Marcus Hanke's retrospective on the Ulysse Nardin "Blue Max" diver offers a fascinating look at a limited edition from 2002. This article, originally penned as a presentation and later expanded into a full review, highlights the watch's unique aesthetic and technical innovations. Hanke's detailed account provides valuable context for collectors interested in Ulysse Nardin's historical limited editions and their distinctive design philosophies.
In June 2002, Ulysse Nardin released a specially limited version of its then fresh Marine Diver with 40mm diameter, the "Blue Max".
This is the presentation I wrote back then:
Until 1918 and the end of the German Kaiserreich, the highest military decoration was the famous "Pour le mérite", dubbed "Blue Max", due to its blue colour. After he had shot down sixteen enemy planes, Manfred Freiherr von Richthofen, got awarded the "Pour le mérite"; as the "Red Baron" he eventually became the most famous of all "Blue Max" wearers. In 1918, he was shot down himself and died, which again proves that being a war hero is a very dangerous business.
Wolfram von Richthofen and his "Blue Max"
Luckily today, you do not need to risk your life in a war, shooting down planes, to receive a "Blue Max"; a visit to your Ulysse Nardin dealer will do, and you will return with a far more decorative piece of art, which additionally fulfils the practical aspect of showing time as well.
Ulysse Nardin's new interpretation of the "Pour le mérite" is a limited series of its Marine Diver watch, a bolder and more sportive offspring of its already legendary 1846 Marine Chronometer. The apparent difference to the unlimited standard model and the reason for its designation is the blue dial, which still has that interesting golfball-like structure. Yet not only the dial is blue, technically far more difficult to realize was the deep blue colour of the rubber strap. Its pattern repeats that of the dial and adds a very interesting design element.
Upon turning the watch, the most fascinating aspect of the "Blue Max" becomes evident: Through a sapphire window in the back a completely blue movement is shining! The Marine Diver's ETA 2892 (which is modified by Ulysse Nardin and receives the peculiar small second/power reserve complication) is coated with a blue titanium alloy in a complicated electrolytic process.
The coating's uniform thickness is one micron (1/1000 mm), which made it necessary to recalculate the dimensions of all the movement's main parts, since the added thickness had to be taken into account for the movement's functionality. At least his is what Ulysse Nardin claims. One micron is so thin that I found it hard to believe at first, that this coating might affect the movement's construction already. However, the tolerances achieved by modern movement production methods are so tight, that even a coating of only a micron might already have negative effects on the movement's performance, if it had not taken into account from the very beginning. Therefore, Ulysse Nardin's information sounds quite logical.
The rest of the watch has all the good qualities of the standard "Marine Diver" series: A watertightness rating of 300 meters; perfect legibility due to prominent markers and hands, liberally coated with Super Luminova; COSC chronometer certificate; a smoothly turning bezel; a unique design, standing out from the uniform mass of diver watches; and a comfortable rubber strap with good-looking titanium parts and a titanium folding clasp.
The limitation of the "Blue Max" is as follows: 350 pieces are made in 18k pink gold, 999 pieces in stainless steel.
So who needs war, if he can get such an impressive decoration without having to kill someone? Somewhen in the future, historians might even consider Ulysse Nardin's "Blue Max" as an important effort to ensure peace on earth, who knows
Marcus
