Prepared for adventure - Ulysse Nardin Diver X

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2020 had a great impact on humanity. Faced with a new crisis, the world had to change, adapt and evolve. Despite what happens in the world, some explorers were away from the tumult of urban life. Exploring seas and territories, these people need to rely on robust instruments and experience to stay alive. One of these tools is the mechanical wristwatch, capable to withstand the vicissitudes of nature, under/on water, on the land or in the sky, or even outer space. Ulysse Nardin is one of the brands creating tools for explorers. Ulysse Nardin Diver X is a collection of three diver models (limited to 300 pieces each). The end of the Vendée Globe race is the perfect occasion to have a look at these watches. The Diver X watches presented today are the Diver X Antarctica, the Diver X Nemo Point and the Diver X Cape Horn.

Ulysse Nardin Diver X Antarctica

Part of the X movement inside Ulysse Nardin, the Diver X Antarctica was created with the white continent in focus. Part of the “Team of Ulysses”, Sebastian Copeland is a photographer that brings the message of the continent to the rest of the world. He led the first East/West transcontinental crossing of Antarctica by skis and kites via two of its poles, setting three world records over the 4100 kilometres during an expedition through the polar desert that lasted a gruelling 82 days. Sebastian is planning a new expedition to cross the Arctic Ocean in 2021.

Built to last, the good look is inclusive

Diver X Antarctica comes in 44 mm titanium case. The top is covered by a titanium bezel with rubberised insert. The bezel’s timing displays a 20 minutes indication ( in comparison with the usual 15 minutes). The watch is accompanied by a white rubber strap with Ulysse Nardin metal link familiar from other UN models. The protected crown bears the UN logo with lacquered in light blue, the same shade found on different watch elements.

The watch case also features a screw plate with the watch number in the limited edition – this is now a standard between Ulysse Nardin pieces. The back of the watch is decorated with the coordinates of the Antarctic Continent: 90° latitude (with no longitude necessary for the landmass located at the southernmost tip of the Earth) and also with the route of the Vendée Globe sailing race.

The watch is fitted with a classic titanium pin buckle with Ulysse Nardin engraving.

Composite dial with various decorations

Ulysse Nardin Diver X Antarctica comes with a very interesting and textured composite dial. The watch face features the “X” that marks the “We are eXplorers” credo of the series. Huge luminescent indexes are accompanied by rather large hands, richly filled with luminescent assures good legibility in any light condition. The top of the dial holds the recessed dial of the power reserve indication – a piece of crucial information for the watch’s precision.

The lower side of the dial holds a large running second indication and the date aperture. The dial’s coloured decorations are not only to display the information but also to enrich its beauty.

Ulysse Nardin Diver X Nemo Point

Ulysse Nardin Diver X Cape Horn & Nemo Point were launched to celebrate the partnership with the Vendée Globe, as a sponsor to the world’s most challenging sailing race. These two watches are an honour for the participating sailors. Those who are seeing this race as trivial must know that this race gathers valuable information about our planet’s oceans. In the context of global warming, this race is the only possibility to bring data (ocean currents, meteorology and much more). These solo heroes risk their lives in a quest impossible for others. Ulysse Nardin has all the reasons to be proud of this partnership.

As part of the Diver X family, the Nemo Point variation brings many similarities. The case presents some changes: the crown, crown protection and the bezel come with blue PVD. Instead of the rubber strap, we found a very comfortable textile strap. Several red accents are presents and make a nice contrasting theme.

The back of the watch features the Nemo Point indication, a position in the South Pacific off of the coast of Chile, named after author Jules Verne’s, located at 48°52.6′S 123°23.6′W and the route of the Vendée Globe sailing race.

Red and blue

The dial is virtually the same. A composite base with embossed details, including the central “X”, obtained by stamping. The red accents also are presents on the dial. We find the attention to details focused on the various dial elements – note the blue date printing.

The legibility is excellent, as expected for a watch made to be a reliable company for explorers. Note the low light shot below.

Ulysse Nardin Diver X Cape Horn

Cape Horn, one of the land points the Vendée Globe sailors must pass by on their voyage around the world and the point at which the Pacific and Atlantic oceans meet. This is marked in coordinates on the back of the Diver X Cape Horn watch.

Black titanium

As its “brother” in the line reserved for the Vendée Globe, the Diver X Cape Horn comes with a titanium case, this time in black. The colour accents are now in yellow and offer an extremely good contrast but also a very pleasant look.

The fabric strap with Velcro closing offers a robust but very comfortable wrist position. This choice makes the strap adjustment easy. When the wind is howling, the strap must be the last worry.

Carbon and yellow

Ulysse Nardin Diver X Cape Horn presents some carbon insert on the dial and on the bezel. The indexes are also blackened. The luminescent was kept the same as on the other two Diver X variants. All the details are kept the same, including the circular pattern present on the running seconds sub-dial.

More pictures can be seen in the gallery at the end of the article.

Robust and reliable: UN-118

Ulysse Nardin Diver X Collection is powered by the manufacture movement UN-118, produced in collaboration between Ulysse Nardin and Sigatec in Sion, Switzerland. Ulysse Nardin is an avid user of avant-garde materials and brings in this movement the silicium & Diamonsil technology. This movement proved its worthiness years and years in the Marine Collection.

The movement’s robustness and precision are critical for the task it has to fulfil. The use of silicium makes the watch less sensitive to temperature variations and magnetism. The temperature variations are a big problem in the Vendée Globe for men and machines as well, but not for the Diver X. The 60 hours of power reserve are regulated at 28,800 bph. The movement is nicely decorated using a combination of hand and automated processes.

Final notes

Ulysse Nardin Diver X collection is a beautiful line made for explorers. This doesn’t mean that we, the desk divers, cannot enjoy it. But with this on the wrist, we can go at the end of the world with the assurance that it will serve us well. The beauty is doubled by the excellent wrist comfort. The watch wears much smaller as expected. Its lightness and nice straps make the wearing pleasant.

The choice of materials and colours make the Ulysse Nardin Diver X original and interesting. The watch brand is deeply involved in the circular economy and environmental topics. The watchmaker has implemented a dedicated research unit to study materials from the sea, particularly the characteristics of oyster shells, algae, marine PET (plastic bottles) and polyamide fishing nets. The team is currently researching several avenues of sustainable innovation for future watchmaking projects. Ulysse Nardin uses recycled material to create the fabric strap for instance.