KIH
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12054
SIHH 2017: Ulysse Nardin - Enamel, Enamel, and Enamel by Donze Cadrans....
Honestly, the dials of Ulysse Nardin novelties left me speechless (considering the quality + price). You have to see to believe it.
This is the first time for Ulysse Nardin to display at SIHH.
Their theme/ forte has been always something marine, such as yacht.
At the press conference, they emphasized THREE basics of Ulysse Nardin:
1. Manufacture
2. Innovation
3. Savoire-faire (know how)
They make almost everything themselves including the hair spring. The only brand at SIHH that has technology to make silicium hair springs. And it now has Donze Cadrans who can do Enamel Grand Feu, Champleve, and Cloisonne. It is well known that Donze Cadrans used to provide enamel dials to Patek as well.
Now all Ulysse Nardin watches come with 5 year warranty.
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Below are the offerings from Ulysse Nardin - some taken at the press conference, some at the appointment time.
Diver Chronograph "Artemis Racing"
45.8mm, LE of 250
InnoVision 2 - couldn't get closer than this, sorry!
Classico Rooster - Enamel, Champleve.
InnoVision 2 - couldn't get closer than this, sorry!
Classico Rooster - Enamel, Champleve.
40mm, LE of 88.
Jade Underworld
Cloisonne dial. 36mm x 39mm
Also known as "easy for lady's nail", meaning you wouldn't have to "pull" the crown, where/when your nail may be damaged, but instead, pusher on the crown can let you choose the function of the crown - Date change, Time change, Winding. Those small diamonds, different sizes, indicates which function the crown would perform now. Good for guys, eh?
Jade Grand Feu.
Same function.
Marine Annual Calendar Chronometer.
Marine Annual Calendar Chronometer.
43mm
Yup, "Grand Feu".
Now, this can be controversial.
Marine Tourbillon.
43mm
With Tourbillon and Grand Feu enamel dial - EUR30,000, more or less......
Marine Chronograph Annual Calendar.
43mm
Classic Dual Time
42mm
See "T/D/W" indicator? The same function for "easy for nail" as lady's model above.
See "T/D/W" indicator? The same function for "easy for nail" as lady's model above.
"Dual Time" works as the pushers on the left side moves the hour hand go forward/ back.
The pusher on the crown lets you choose the function of the crown.
And, one of the highlights of this year.
Marine "Regatta".
44mm
This is pretty interesting. It counts down from between 1 and 10 minutes. So, good for the race which counts down, start and the stop watch must work counting "up", such as yacht.
650 parts
3 days power reserve.
Regatta "Black Enamel Champleve" version. LE of 35.
Now, let's see how it works.
Please understand that this working prototype has been in use like this for too many times
) But very delicate mechanism, I am sure.Classico Enamel.
Beautiful blue enamel, on guilloche pattern.
Date really ruins, and the shape of the hands..... Would love it if I could customize a bit.
40mm - size-wise, very nice.
Even for lady's, so nice. Enamel on guilloche pattern.
Here are some re-issue of the vintage pieces.
Classic Marin Torpilleur
41mm
Classic Diver Locle
Classic Diver Locle
1964 vintage model. 38mm -> 42mm
Classic Perpetual Ludwig
Classic Perpetual Ludwig
38mm -> 41mm
Classic Paul David Nardin
Classic Paul David Nardin
1945 Vintage
33m -> 39mm
Chiming + Automata
Hourstriker Pinup
(sorry, no video here ))
))43mm, LE of 28 for each RG and PT
North Sea Minute Repeater
42mm
LE of 18 for each RG and PT.
Let see/ hear how it does.
Sorry for the noisy surrounding.
Sorry for the noisy surrounding.
Anyway, very, very interesting new line-up from Ulysse Nardin.
And I thank Ulysse Nardin and Sowind Japan for taking time showing these marvelous pieces to me.
Thank you very much!
Ken
SIHH 2017: Ulysse Nardin - Enamel, Enamel, and Enamel by Donze Cadrans....
Honestly, the dials of Ulysse Nardin novelties left me speechless (considering the quality + price). You have to see to believe it. This is the first time for Ulysse Nardin to display at SIHH. Their theme/ forte has been always something marine, such as y...
Some questions
Thanks Ken for the Report. Since the passing of our friend Rolf W. Schnyder, we have not been as "connected" to Ulysse Nardin. I still have my old watches like the still good Ulysse Nardin +/- GMT Perpetual Calendar...but nothing recently. 1) Since both G...
The answers...
1) Yes. The words on the street are that all the brands who are at SIHH, Richemont or non-Richemont, have signed NOT to participate in BaselWorld going forward. 2) I haven't had chances to greet him/ her. I will try to find out. Ken
Okay, I will confirm..
... with my Japan contact.... Thanks for chiming in, Marcus, THE UN expert!
Fabulous report, thanks Ken
yes I think Mr. Thierry Stern will be shaking his head about the Marine Tourbillon. . How did the 43mm feel on your wrist - too big or about right? And the Diver re-issue looks interesting but it is too bad UN did not give it a grand feu email dial too. I...
Honestly, tourbillon, enamel dial - couldn't care much about the size!
.. but 43mm did feel a bit bigger than my usual taste. That said, this is much more than well worth it!
yes overall a great package
very well done offering for us watch lovers. now I just have to convince myself to like the idea of a tourbillon because I find it useless and impractical.
I agree intellectually...
But I\'m guilty of loving the visual drama...call me shallow! :P
Lol
yeah. I suppose tourbillons are a step up (or down???) in sanity from constantly flipping a non-tourbillon watch over and admiring the movement.
GF enamel galore!
Incredible range of GF enamel dial pieces here. The tourbillon no date is clearly the winner.
This is really....
... revolution. It is no longer the time for the watch brands to increase prices without any added value.
Good to see to be honest.
Will be interesting to see the strategies of the brands at Basel.
Great to finally put some names to faces here...
Classic Ludwig, Diver Locle & Paul David Nardin are all very appealing, hope to see them in the metal very soon.
Very comprehensive article here.
From SJX, As you can see the seconds hand of the Paul David Nardin is Blued which doesn't really come across in all photos, as are the hour and minute hands on the Ludwig, really really attractive collection. watchesbysjx.com
Thank you for the excellent report.
I'm more interested than ever in UN. Some really nice pieces in the 2017 line-up. M4
Thanks for the really nice post!
My personal favourite is the Classico Enamel. UN makes very honest and great watches
So have they created some of these references in two sizes?
Interested to see the smaller diver if so...?
I see!
Some further research lastnight confirmed this, Also found pricing for the full heritage line. Pretty much where I expected it to be, very good value.
Do they have an AD in London?
I'm pretty sure I haven't seem them represented around the Bond St./New Bond St. area, the usual haunts? I think I have seen them in The Watch Room at Harrods on my only visit there at last year's Hodinkee pop up.
An armada of enamel dials, this year, at Ulysse Nardin.
While I am not a big fan of Tourbillons, the Marine Tourbillon caught my attention. Finally something nicely executed which won't cost you a kidney. I was very excited to see the Innovision II. With a big regret: Not having been able to handle this cult p...
Gosh, I really wish InnoVision 2 had been available for me to handle... but it was too popular among...
... the wholesaler, retailer, VIPs, .... I guess! Yes, as an enamel freak, Ulysse Nardin with Donze Cadrans is almost invincible.
Hey Ken
Great report! Do you have a way to contact UN? I wanted to ask if you can find out if what the accuracy is of the anchor-escapement based movement in the classics manufacture is? Thanks!
Which model, for example?
You are asking +/- seconds per day? UN-815 (self-winding, silicon hairspring, UN special anchor escapement), caliber for Classico Rooster is COSC certified, for example. Others, I could not find...
Yes, the classico enamel 40mm
Maybe that uses the un-815 as well? I was hoping for a +/- seconds per day, but at least COSC is something. I mean, why have a fancy escapement beyond dubious marketing if there's no improvement in accuracy or some other horological benefit?
Classico enamel 40mm
... the caliber is UN-320, which I could not find the mention of "COSC". My guess is due to its reasonable price, it is not COSC, so a bit less accurate? But personally, I wouldn't care with such a beautiful dial )
UN claims its movements to fulfil tighter specifications than COSC ...
... however, its test methods and individual results are not clearly published.
Thanks Ken for the report and photots !
Did you see the Moonstruck Worldtime ? If so, what do you think of it ? Cheers, Gordon
Ken, you present the most comprehensive coverage of UN @ SIHH on the web!! BRAVO.
Ulysse Nardin owes you much gratitude. Now, some comments. I hate to harp on this date issue, but I wonder who at UN makes this decision for each watch? Nico points out the Paul David Nardin. The date ruins the dial. Add the 41mm Classic Marin Torpilleur ...
Definitely. Even the Classico Enamel...
I can't say it is fully a deal breaker on that one, but I see it as a completely unnecessary inclusion. Enamel dials are so pure, and with such a beautiful guilloche, why pierce the hole and add the date? Buyers of that particular watch do not need the da...
.. and if I may...
.. With such a perfectly balanced roman numeral plain dial with small second subdial, the hands should not be what they are now..... More like pocket watch era like, or "classic" type hands would be preferred....
Evers ince the last twenty or so years, UN plain enamel dials had a date window ...
... just think of the iconic San Marco with the bright blue guilloche/enamel dial. And they sold well. ONly the very first 38mm Marine Chronometer with enamel dial didn't have one. So I think more customers desire the date display than don't buy the watch...
Maybe so.... We are just bunch of "anti-date" faction :-)))
.. but putting a small hole like that on the enamel dial must be really painstaking, so we just want to relieve them of that.....
Oh, I hopefully soothe your worries...
... but a round jole in the enamel dial are really not a problem. Every recessed subdial is produced that way. Rectangular windows, on the other hand....
Regarding the Paul David Nardin
I would considering buying this with the date as long as the ensure the typeface used for said date was the same as the applied numerals. As a designer this continuity error so many watch makers regularly make is quite annoying, for me it seems so logical...
That, we need to re-familiarize ourselves with the management....
.. yes, Marine Torpilleur and Perpetual Ludwig "vintage" re-issue has date hole, too. Diver and Parul David don't. Yup, I told them about piercing such a small hole on the enamel dial must be hard and perhaps hurt the success ratio as well..... Agree abou...