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Ulysse Nardin has developed a charmingly lateral position with the top-tier Swiss manufacturers. This is, without a doubt, a brand with a strong history, but its one thats certainly not stuck in the past. With a strong focus on outr designs and high-tech horology, Ulysse Nardin watches are not for everyone. And in my opinion, this is all for the best.The world would be a dull place if every brand riffed on its past glories, and Ulysse Nardin is a forward-thinking brand with a vision. This past month, this became even more exciting, as Kering let go of its two watch brands. Both Girard-Perregaux and Ulysse Nardin were bought out by management, with Patrick Pruniaux of GP leading both down an [...]

The Ulysse Nardin Freak X Razzle Dazzle is an easy-to-spot watch. Its disruptive black and white attire is definitely not something you often see in the world of watches. The watch might remind you of a zebra, or of the WWI Dazzle paint job on ships. But does a wildly striped pattern camouflage beast and objects alike, or does it make them very confusingly conspicuous? What a razzle dazzle livery does without a doubt is to make you almost forget to mention the stunning flying carousel movement that normally would be at the center of attention.So, what is razzle dazzle and what does it do? Interestingly the razzle dazzle pattern is about being conspicuous rather than invisible. So strictly sp [...]

I like big clocks and I cannot lie. The French antique comtoise clock hanging in my parent's house, for instance. But also the highly decorated table clock my grandmother left me and that has found a place in the bookshelf. And if I had the budget for it and the matching design house on the coast but that is a different matter I would give the Jaeger-LeCoultre Atmos in Marc Newson design a prominent spot. And since the Ulysse Nardin UFO table clock landed on my Fratello desk, I also put it on my imaginary list. Another great thing: I felt like Indiana Jones when I uncrated the UFO.The Ulysse Nardin UFO table clock (Ref. 9023-900LE-3A-BLUE) is spectacular in every way. Even the box it com [...]

After being quite impressed by the Ulysse Nardin Diver Lemon Shark when it first came out back in June, I was excited to get hands-on with it. I wasn't sure what to expect. It was cool, but I didn't instantly love it. There had been a bit of concern among the community that no matter how good the watch might look, it could never live up to its price tag thanks to the movement powering it inside, but more on that later. Despite this, I was looking forward to experiencing the Ulysse Nardin Diver Lemon Shark for what it was.I finally got my chance to handle the watch back at the start of August at Fratello HQ. Having hopped on a plane and gotten to The Hague, I had to hot step it over to get a [...]

Time for a treasure hunt. And, as you would expect, X marks the spot. The treasure you're seeking is the Ulysse Nardin Diver X Skeleton LE. There are only 175 pieces of this watch around waiting to be discovered. The reward is a provocative and polarizing watch. A watch that helps you to get in touch with your inner buccaneer because of its outrageous styling without compromise. Ulysse Nardin has been about adventure, discovery, and marine chronometers since 1846. And this latest creation revives that adventurous spirit in a futuristic fashion.The Diver X Skeleton looks to be the result of a Ulysse Nardin Diver and a Blast from the Executive Skeleton, slamming into one another. That's exactl [...]

Aside from perhaps the Freak, Ulysse Nardins Marine Chronometer is without a doubt the brands most recognizable model. And indeed it should be, for when Ulysse Nardin first established his workshop in 1846, he set his sights on producing the finest marine chronometers the world had ever seen. Through the rest of the 19th and early 20th centuries, Ulysse Nardins superbly accurate chronometers became indispensable tools for over 50 navies worldwide. In 1996, for the brands 150th anniversary, the marine chronometer aesthetic finally made its way into a wristwatch.In the 25 years since then, the Marine Chronometer has proven to be a very successful style indeed. These days, Ulysse Nardins standa [...]

Automatons, or automata, have amazed human audiences for over two thousand years.? Designed by humans to mimic living beings, automatas lifelike movements have fascinated everyone, from ancient royalty and medieval city-dwellers to 18th-century courtiers and modern-day museum visitors. What people may not realize, however, is just how closely related horology and automata really are.In fact, automata and clocks have developed side-by-side for millennia. Like clocks, many of the worlds finest automata employ incredibly elaborate mechanisms. However, understanding the most basic components that they share can help to demystify how they work. With this understanding, well be able to see the str [...]

Some luxury watch brands don't get talked about nearly enough. It's a real shame because some of them are actually working their socks off to contend with the bigger names in the industry yet barely getting a pat on the back for doing so. Does this then mean that it all really hinges on the name on the dial anyway? Whilst the leading names of the watch industry have certainly earned their hype in a number of ways, I think today is as good a day as any to give some love to the underdogs that deserve more attention than they are currently getting.It really surprises me just how many of the following manufacturers are widely overlooked. Youll probably even have a few of your own to add to my li [...]

Welcome watch fans, to another very special episode of Watching Sports And Sporting Watches. Today, I (Rob) am joined by Fred Buyle, Ulysse Nardin ambassador, professional freediver, passionate conservationist, and, perhaps most interestingly for our community, a real watch guy.Youd probably expect a lot more ambassadors to be as into watches as Fred clearly is, but it really isnt the case. Ive encountered sports stars and celebrities that have no idea what their agent is telling them to strap to their wrist. I think thats a real shame. When I was working for NOMOS Glashutte, we discussed the possibility of hiring an ambassadorasomething the brand has never done frequently. We came close to [...]

Sharks have long been a source of inspiration for dive watch manufacturers due to their infamous toothy maws and fearsome reputations. Well, now Ulysse Nardin has turned to the denizens of the deep for its new Diver Lemon Shark. It's an attractive black and yellow number, a color scheme that is right up my street.If I asked you to tell me your favorite shark species, I'd guess that many people would say the great white shark. Most likely because it's the only one they could name. That's fair given the amount of publicity the species has received over the years, even if it is mainly negative. I wouldn't, however, expect many people to list the lemon shark at the top of their list.Our toothy c [...]

Theres a line from a song in the musical Chicago that goes, give them the old razzle-dazzle. It seems that Ulysse Nardins design team may have taken that to heart when working on the latest iteration of the Freak X. One look at this new watch from Ulysse Nardin and my eyes are drawn in by the mesmerizing geometric dial pattern. Now, if I can just tear myself away from it for a moment-Photo credit: Smithsonian Magazine (smithsonianmag.com)Origins in maritime camouflageWhile the jarring and sharp contrasting black and white lines make me think of something from a Batman villains wardrobe, the original inspiration for this stems from a specific type of camouflage used by the British and America [...]

Minute repeaters represent the very pinnacle of watchmaking along with other major complications like the perpetual calendar. The idea that you can hear time as well as (or instead of) seeing it comes from a period before the first wristwatch was even a thought.Every medieval city had a clock in a church tower (or otherwise), that chimed the time to its citizens. With the new Blast Hourstriker, Ulysse Nardin is trying to upgrade this illustrious complication by combining the old idea with modern materials and technology.Blast HourstrikerUlysse Nardins latest creation is an innovative, striking timepiece that oversteps barriers in sound technology. However, for the brand working with sound is [...]

I'm going to be straight-up honest and level with you (and any UN reps that are reading this): I wasn't excited about the visit to Ulysse Nardin. While I have a passing fondness for the brand that started my silicon obsession with the Freak what feels like a million years ago, those days, and the wide-eyed watchmaker that believed that by 2020 everything would be made from silicon, are long gone.But I came away from the Ulysse Nardin boutique impressed. Partly by our genial host Marie and her open, humble presentation, but also by the watches especially the crazily high-end pieces. Dont tell the three suitcases full of tool watches I have in storage. I might have a new loveIf you know me per [...]

If you are in favour of big and bold diving watches, think Deepsea or Ploprof, you can add another to that list: the Ulysse Nardin Diver Deep Dive. Theres nothing much toned down about this particular watch, but I assume that this is also not intended by the Le Locle based manufacture.Ulysse Nardin Diver Deep Dive It Will Not Go UnnoticedThere are more watches on the market with a case as big as 46mm, or even larger. But even my approx.50mm Seiko Tuna 6159-7010 looks less bold. The 46mm isnt that extreme these days, but the two extensions on the Ulysse Nardin Diver Deep Dive creates a watch that will not go unnoticed. But I believe that is exactly what Ulysse Nardins team of designers had i [...]

One of my first encounters with Ulysse Nardin was in 1999, when Gerard showed me his?Ulysse Nardin GMT ? Perpetual watch. He wrote about it recently in detail, on Christmas day (find it here). At the time, Gerards watch shop in The Hague was official retailer for Ulysse Nardin, so once in a while when I visited his store (more often than he probably liked) I had the opportunity to have a closer look at these watches.At some point, when he didnt carry Ulysse Nardin anymore in his shop, I didnt come across them much. Until I started to write about watches on this website. Somehow I lost interest in the brand, especially when the brand from Le Locle came up with things like this Chairman phon [...]

This 52Mondayz episode is more or less on a Sunday, its Christmas However as the calendar indicates that Christmas is on a Monday this year, here we are. The last 52Mondayz of 2017, it had to be a special one. And as next week Monday will be January 1st 2018, I want to wear a perpetual calendar to see all that happen. The Ulysse Nardin GMT ? Perpetual is my weapon of choice.The Ulysse Nardin GMT ? Perpetual on my wrist.Ulysse Nardin GMT ? Perpetual in 18k rose goldIn 1999 the Ulysse Nardin GMT ? Perpetual was the successor of the Perpetual Ludwig, which was introduced in 1996. The Perpetual Ludwig was a totally new type of perpetual calendar watch. While perpetual calendars at that time were [...]

Sunday Morning Showdown is back Its so good to say that. After nearly a year-long hiatus, Jorg and Ben are ready to duke it out once again. For those recently joining the Fratelli, this series is where two of our writers go head-to-head in an opinionated showdown. One, two, or more watches are thrown into the arena to be either torn to shreds or effusively exalted by each defending editor. We have some extremely hot-off-the-press timepieces to get us back into the action the Vacheron Constantin Historiques 222 and the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak 16202. Both have roots in the 1970s and are bathed in glorious gold for these particular references. Will the comeback kid 222 knock the integrated l [...]

Vacheron Constantin is not pulling any punches this year. My previous article was a mere toe-dip in a veritable lake of horological goodness, and I haven't even started looking at the elaborate wristwear from Le Cabinotiers. This atelier within the atelier has some rather elaborate pieces in its Geneva arsenal.But this story is about one single piece of horology. One that, for me, stood out like a shining totem in the Vacheron press releases. The Vacheron Constantin Les Historiques 222 has the power to put diamonds, tourbillons, and perpetual calendars in the shade, and it seems very familiar. My story on new releases from Vacheron Constantin the other day could have included this, but truth [...]

Ah, the delights of Watches Wonders, low on pandemic measures but big on revenge spending. Even while much of the world is still struggling with the pandemic aftermath, events are back. And sadly, while Europe is not peaceful as it used to be, isn't this just the right time to daydream? Vacheron Constantin shows us that this is a very real possibility, even a rule.And Vacheron Constantin is never short on material to feed your inner daydreaming child, or rather, watch-obsessive. My wife seems to think there is a deep correlation between the two, and frankly, I see her point. Vacheron Constantin shows the best of what the brand is good at, from the minimalist lux of the Patrimony to beguilin [...]

If you google this watch, one of the first headlines youll see names it the The Vacheron Constantin Overseas 37mm (Without Diamonds). Clearly, this cool reference was earmarked for women only back in 2017. It was a time before most men allowed themselves sub-40mm watches, with will also work for men as the go-to phrase for a review. This particular headline read as if the reader might not even want to bother with a 37mm watch without diamonds.We are in 2022, things have changed, and small is the new big. Many of you know this by now, but I am happy to wear smaller watches without feeling emasculated, metrosexual, or effeminate. Sure, I'll still rock 40-44mm chronographs and diver's tools. Bu [...]