Ulysse Nardin Year of the Horse Enamel Dial Review

GLau continues his horological journey, sharing a hands-on review of the Ulysse Nardin Year of the Horse enamel dial watch. This post delves into the intricate artistry of champlevé enameling, offering a detailed look at the 3D effects and color variations that bring the dial to life. His insights provide a valuable perspective on the craftsmanship behind these unique timepieces and the dedication required for such a collection.

Dear Purists,

With the Year of the Horse watch joining the Dragon and Snake, I am glad to have the opportunity to write this post as a continuation of my previous ones !!

As a recap, my previous posts are:

ulyssenardin.watchprosite.com

ulyssenardin.watchprosite.com

In December 2013, I had a glimpse of the original photo released to ADs regarding the Horse and posted it.  The motif was great but color scheme and lack of enameling details at that point were uninspiring, and many of you made such similar comments.  Here is what the first version looked like.

A few months later, out came a dial with an updated color scheme and many Purists responded positively to this version which represented the final product.  Official photo of the final version is listed below.

Well, the official photo looked great but in the metal, the dial is marvelous and the horses are really alive and roaming freely !!  The reason is that the 3D effect is really good.  Depth in the dial is created by having the horses (outlined by the gold lines) against a dreamy dark blue background (mixed with dark green in some places) with various shades.  The artists at Donzé Cadrans (enamel dial making subsidiary of UN) were able to apply various shades of dark blue (some with green hue influence) in the different cells (carved into the dial under the champlevé enameling method) to create contrasts and thus distance between the horses and the mountains behind & the sky above them.  Furthermore, same as in the wilderness, the mountains are layered and the plains are uneven.

After studying the dial intently under a loupe, I noticed details that are tiny, well planned and really add characters to the watch (as I had come to expect of UN):

• Gold lines used for each horse have been carefully thought through and they create a realistic figure (head, eyes, ears, nostrils, body, legs, mane) with muscle tones
• Small and subtle lines are made to show the indentation of ears, mouths and right nostril of the white horse, and such minute details make the heads very life-like
• Heck, the bottom of the left front leg of the white horse has a tiny line depicting the hoof !! 
• The wavy lines carved for the manes and tails, coupled with the positioning and shapes of the legs and bodies, convey motions
• The heads and two sets of eyes of the horses seem to be focused on the same spot, thus suggesting that they are captivated by something to the left of the dial.  Hence, the white horse is stopping in the middle of its stride while the black horse is making a sudden turn from galloping to observe an object of interest.  To me, this clever little aspect says that there is more to this picture than two horses simply running around, and I truly appreciate the thinking that went into planning the design.  
  

Differences to the Dragon and Snake dials,

• 5 colors [white, black, gold, dark blue (with green influence), and gray] vs. 6 for the Dragon and 7 for the Snake (see previous posts for their colors)
• Although all three are housed in rose gold cases, the Horse comes with a blue leather strap instead of a brown one.  For this dial, the blue strap actually complements the overall color scheme more appropriately because most of the watch contains dark colors
• The mouths for the horses are closed whereas they are opened for the snake and dragon (hence snake and dragon each has an additional color just for the inside of the mouth)
• The motif for the Horse is concentrated on being life-like and strong, whereas the other two pursue fierceness in addition to being life-like.
• Placement of the logo “Ulysse Nardin” is centered at 12 o’clock, whereas Dragon has it centered at 6 and Snake has encircled the logo with the coil of its body & the words runs from 12 to 3

Similarities with the Dragon and Snake watches:

• Same movement (being UN-815) used
• Champlevé enamel
• Sold through AD network in addition to boutiques
• Same price point on MSRP

Overall, the Horse has a “simpler” dial and is “lower key” than its siblings, but just as well designed and executed.

After a good run for three zodiac motifs by UN, I wonder what the Year of the Goat will bring.  What possible themes (other than being life-like) can exist for the Goat ??   Do Purists and collectors alike want “living” goats (strong, fierce, or harmless-looking ones) on their wrists ??  I am eagerly awaiting photos for the next zodiac so that I can mentally prepare myself to either stop or continue with this journey (which by the way has been a wonderful experience thus far) !!

Thank you for reading and appreciate your comments / observations.

Cheers,

Gordon