Ulysse Nardin Grand Deck Marine Tourbillon Cal. 630

amanico · 2016-03-18T15:27:27Z

Amanico reviews the Ulysse Nardin Grand Deck Marine Tourbillon (Cal. 630) from Baselworld 2016, featuring nanowire retrograde minutes and a wood marquetry dial. Explore its innovative complications.

amanico

WPS member · Ulysse Nardin forum

51 replies13818 views2 photos

Amanico's initial look at the Ulysse Nardin Grand Deck Marine Tourbillon from Baselworld 2016 immediately captured the community's imagination. His post introduces a watch that blends complex horological mechanics with a deeply thematic design, sparking a rich discussion about its innovative display and aesthetic choices. This article synthesizes early impressions and technical curiosities, highlighting the watch's unique appeal.

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I still have to better understand how it works, but here is some information, already:

Flying Tourbillon, digital jumping hours, retrograde minutes activated through a boom, which is controlled by 4 pulleys driving the nanowire.

The movement is the Cal 630, manual winding, 3 Hertz, with two barrels: One for the movement, one for the display, ala Jaeger Lecoultre Duometre and its Dual Wind concept.

The dial is hand-crafted wood marquetry.

An ode to the marine universe, with a good touch of madness, typically Ulysse Nardin.

Here are the first pictures:

Here again, I would have preferred a more conventional case. With lugs.

And I would have liked to see some pictures of the movement, too, as it sounds promising on the paper.

But I like what I am seeing!

I just have to better understand how it works...

Best,

Nicolas

This message has been edited by cazalea on 2016-03-18 19:36:55

Key Points from the Discussion

The watch features a unique retrograde minute hand that returns to zero slowly and smoothly, controlled by nanowires and pulleys, creating a captivating visual effect reminiscent of a ship's boom.
The movement, Caliber UN-630, is a manual-winding flying tourbillon with digital jumping hours and a dual-barrel system, separating power for the movement and the display, similar to Jaeger-LeCoultre's Dual Wing concept.
The hand-crafted wood marquetry dial, combined with the intricate minute display, creates an impressive sense of depth and a strong marine universe theme.
Concerns were raised about the durability of the nanowires, though it was noted that they are made of Dyneema, a highly tough material, suggesting they are robust.
While some found the watch's size and potential thickness a concern, others appreciated the case design without traditional lugs, feeling it enhanced the marine chronometer aesthetic.
The Grand Deck Marine Tourbillon is a limited edition of 18 pieces, reflecting its complexity and high-end positioning within Ulysse Nardin's offerings.

The Discussion

templetowers

Mar 18, 2016

A watch with a minute hand that tacks and gybes .....

It's even got, winches, a main sheet and teak deck ..,another unique take on time by UN!

amanico

Mar 19, 2016

Certainly original and off the beaten paths. [nt]

cory

Mar 18, 2016

Looking mad as ever ... I like very much!

Looking forward to understanding more on how it works.