Baselworld/SIHH

Baselworld 2012 - PuristSPro report: Ulysse Nardin

 

2012 - for Ulysse Nardin this is the first Basel fair without its energetic and charismatic leader Rolf Schnyder, who had passed away so suddenly in April 2011. As a consequence, many were uncertain about the company’s new course, some even predicted a decrease of impetus and innovation.

Gladly, this year’s fair demonstrate the opposite: Aside personal loss and grief, nothing seems to have changed, regarding Ulysse Nardin’s energy devoted to innovative technologies, the presentation of new models, and the consolidation of existing lines. Mainly responsible for that is the continuity within the company’s leadership: Already several years ago, Patrik Hoffmann, long-time head of Ulysse Nardin’s North American business, was appointed CEO and designated the successor of Rolf Schnyder in leading the company. Consequently, the business was not fatally interrupted by Rolf’s death.

For me, 2012 was the first year since thirteen years that I could not attend the Basel fair myself; a pneumonia had forced me to stay at home in the last moment. Therefore, my comments on the new models are based on my friends’ and colleagues’ observations solely. I also express my sincere thanks to Don and Francois-Xavier for supplying me the pictures they shot of the various novelties.

After Ulysse Nardin has amply demonstrated its competence to build state-of-the-art movements with complications, employing latest material and part design technologies, speculations about an own base movement were active during the last years. It is no secret that Ulysse Nardin heavily relied on base movements supplied by ETA in its most numerously produced watch lines, such as the Marine series, or the various GMT models. Since the Swatch Group announced the slow reduction of movement sales to companies not part of the group, it was clear that an alternative had to be found.

In 2011, Ulysse Nardin presented the cal. 118, a solid base movement, equipped with high-end escapement technology: while the escapement design relied on the traditional Swiss lever, the materials used are exclusive to Ulysse Nardin - anchor, escapement wheel and hairspring being made from DiamonSil, a silicium core vapour coated with synthetic diamond.

All these components are produced by Sigatec, a leading company specialised on the development and production of nano-parts from silicium, synthetic diamond - or the combination of these two materials. Ulysse Nardin owns a major share of this company, that also delivers components to many other watch manufacturers.


Closer examination of this movement made clear that it would become the new base movement of the Marine series: a power reserve display at 12, and a small second at 6, combined with a conventional date at 6 (no big date), that can be quick-set forward and backward. While up to now, a self-produced module was necessary to add the typical configuration to an ETA 2892A2, the new cal. 118 has everything on board needed by the Marine series watches.

Thus it was only a question how the new Marine chronometers would look, when finally, they were released at this year’s Basel fair. The first sight fell on the limited series Marine Chronometer in 18k pink gold case, with a white enamel dial and finely printed Roman numerals: not that much of a difference with what we are used to, I thought. The increased diameter of 45mm, however, already indicates the changes.


Not all are happy about the large case. When the first Marine Chronometer was launched in 1996, it had a diameter of a bit more than 38mm. Times and fashion have changed since, the latest variant, the Maxi Marine, already has a diameter of 43mm, still retaining the original base movement with only 25.6mm diameter. The new cal. 118 is considerably larger (about 5mm), since it was designed from the outset to be robust and reliable. It is thus not astonishing to see the case grown as well. Yet the friends of decently sized watches should not abandon all hope: With 31.6mm diameter, the cal. 118 should permit cases in the 42mm class, so maybe we will see more compact Marine Chronometers in the future.


The enamel dial/pink gold version is limited to 350 pieces.

The unlimited variant in steel finally shows a decent renovation of the well-known design: large, applied Roman numerals in polished steel, and skeletonized hands that have become typical for Ulysse Nardin. The departure from the classic design is not so radical that it would need a long time to become familiar with it.


Currently, only the black dial version in stainless steel and a white dial variant in a bicolor (steel/18k pink gold) is shown, but I am sure that others will follow. In the past fifteen years, the Marine Chronometer has seen so many different dial versions that the new one is very likely to pursue that tradition.



There were some other novelties shown in the Marine series:

The Marine Diver “Blue Sea” is remarkable for its 45.8mm case coated with blue rubber. Thus, for the first time in the tradition of blue divers, started with the “Blue Max”, not only dial and the movement are blue, but the whole watch case as well. The luminous mass on hands and markers is - of course - blue, as is the rubber strap. Folding clasp and strap link are made from ceramic.


The “Blue Sea” is limited to 999 pieces.

Unlimited is the black rubber-coated Diver with bright yellow hands and markers. Looks good!


My personal favourite of the Diver novelties is the new “Black Ocean” Diver chronograph, which is not a limited series. It, too, is rubber-coated and has a 45.8mm case. Unlike the standard Marine Diver chronographs it is not equipped with the ETA/Valjoux 7753, but with the ETA 2894, which is a lot thinner. Noteworthy is the unique hour counter design, with its hand having two arms, rotating above two segments of hour markers.



The Executive series has received new, highly attractive bi-tone dials, here in blue and black.


The Lady Executive has got some new colourful dials, too.


A most thrilling novelty, at least for me, is the new Classico Luna moonphase watch. As some are said to have criticised a too feminine dial design, especially regarding the curved hour markers, this will be subject of change, before the watch is actually delivered to the dealers; at least on the gents’ version. Personally, I have to admit liking especially these markers - my feminine side seems to glimpse through my steel-hard, macho shell ...


Much more interesting, though, is the innovative moonphase design. At first sight, the Luna’s moon phase indications appears to be the same as that from the famous Moonstruck. However, on closer examination, something is amiss: the stylised sun at 12. On the Moonstruck, the moon depiction rotates around the central axis once in a lunar month, the time between two full moons. The sun symbol at 12 is the source of the sunlight illuminating the moon, while the central axis of the hands is the Earth, from which the moon is observed. Consequently, the bright part of the cutout corresponds to the illuminated part of the moon, as seen from the earth surface.


The Classico Luna does not have a sun symbol at 12, but one on the tip of the hour hand. As the pictures clearly indicate, the dial cutout shows the illuminated part of the moon, when we imagine the light coming from the hour hand’s tip, directed via the central axis, that, once again, serves as the observer’s position. Consequently, the dial cutout revolves around the dial once every twelve hours.

The new moonphase complication has been applied to the tried base of the ETA 2892A2 movement.



Although Ulysse Nardin has become famous for its wonderful enamel cloisonné dials, there were also several straight painted enamel miniatures in the recent history of the brand, this pocket watch with a scene of the sea battle at Portobello being made in the 1990s being a fine example:


Since this year, no new enamel cloisonné motif was disclosed in Basel (there is, however, an exclusive Thai dial and a new version of the “HMS Victory”, but neither was shown at the fair), I am astonished to see a very fine classic enamel miniature painting instead.


The Classico “General Raevsky”, limited to twelve pieces only, depicts the Russian general, famous for his deeds during the Napoleonic wars, in a pose inspired by this 1912 painting by Nikolay Samokish:


And, finally, there is a watch we had already lively discussions about: the new Sonata Streamline. When I was able to conduct a longtime test of an early prototype of the Sonata Silicium, it was clear already that the technology to replace the traditional Swiss lever escapement of the Sonata with a silicium escapement, without having to completely change the rest of the movement, would become a standard of the Sonata one day. After the first, still limited edition of the Sonata Silicium, now the massively facelifted Sonata Streamline benefits from the new escapement technology.


More than that, though, the new case, slightly enlarged, is made from titanium/ceramic or titanium/gold. the positive acoustic effects of titanium, compared with gold or, worse even, stainless steel, are well known. While this material always had the nimbus of being perfect for rugged and rough workhorses, exclusive and expensive watches could not be imagined to be produced from titanium. Yet acceptance has increased even in the field of chiming watches, since a few manufacturers had switched to titanium cases in order to improve the volume and tone of the mechanical chimes. I am sure that the Sonata Streamline will be another success in this respect, and hope to hear it as soon as possible.


The dial has been changed, too, as are the hallmark hands. In my opinion, the new dial is an improvement, since it is less busy and more coherent in style. I am not so sure about the changed hands, though. Unlike others, I have always been an ardent fan of the original Sonata hands.

Since we somehow did not make pictures of the titanium/ceramic version of the Sonata Streamline, Patrik Hoffmann kindly sent us some snapshots of his own watch on his wrist:





Compared to the titanium/gold version, the dial is significantly different, with a prominent emphasis on the two subdials of the alarm time and the remining time until alarm.

To sum up, I am very impressed by this year’s novelty presentation of Ulysse Nardin: Many believe that for a brand it is the highest difficulty to develop and build a prototype of a highly complicated timepiece. It is difficult, there is no doubt. But establishing the full-scale mass production of a self-developed, reliable and versatile base movement, at small tolerances and with chronometer quality, normally outclasses the former. I am deeply impressed by the new Marine Chronometer and its cal. 118 movement and I am also convinced that it will become a similarly huge success as its predecessor that achieved highest respect since it was introduced fourteen years ago.

Best regards,
Marcus

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