SpotlightUlysse Nardin At SIHH 2019—Out Of The Box And Into The Seas

It can be said with a good degree of certainty that people most closely associate Ulysse Nardin with roman-dialled, amply-sized watches resembling marine chronometers of yore. That aesthetic is a popular face of Ulysse Nardin and distinctive in its own right; but there is a bold, more adventurous side to the brand that manifests itself in skeleton-tourbillon watches and escapements in flying carousels. This is the side they have chosen to explore with launches at this year’s SIHH. And in the clearest sign that they listen closely to buyers and collectors, Ulysse Nardin’s new watches have smaller cases and more accessible price points.

Freak X: The Real Breaking News

The Freak sent shockwaves through the industry on its introduction in 2001 because of how unusual it was. At the same time, it was revolutionary because it was one of the first wristwatches to practice the modern language of innovative time displays. The concept of the Freak is that the entire movement revolves on its own axis, going around the dial once every hour and thus, serving as the minute hand, while another wheel indicates the hours. But there are essentially no dial or hands. It’s really quite thrilling.

The Freak X, debuted at SIHH 2019, takes the same concept and introduces a kind of diet or lite version of it. The major difference is that the entire gear train does not revolve, but the flying silicon escapement with nickel weights, pioneered by Ulysse Nardin in the original Freak, stays as the signature. This will allow the Freak to be more accessible to collectors. A new in-house movement was developed for the Freak X, which now also incorporates a crown for an easier time setting. On the original, the bezel needs to be turned to set the time. The case size has also been reduced to a more wearable 43mm, from 45mm.

The watch is offered in titanium, titanium with DLC (black), rose gold and a new material called Carbonium. Carbonium is a carbon fibre composite used in the aerospace industry, that is strong, extremely light, and has a marbled appearance that blends quite well with the futuristic face of the Freak X.

Skeleton X: When Transparency In Luxury Becomes Literal

Watches with skeletonised movements are not so uncommon. At the same time, each interpretation of it is an opportunity for the watchmaker to do something special while laying bare the intricate parts, that work in tandem to tell time. The most remarkable thing Ulysse Nardin have done with the Skeleton X is to do away with as much material as they possibly could.

You see no visible bridges or plates when looking at the watch, apart from the rectangle and X silhouette, that are actually design elements of the Executive collection, to which the Skeleton X belongs. This is a very smart execution of the idea and results in an impressively unobstructed view of the watch mechanism while having cues that strongly suggest it remains a Ulysse Nardin Executive.

The Skeleton X comes in a smaller 42mm case size; other similar open worked watches from the brand have 45mm cases. Like the Freak X, the Skeleton X is offered in titanium, titanium with DLC (black), rose gold and Carbonium. The Carbonium, however, is with a twist. The Carbonium case also has gold particles dispersed in it at the time of fabrication, which gives rise to Carbonium Gold. In this material, the marbling incorporates some precious metal for a look that is reminiscent of camouflage to some degree, but in a very luxurious, cutting-edge way. The Carbonium Gold case is also slightly larger at 43mm.

Hand-painted Milo Manara Editions

For a new limited edition collection with the world of art, Ulysse Nardin has collaborated with Italian artist Milo Manara, who is famed for his erotic comics. Manara has created 10 paintings that depict different moments of a love affair in the sea between a mermaid and a woman. These paintings have been reproduced onto watch dials through micro-painting, retaining all the little details and play of soft colours created by Manara. The miniaturisation of paintings is done by artists under a microscope, with brushes the size of a single eyelash.

For a new limited edition collection with the world of art, Ulysse Nardin has collaborated with Italian artist Milo Manara, who is famed for his erotic comics

Manara has created 10 paintings that depict different moments of a love affair in the sea between a mermaid and a woman

These paintings have been reproduced onto watch dials through micro-painting, retaining all the little details and play of soft colours created by Manara

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Watches with elements of erotica aren’t new to Ulysse Nardin, and while some of Manara’s works for the brand are more risqué than the rest, art should, in general, provoke, question and elicit emotion. These pieces do succeed on all those fronts. Each of Milo Manara’s 10 paintings will be reproduced in 10 steel and 10 rose gold versions. Every watch will be accompanied by a numbered, signed print from the artist himself.

A New Diver’s Watch

We told you how excited we were about this watch in our SIHH previews. And it has now been officially showcased. This is the most conservative design they have released at the fair, and for a diver’s watch that is often a good thing because when tough watches are versatile, you can wear them no matter what the occasion may be. This is a 42mm diver’s watch with a nicely detailed case and bezel. It is an entry-level piece from the brand as it contains a Sellita based movement, but has been upgraded with Ulysse Nardin’s pioneering silicon technology. The new diver will be offered with a blue or black dial, and you can choose from matching straps, or go for either a three-link steel bracelet or a steel Milanese mesh bracelet.

Ulysse Nardin was one of the rare brands at SIHH where the limelight was not on extremely limited halo pieces, but rather taking exceptional watchmaking ideas and offering them at a more accessible price point to reach a wider audience. The brand has always been lauded for pushing boundaries, so it is great to see that continue meaningfully.

Amish Behl is India’s first Watch Expert, certified by the Fondation de la Haute Horlogerie (FHH), Switzerland. He is a watch specialist and collector based in New Delhi, deeply passionate about the art and history of timekeeping. Behl is also the founder of Definitely Curry, a digital publication about modern ‘made in India’.