UN has quite literally pushed the boat out with their latest release. The new Diver Chronometer collection which was just recently unveiled at the 2018 Monaco Yacht Show could hail the beginning of a new diving era for the le Locle based watchmakers.
The collection consists of four bold new models – not quite as bold as their controversial Hammerhead Diver but certainly with the same toolish aesthetic.
The two regular Diver Chronometer models are known as Deep Blue and All-Black, they’re a couple of modern-day tool watches that are far removed from the current vintage trend.
And two special Limited Editions that include the brand’s annual release, created specifically for the Monaco Yacht show and something with a little more bite to it, known as the Great White Limited Edition.
Robust yet elegant, the new Diver Chronometer collection marks what UN call ‘’the beginning of the countdown to an exhilarating new adventure in diving watches’’! Sounds promising.
The new Diver Chronometer certainly has both form and function going for it. You could say it’s a little brash but, folks it’s been designed to slip over neoprene first and foremost.
The watch has been crafted to withstand up to three hundred meters of water pressure with its inverted, concave bezel with domed Sapphire glass - just one of its proud features.
The dial announces the mechanical prowess of the UN-118 movement with its Silicium technology - a specialty of the Manufacture - within its 44mm case, visible through the open back.
Superluminova on the markers and hands make the hours and minutes visible not only in the dark of night but also at great depths (if you were to find yourself there).
The dial sports a power reserve indicator at 12 o’clock and a date and small seconds at 6 o’clock, all nestled within the unidirectional rotating bezel. The numbers on the dial have been redrawn to read 0-15-30-45.
The rubber and Titanium strap of the Diver has been cleverly reworked with the clasp replaced by a pin buckle and streamlined with just one easily identifiable UN signature element. Sturdy, blue rubber guards protect the crown.
Free diver and Ulysse Nardin ambassador, FRED Buyle explains why his UN has become such an important partner on his underwater expeditions.
“The main advantage of freediving is that we don’t have a lot of gear. I basically only travel with a wetsuit, dive watch, a pair of fins, a mask, and of course my photo equipment.
A dive watch is the most crucial accessory for a free diver. When you’re free-diving, you have a special relationship to time—sometimes it passes fast and other times it seems to slow down or even stop.
Your watch almost becomes a friend, so I am always wearing my Ulysse Nardin Diver timepieces. I rely on my watch to monitor my perception of time. An automatic watch is key as it gives you the peace of mind that you won’t run out of battery in the middle of a remote expedition.”
UN’s connection with the ocean goes deep. A recognized pioneer of watchmaking innovation since 1846, the Manufacture’s early successes were built on the peerless precision and reliability of its marine chronometers – essential navigational instruments that helped seafarers determine longitude by means of celestial navigation.
The instantly recognizable Monaco Limited Edition in this newly created design has an image of the Monegasque flag at 12 o’clock. The unique calendar disk has a specificity that corresponds directly to the Monaco Yacht Show; the numbers 26, 27, 28 and 29 in red mirror the dates of the 2018 event, held in the Principality’s Port Hercules on the French Riviera.
The case back also discreetly bears the Monaco coat-of-arms. The Diver Monaco is a limited edition of 100 pieces.
The Diver Great White has a great white shark with its pointy gnashers cheekly grinning, stamped on its case-back. The Diver Great is a limited edition of 300 pieces.
In continuing the development of its line of dive watches, UN hopes reaffirm its position as watchmakers to the ocean.
Thoughts? I (expletive) love it! BUT as a dive watch for diving, not for daily wear. UN has shown that they aren’t afraid to design a dive watch that looks like a dive watch.
However as we all know, 90% of dive watches don’t get any wetter than camel’s toes.
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