After two days of individual extravaganza on the blog let me today show you purity and simplicity. In one word: beauty.In 2012, Ulysse Nardin presented its Marine Chronometer Manufacture equipped with its in-house movement UN-118. The new Marine Chronograph Manufacture has now been added to this collection, bearing all the hallmarks of marine instruments: a generously sized case with a 43 mm diameter for excellent readability, a fluted bezel, a screw-locked crown guaranteeing complete water resistance, and solid lugs to ensure excellent stability on the wrist.
The new automatic chronograph caliber UN-150 is another of Ulysse Nardin’s proud achievements. With a 48-hour power reserve, it displays the hours, minutes, small seconds at 9 o’clock, a date aperture at 4.30 and a chronograph showing the seconds in the center, as well as a minute counter at 3 o’clock and an hour counter at 6 o’clock. Made up of 322 components, the movement required two years of adjustments, fine-tuning and finishing after its rights were acquired from Ebel. Today the UN-150 is made in-house by Ulysse Nardin, which has also endowed it with its own silicon escapement that beats at 28.800 A/h.
In my eyes it is the purity of the dial that instantly attracts the attention of the Marine Chronograph Manufacture. Made by the Donzé Cadrans workshops – by the way acquired by the Ulysse Nardin in 2011 – it is a unique homage to the founder’s designs. Grand Feu enamel demands skills and techniques that are rare today, only very few Swiss Manufactures are able to master them.
The craftsman applies the enamel in successive layers, between which the dial is fired at a temperature of almost 900°C. Gradually, from the pure white background emerges the intense black of the roman numeral hours, the rail track-minute-circle and the counters that belong to the chronograph.
Ulysse Nardin presents white the Grand Feu enamel dial on the Marine Chronograph Manufacture in an 18 carat pink gold limited edition of 150 pieces.
Pictures showing you how such a dial is made…
Ref. 1506-150/LE: Ulysse Nardin Marine Chronograph Manufacture 18 carat rose gold with Grand Feu enameled dial, Limited Edition to 150 pieces
An these are nine photos I took from the chronograph in Basel at Baselworld 2013
Ref. 1506-150/61: Ulysse Nardin Marine Chronograph Manufacture 18 carat rose gold
Ref. 1503-150/62: Ulysse Nardin Marine Chronograph Manufacture stainless steel
The technical datas…
Movement: caliber UN-150 In-house designed movement Silicium escapement 28’800 v/h
Power-Reserve: approximately 48 h
Winding: self-winding
Functions: chronograph with seconds hand in the center Small seconds counter at 9 o’clock 30 minutes counter at 3 o’clock 12 hours counter at 6 o’clock Date between 4 and 5 o’clock
Case: 43 mm
Crown: screw down security crown
Diameter: 43 mm
Water-resistance: 100 m
Crystal: anti-reflective sapphire crystal
Case-back: open case back with sapphire crystal
Bracelet: leather strap or rubber strap with 18 ct rose gold or titanium elements and folding buckle, 18 ct rose gold bracelet
The UN’s are beautiful watches. Thank you Alexander for the dial-making process photo’s!! I rate UN along with A. Lange, Patek, Breguet, Omega, and Vacheron, truly a stand-alone brand/manufacture.
Definitely a watch worth presenting here. The limited edition is by far a better design. Personally I would have only two issues with it.First – I do not like a date function on three registers chronos – it looks like it is put on the dial “at all costs”, there is no good place for it there and it spoils the dial harmony. Second – I do not like these hooded lugs, to me, they make the watch looking archaic. I do repeat, this is my personal opinion as I do think, all in all, the watch looks fantastic, especially in limited edition.
Finally a good looking UN watch that will last after a lot of overpriced kitsch and trendy design watches with ETA-calibres during the last years. In the steel version with black dial the background of the date should be black too, then it would be almost perfect.
Correct! And also the length of the hands is not correct. The chronograph hand is too short, the minute hand should “touch” the minuterie and the hour hand should also be a bit longer. Yes, then the watch would be really perfect…
they have the tradition of putting their efforts into “something different”, visually and into a “hey look at me” design.
not in perfection or high level of movements; they really proudly try to avoid being a cheap Patek Philippe 😀
Great reporting as always! Very interesting dial process.
Ulysee Nardin a real great watchmaking brand finds after a difficult period of time back to its roots. I`m very impressed.
a wrist shot would be so nice 😀
Yes, would be cool… But I don´t have a wrist shot – sorry!
you should kindly lend your wrist to some watch photo shooting 🙂
I belive there is also a time only version of this watch.
I will see what I can do in the future and yes there is a time only version. I have been referring to it in my text