May 19, 2023 (Newport, RI, United States) – After four months of racing at sea – starting in Alicante (Spain) in January and stopping off at Cabo Verde (Cape Verde), Cape Town (South Africa) and Itajaí (Brazil) – The Ocean Race crews docked in Newport, RI (USA). To celebrate this mileston, the brand launches the Ulysse Nardin Ocean Race Diver Chronograph
Ulysse Nardin chose this capital of competitive sailing to reveal its latest creation, THE OCEAN RACE DIVER CHRONOGRAPH, a new watch created to celebrate the historic race’s jubilee. Originally known as the Whitbread Round the World Race, then The Volvo Ocean Race, and now being renamed The Ocean Race for the 2022-2023 edition, this legendary race is a uniquely human endeavour and the most formidable test for racing crews on the high seas.
This limited-edition timepiece, launched in collaboration with The Ocean Race, is a tribute to both partners’ passion for the sea, their shared sense of adventure, and their joint commitment to protecting the oceans.
As the Official Timekeeper of the race, Ulysse Nardin is responsible for the official timings of the various legs and the start countdowns. Still, it is also a partner of the 24-Hour Speed Challenge, in which the crew that covers the greatest distance in 24 hours wins.
In addition to this role, Ulysse Nardin is also a partner of Time to Act. This program aims to reduce the devastating impact of pollution, climate change, and industrial overfishing on our oceans. Time is at the heart of the race, not only in terms of the competition and records but also in relation to the urgency of taking environmental action.
As part of this program, the Racing with Purpose initiative developed alongside 11th Hour Racing – the main partner of The Ocean Race and the founding partner of the race’s sustainability program – relies on three major projects to achieve this goal, including a scientific scheme that aims to collect and analyze essential data on the health of the water. As they chart a 60,000 km course across some of the planet’s most isolated regions, which are only rarely visited by research vessels, the teams have a unique opportunity to gather vital data and make up for lack of information on two of the greatest threats to the health of the ocean: the impact of climate change and plastic pollution. It is thought to be the most data ever collected as part of a sporting event, and The Ocean Race is proud to be playing a key role in deepening our understanding of the marine world.
It is against this backdrop of sport and environmental commitment that the Manufacture is presenting THE OCEAN RACE DIVER CHRONOGRAPH, a new timepiece celebrating the 50th anniversary of The Ocean Race, which first set off in 1973 from the coastal town of Portsmouth in England.
Water-resistant to 300 meters, its 44mm sandblasted black DLC titanium case houses the Ulysse Nardin Manufacture chronograph calibre UN-150 and its 318 components. This movement is visible through the sapphire crystal case back and bears the number ‘50’ in tribute to this anniversary. The Ocean Race logo is affixed to the ceramic part adorning the rubber strap and its pin buckle. The unidirectional bezel has a Carbonium® finish, which contains fibres upcycled from aeroplane fuselage offcuts, offering a 40% lower environmental impact than other carbon composites. Ulysse Nardin became the first watchmaker to use this innovative material on a timepiece in 2019. It offers incomparable resistance for its lightweight, and its superb marbled effect makes this watch a truly unique creation.
THE OCEAN RACE DIVER CHRONOGRAPH is being released as a limited edition of just 100 timepieces. More info at https://www.ulysse-nardin.com/de_de/1503-170le-2a-tor_3a.html.
“The new Diver celebrates this legendary sailing race, its commitment to protecting the ocean environment, and the research and marine conservation projects that Ulysse Nardin is proud to support,” says Patrick Pruniaux, CEO of Ulysse Nardin. The Ocean Race crews will set sail again from Newport on Sunday, May 21st to continue the competition, which will take them to Europe and pass through Aarhus (Denmark), the Kiel Fly-By (Germany) and The Hague (Netherlands) before the grand finale, which is set to take place in Genoa (Italy) at the end of June.
Ulysse Nardin Ocean Race Diver Chronograph Technical Specifications
Reference 1503-170LE-2A-TOR/3A – CHF 14,900 (7.7% VAT) / €16,000 (21% VAT) / $15,700
Movement
- Calibre UN-150 self-winding Manufacture movement Chronograph
- Silicon escape wheel, anchor and balance-spring
- 318 components / 25 jewels
- Frequency: 4 Hz / oscillating at 28,800 vph
Case
- Sandblasted and satin-finished black DLC titanium case
- Bezel: Carbonium® concave unidirectional rotating bezel with domed sapphire crystal
- Caseback: Black DLC titanium open sapphire case back, ‘50’ logo in tribute to the 50th anniversary of The Ocean Race
- Diameter: 44 mm
- Water-resistance: 300 metres
Dial
- Sandblasted black dial
- 30-minutes counter at 3 o’clock
- 12-hours counter and date at 6 o’clock
- Small seconds at 9 o’clock
- Rhodium-plated indexes and hands with Super-LumiNova
Strap & Buckle
- Black rubber strap with black ceramic element at 6 o’clock, engraved with The
- Ocean Race logo
- Black ceramic pin buckle
MANUFACTURE OF FREEDOM
Ulysse Nardin is the independent Manufacture producing advanced 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 integrated manufactures with the in-house expertise to produce its own high-precision components and movements. In 2001, the Maison changed the face of contemporary watchmaking by launching the first Freak.
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: Freak, Blast, Diver and Marine.
As of 2022, Ulysse Nardin and sister Maison Girard-Perregaux have formed an independent collective of high horology Manufactures.
ABOUT THE OCEAN RACE
Since 1973, The Ocean Race has provided the ultimate test of a team and a human adventure like no other. For nearly 50 years, it has kept an almost mythical hold over some of the greatest sailors and been the proving ground for the legends of our sport.
The 14th edition of The Ocean Race will start from Alicante, Spain on 15 January 2023, and will finish in Genova, Italy early in the summer of 2023. The race will visit nine iconic cities around the globe over a six-month period and will feature a leg with the longest racing distance in the 50-year history of the event – a 12,750 nautical mile, one-month marathon from Cape Town, South Africa to Itajaí, Brazil. The two fleets of mixed crews on foiling IMOCA 60 and one-design VO65 will pass all three great southern Capes – Cape of Good Hope, Cape Leeuwin, Cape Horn – non-stop, for the first time.
SUSTAINABILITY IN THE OCEAN RACE
We have a proven commitment to sustainability, and with the support and collaboration of 11th Hour Racing, Founding Partner of the Race Sustainability Programme and Premier Partner of The Ocean Race, we are inspiring action and creating tangible outcomes.
Building upon our award-winning legacy in sustainability, our innovating Racing With Purpose programme is acting as a catalyst for positive change and accelerating the application of innovative solutions to help restore ocean health.