Ulysse Nardin BLAST [Free Wheel Maillechort] Review

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In the high horology theater, there are creations that challenge perceptions, spark intrigue and genuinely reset the boundaries of mechanical watchmaking. The Ulysse Nardin BLAST [Free Wheel Maillechort] is one such phenomenon. A piece that draws the eye, ignites curiosity and rewards a lingering gaze with a wealth of detail and technical marvel. Crafted in white gold and showcased with unapologetically complex design nuancing, this timepiece stands as a beacon for those who appreciate the mechanical arts elevated into visual poetry.

Ulysse Nardin BLAST [Free Wheel Maillechort]

Ulysse Nardin’s journey is one steeped in oceanic adventure and unrivalled chronometric precision, tracing back to 1846 in Le Locle. Throughout its history, the Maison has relentlessly pursued innovative solutions, carving out a distinguished legacy with marine chronometers trusted by navies and scientists alike. The inaugural Free Wheel made an immediate impact in the high watchmaking community, heralded for its audacious “floating” architecture. Since its conceptual debut, this line has evolved, culminating in the Blast Free Wheel Maillechort—a 2025 limited edition of only fifty pieces, explicitly pushing the envelope both technically and aesthetically. Its lineage is marked by the embrace of cutting-edge silicon technologies, the adoption of the constant force escapement (a GPHG award winner in 2015), and a persistent devotion to both independent spirit and classical roots.

Appearance and Allure

On first sight, the “Maillechort” dial asserts its presence boldly, with a warm silvery tone unique to this copper, zinc, and nickel alloy. This traditional material, far tougher than brass, bestows a distinctive grained texture exuding both heritage and modernity. It’s a living canvas whose patina will slowly evolve, ensuring every piece accumulates character through time, a reflection of ongoing dialogue between metal and its wearer. Set beneath an ultra-glass box sapphire crystal, the dial’s floating components, wheels, barrels, power reserve display, appear suspended in an architectural space, untethered, defying the classic conceptions of dial construction. This sense of depth, agreed with transparency, lends the watch an aesthetic akin to a horological diorama: a harmonious theatre of form and function.

Beauty in Technicity

Beneath the remarkable architecture of the dial lies the UN-176 calibre, a manual-wind movement painstakingly engineered by Ulysse Nardin’s integrated Manufacture after two years of research and development. Its crowning feature is the award-winning flying tourbillon at six o’clock, with the Ulysse Anchor Constant Escapement – a technical feat forged with 45 individual components. This construction forsakes the traditional pivots and jewels, leveraging twin blade springs of such delicacy they measure less than a quarter the thickness of a human hair. These are positioned perpendicularly and kept in tension, delivering a perfectly even impulse regardless of the state of the power reserve. Advanced silicon is incorporated into both hairspring and escapement, further reducing energy loss and maximising precision regardless of environmental interference.

The movement is as captivating visually as it is technically. A floating double-barrel system at twelve o’clock, anchored through precision ball bearings and exposed in the openwork design, offers a remarkable seven-day power reserve. The power reserve indicator at four o’clock operates with rare ingenuity: unlike the usual pointers or discs, here it remains static as the display mechanism rotates, revealing the energy status through the alignment of broad bands. All visible elements are hand-finished and their sharp mechanical contours play gracefully with the light under that sapphire glass, offering uncompromising transparency into horological mastery. Behind, a sapphire case back with an engraved Maillechort plate reveals further painstaking attention to finish, with a blend of modern micro-mechanical detailing and honest traditional craftsmanship. The movement comprises 246 components and 23 jewels, beating at 2.5 Hz (18,000 vph), bringing measured elegance to every oscillation.

A True Spectacle

The 45mm case is sculpted from white gold, deploying negative angle facets achieved through an intricate laser method. The blend of satin-finishing and polished edges emphasises the multifaceted bodywork, delivering a tactile and visual richness that feels bold yet refined on the wrist. Ulysse Nardin’s commitment to innovation is expressed in the single-block sapphire “ultra-glass” box, carved and hollowed to exacting tolerances, which drapes over the movement and dial, providing a panoramic view from above and from the sides. The ergonomic shaping ensures comfort, while the striking proportions assert presence.

With a water resistance of 30 metres, a perceived case height of 8.75mm (12.4mm overall), and a seamless integration of the blue velvet effect rubber strap (secured by a white gold folding buckle), the watch embodies an equal measure of technical achievement and wearable luxury. The open sapphire case back provides an additional window into the mechanical artistry, concluding the case with both transparency and weighty substance. The Blast Free Wheel Maillechort feels every bit the modern sculpture for the wrist, substantial but never overbearing, and rewarding every glance with new detail.

Innovations and Traditions at Ulysse Nardin

To appreciate the Blast Free Wheel Maillechort is to witness Ulysse Nardin’s enduring dialogue between reverence for tradition and appetite for innovation. The Maison’s pioneering use of silicon, the daring adoption of the constant force escapement, and a persistence in open, architectural movement design root this piece in twenty-first-century horology, while the use of classical materials such as Maillechort and gold, hand-executed finishes, and patience for complex mechanical assembly speak to established values that have defined Ulysse Nardin since its founding.

With each facet, every visible gear, and the interplay of materials and movement, the Blast Free Wheel Maillechort encapsulates a philosophy where mechanical precision and artistic vision are given equal standing. It is a creation that invites contemplation, rewards expertise, and will surely take its place as a landmark in the pantheon of contemporary Haute Horlogerie.

Ulysse Nardin BLAST [Free Wheel Maillechort] Technical Specifications

Ref. 1760-401LE-4A-MAIL/3A – 50 pieces limited edition, 120’000 CHF (8.1% VAT included) / 128’100 EUR (21% VAT included) / 126’600 USD (VAT excluded) / 111’380 GBP (VAT included)

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