DIAMonSIL escapement made from upcycled silicon wafer. Its functions include hours, minutes, small seconds, date, and an indicator for the 60-hour power reserve.

The projected route of the Vendée Globe race has been mapped on the sapphire crystal caseback window of the Ulysse Nardin Diver Net Vendée Globe

The words, ‘The only solo unassisted non-stop sailing race around the world’ sit around the periphery of the crystal, behind which the UN-118 calibre can be glimpsed

Sustainability 2.0 And The Ulysse Nardin Diver Net Vendée Globe

NyloFoil (recycled fishing nets and upcycled carbon fibre) and recycled steel are used for the 44mm case, flanks, lugs and caseback. Incidentally, the recycled fishing nets were sourced from the race’s starting point in the western coast of France. For the bezel, the brand have used CarbonFoil, an upcycled material crafted from scraps of carbon fibre that were used to manufacture foils on monohull race boats such as those employed in this gruelling Vendée Globe race. Markings on the bezel are in red and white against the black and grey marbling of the carbon fibre. Also crafted from recycled fishing nets are red and grey straps that the Ulysse Nardin Net Vendée Globe is mounted on.

The sandblasted and textured grey dial of the timepiece features an X in red and blue hues to match the Net Vendée Globe’s official colours. This is reflected in the small seconds sub-dial at six, which also houses a date window. Numerals are displayed in blue. All except the number 10, a nod to the 10th edition of the race, and the start date—November 10. Offsetting this is a power reserve indicator housed in a smaller sub-dial at 12 o’clock. Hour markers and winged timekeeping hands are filled with Super-LumiNova.

Besides being a really cool watch with its recycled materials, commemorative dial and caseback, the Ulysse Nardin Diver Net Vendée Globe is a functional and practical dive timer with a 300m water resistance rating. Needless to say, the watch makes a massive statement on the wrist be it on land or in the water.

Ulysse Nardin Diver Net Vendée Globe In A Nutshell

• Case: 44mm recycled steel, NyloFoil (recycled fishing nets and upcycled carbon fibre), CarbonFoil bezel (upcycled carbon fibre material)
• Water resistance: 300m
• Glass: Sapphire crystal
• Dial: Grey, sandblasted; X in blue, red for Vendée Globe colours; small seconds and date window at six, power reserve indicator at 12
• Functions: Hours, minutes, small seconds, date, power reserve indicator
• Movement: UN-118 automatic calibre; 60 -hour power reserve
• Strap: Red or grey made from recycled fishing nets

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