Ulysse Nardin just unveiled an interesting watch, the Blast Free Wheel Maillechort. Well, new, not totally as there was the Free Wheel Marquetry, but this one offers a different show.
Here we have a 45 mm case which mixes a glass box and white gold, 12, 4 mm high. The weight is quite impressive: 150 grams!
But the most interesting part is the dial, Made of Maillechort, which is german silver, an alloy of copper, zinc and nickel. It welcomes the movement, the Cal UN 176, which is a flying tourbillon with a constant silicon escapement, a Ulysse Nardin speciality.
This Calibre beats at the pace of 18, 000 vibrations per hour and offers an autonomy of... 170 Hours ( 7 Days ). One word on the hands, which are filled with superluminova, which I don't find very convincing nor necessary, here.
The back is not very interesting, as you can see:
The strap is rubber.
It is a limited edition of 50 pieces.
I have mixed feelings about this watch. The dial is very much my taste: Technical, conceptual, original, ultra modern, this design is very " Ulysse Nardin ", as well as the Cal UN-176.
The case is much less to my taste. Some will argue that the angular shape of the lugs matches with the character of the dial and movement, and they will probably be right. But some others will find them very ( too? ) complex, and the part between the lugs will not allow an easy change of straps...
One last word: I love the choice of Maillechort for the dial!
Now, I don't know the price for this watch, which may be an important factor at the moment of the purchase decision...
Looking forward to reading your comments and thoughts,
Nicolas