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The brand of pioneers and eXplorers is celebrating the Shark Week with a new watch, a new partnership and a new friend of the brand. We are talking about the Ulysse Nardin Diver Chronograph Great White, the collaboration with Shark Trust and about Mike Coots. Let’s dive right in!

The Maison with Andromache, a great white shark, as brand ambassador is extending its support for the Earth’s oceans with a series of actions aimed to help and raise awareness. Ulysse Nardin is pledging to donate 1% of the annual sales of all “shark watches” to support non-profit organizations focused on sharks.

Ulysse Nardin is partnering with Shark Trust, the leading European shark conservation charity actively working to reform unsustainable and unmanaged fisheries and the supply chain that drive the global consumption of shark products, through legislation and effective conservation actions.

Mike Coots, a native of Hawaii with a full-of-lessons life story that advocates for saving sharks in an effort to maintain balance in the ecosystem joins the “Ulysses” family.

The Ulysse Nardin Diver Chronograph Great White

With a grey and white theme inspired by the beautiful creature of the sea, the Diver Chronograph Great White is a piece that stands out. The large cartilaginous should inspire not fear but wonder, and the watch launched today aims the bring some light and love to a being that is mostly misunderstood.

Solid, light and beautiful – the UN diver case

Ulysse Nardin Diver Chronograph Great White comes with a 44m titanium case presented in a muted satin finish obtained by sandblasting. The case presents the lines now familiar in the Diver collection, and especially, Diver Chronograph family: robust lugs, an oversized concave bezel optimised for grip (even with bulky gloves) and screwed push buttons.

The crown bears the UN anchor logo embossed on the satin-finish background. The grip is excellent and allowed an easy set and wind for the crown and facile use of pushers. The left side of the watch is reserved for the screwed plate bearing the number in the x/300 format. The watch photographed is one of the prototypes and bears the letter P for a clear distinction. The sandblasted look is going excellent with this chosen theme.

The Ulysse Nardin Diver Chronograph Great White is dressed with a white rubber strap with a Great White shark in Superluminova and a Ulysse Nardin titanium element. While both of the elements do not offer a functional utility, the boldness and impact that they bring are to be loved and cherished by the collector. These elements will make the watch recognisable for those in the know or interesting for those considering them intriguing.

The strap can be ended with a titanium tang buckle or a deploying buckle, both of them comfortable, being more a matter of personal preference than something else. The watch can be ordered with one or the other variant but is limited in total to 300 pieces.

A serious but beautiful face

Diver Chronograph Great White follows the grey/white theme also on the dial. The face of the watch starts with the rubberised bezel: positively engraved Arabic numerals and indexes follow the typical diver appearance. The “0” is the only one filled with Superluminova and creates a spectacular view in low light.

The top of the dial kips the dial in balance with the name logo and “GREAT WHITE” printing. Due to its relatively large size, the elements on the dial have enough space to express themselves without that feeling of burdeness. The grey background reminding of the shark’s skin offers the perfect neutrality for the info displayed – the textured finish potentiates the legibility.

The layout is a normal “Y” template with running seconds on the left, a 30-minute totaliser on the right and a 12 hours totaliser on the lower side of the dial. The date, with blue on white scheme, is revealed through a round aperture at 6 o’clock. The date is contributing to the blue accents found on the middle line of the dial. I am glad Ulysse Nardin chose blue instead of a darker grey or black that would have made the watch too sober.

As seen in the lume shot above, the UN baton hands and the large applied indexes with Superluminova insert make quite a spectacle in low light.

Celebrating sharks, and a manufacture movement

The Diver Chronograph Great White is powered by the in-house Calibre UN-150. This decade-old movement has proven to the test of the time in several chronographs. With a silicon escapement that beats at 28.800 vph (or 4Hz), the watch offers 48 hours of power reserve with virtual no issues caused by magnetic interference or temperature variations.

The screws fixed titanium caseback does not reveal the beauty of the movement but an embossed medalion with an engraved great white shark, as seen through a ship’s porthole. No need to worry about the finishes of the movement, Ulysse Nardin treats all the movements in the same way – good, even if they are displayed or hidden under a solid caseback.

Great on the wrist, even greater in the water

I am a desk diver that enjoys a nice chrono and occasional snorkelling. Am I the best one to recommend a diver watch? Certainly not… But I know that the Ulysse Nardin diver watches are done under the guidance of professionals (like Fred Buyle or Mike Coots) and they spare no critics since they need to rely on the tool on the wrist. The watch is engineered for depths up to 300m and the Superluminova is carefully chosen. So I am sure most of use will be OK.

The watch wears smaller than expected. I photographed the watch long before I had the tech specs and I didn’t realise that is factic so large. It wears great, it looks great and comes with good deeds. And here is something important to say.

The good deeds

1% of the revenues from sales of this watch will be donated to the Planet to support via non-profit organizations focused on sharks. Why is that important? Because this misunderstood giant (can have up to 490 cm in length) is noted in the conservation status with vulnerable. While the great white shark has one of the largest ranges of any shark (habitat: 0-1200m. Coastal waters but also found in the open ocean), its diet if big fish, rays, other sharks, ceteceans, seabrids, sea turtles, seat otters and itself is endangered by excessive fishing.

The sharks are important for the stability and health of the oceans. Like the wolves that controlled the population of deers in the forests, the sharks have their role in keeping the balance of nature in the oceans. With a population decline of over 70% in the last 50 years, the state of the oceans is dramatically deteriorating. That is why Ulysse Nardin is joining forces with the Shark Trust in the demarche of protecting and conserving shark species (and not only).

The Shark Trust is the leading UK-based shark conservation charity. They work globally to safeguard the future of sharks and rays through positive change. The Shark Trust has a 25-year track record of successful coordination and delivery of science-based shark conservation. They work closely with the UK Government and the EU Commission on shark and ray management and fisheries issues as part of an international coalition. More about the Shark Trust here.

A quick Shark retrospective at Ulysse Nardin

• 2010 – The very first Ulysse Nardin DIVER Hammerhead shark watch was created
• 2018 – The shark becomes a Ulysse Nardin emblem and the brand’s advertising campaign signature
• 2018 – Launch of the DIVER GREAT WHITE watch, rapidly sold out
• 2019 – Launch of the DIVER BLUE SHARK model
• 2020 – The brand starts a SHARK TAGGING campaign with non-invasive techniques thanks to its partnership with the Acores University and the work of free diver Fred Buyle and PhD Doctor Jorge Fontes
• 2020 – Ulysse Nardin partners with the US based OCEARCH organization, a fascinating, shark tracking app Ocearch aims to share knowledge about “the links between shark, human and environmental health”
• 2020 – A young adult female Great White was caught and tagged off the coast of Massachusetts and named Andromache becoming ULYSSE NARDIN’s first official shark ambassador She can be tracked through OCEARCH here https://www.ocearch.org/tracker/detail/andromache
• 2021 – Launch of the DIVER LEMON SHARK timepiece with the Florida International University
• 2022 – The latest edition to the Ulysse Nardin’s diver collection, the DIVER CHRONOGRAPH GREAT WHITE comes to the surface in titanium and withstands 300 meters depth, in a limited edition of 300 pieces
• 2022 – The brand partners with SHARKTRUST, 1% FOR THE PLANET and Mike Coots

A new friend, a new Ulysse: Mike Coots

After having his leg torn off by a tiger shark in his native Hawaii, Mike has turned his painful story into a successful career as a champion of the ocean’s apex predators and photographer. His story of survival is legendary. When Mike Coutts was just 18 years he was bodyboarding off of his native island of Kuai when he felt a sharp tug on his leg. A tiger shark had just bitten off his right limb and as it came back for more, Mike punched it in the face, got himself back to shore and not only lived to tell the tale but turned his personal tragedy into an inspirational career of conservation and art. While many survivors of such attacks choose to avoid the ocean afterwards, Mike couldn’t wait to get back into the water. His friends bought him a camera so that, while he was healing on the beach, he could take photographs of the sport he loved. “That event was the best thing that ever happened to me”, he says “I would never have had the chance to speak with the people who have the power to change things if this hadn’t happened to me. It’s a conversation opener from someone who has actually lived through it. And if I had the chance to do it all over again I would still go back into the ocean on that day.” With his prosthetic leg, Mike continues to surf regularly.

He returned to bodyboarding barely one month after having his leg amputated. Fitted with a custom prosthesis, he then took up surfing and is able to attach the safety strap to it at a place where it is less likely to be ripped off by a wave. He also took a course in professional photography and today dives with top marine biologists, documenting their work as they study and tag sharks. Going on to become a professional photographer, Mike has worked tirelessly to understand the apex predators of the ocean and campaign for a better understanding of them.“Diving with the same species that attacked me, I can draw attention to sharks and why they’re important to our oceans”, he says. Now, he shares his unique perspective on sharks with the world. His captivating images challenge the viewer to see sharks in a different way, in their natural habitat as key players in the ecosystems of the seas and not as the “killer” they are reputed to be.

In 2010 Mike worked tirelessly to help pass legislation that would make it illegal to possess shark fins in Hawaii. “The attack has provided me with opportunities that I would never have imagined It has made me stronger I wouldn’t change my life for anything”, he says.
https://www.mikecoots.com/

Ulysse Nardin Diver Chronograph Great White Technical Specifications

Reference

• 1503-170LE-1A-GW/3A (Tang Buckle) – 12’600 CHF / 12‘000 EUR / 13‘300 USD / 11‘070 GBP
• 1503-170LE-1A-GW/3B (Deployant Buckle) – 12’850 CHF/ 12’200 EUR / 13’600 USD / 11’270 GBP

Movement

• Calibre UN-150 Manufacture
• Chronograph / Self-winding movement
• Features: 30 minutes, 12 hours & small seconds counter with date
• Escapement wheel, anchor & balance spring in Silicium
• 318 Components / 25 jewels
• Frequency: 4 Hz / Oscillations 28,800 V/H
• Power reserve: 48 hours

Case

• Titanium sandblasted & satin-finish case
• Concave white rubberized unidirectional rotating bezel with a domed sapphire glass
• Great White shark stamped on the case back
• Diameter: 44 mm
• Water resistance: 300 meters

Dial

• Grey sandblasted dial
• 30 minutes counter at 3 o’clock
• 12 hours counter & date at 6 o’clock
• Small second at 9 o’clock
• Hours, minutes & small counters Hands & Indexes with Superluminova

Strap

• White rubber strap with Great White shark in Superluminova
• UN titanium element at 6 o’clock
• Titanium tang buckle or deploying buckle

About 1% for the planet
1% for the Planet is a global organization that exists to ensure that our planet and future generations thrive We inspire businesses and individuals to support environmental non-profits through membership and everyday actions We make environmental giving easy and effective through partnership advising, impact storytelling and third party certification Started in 2002 by Yvon Chouinard, founder of Patagonia, and Craig Mathews, founder of BlueRibbon Flies, to date our business members and individual members have given hundreds of millions of dollars to our approved non-profit partners Today, 1 for the Planet’s global network consists of thousands of businesses, individuals and environmental non-profits working toward a better future for all Look for our logo to purchase for the planet, learn more and join at https://www.onepercentfortheplanet.org/

About Shark Trust
The Shark Trust is the leading UK-based shark conservation charity. They work globally to safeguard the future of sharks and rays through positive change. The primary challenge in shark conservation is overfishing addressing unsustainable and unmanaged fisheries. And the supply chains that drive the global consumption of shark products. A recent review documented that 1/3 of the 1200 shark and ray species are now classified as threatened on the IUCN Red List – the primary cause being the effects of overfishing. The global abundance of oceanic sharks and rays (those living on the high seas) has declined 71 over the last 50 years, primarily due to overfishing. The Shark Trust works actively to reform fisheries both domestically and on the high seas pushing for sustainable management and science-based catch limits. https://www.sharktrust.org/

Ulysse Nardin – Manufacture of Freedom
Ulysse Nardin is the Manufacture inspired by the Ocean, producing freaky timepieces for explorers in pursuit of freedom.
Founded by Mr Ulysse Nardin in 1846 the company owes its reputation to its links with the sea its onboard marine chronometers are among the most award-winning and reliable ever designed.
A pioneer in innovative technologies and the use of high tech materials such as silicium, Ulysse Nardin is one of the few independent and integrated manufactures with the in house expertise to produce its own high precision components and movements.
To underscore its commitment to its favourite environment, Ulysse Nardin is active in supporting the preservation of the Ocean, focusing on two major areas encouraging upcycling to reduce marine plastic pollution and developing scientific knowledge concerning the preservation of the sharks, its emblem.
Today, in the Swiss towns of Le Locle and La Chaux de Fonds, Ulysse Nardin remains devoted to its quest for watchmaking perfection in four collections Marine, Diver, Blast and Freak In 2022 the brand continues to pursue its Vertical Odyssey, voyaging from the abyss to the cosmos with its high flying watches.