El Toro es En Fuego

Ulysse Nardin combined the Moonstruck case with the UN-32 COSC-certified perpetual calendar movement.  43mm red gold or platinum case.  Ceramic pushpieces and bezel.  An exclusive fast-action time-zone system, permanent indication of the original time, forward and backward adjustment of all the date indicators, and the synchronised adjustment of these elements using the hour hand.  Rubber or leather strap with titanium/ceramic folding clasp, or crocodile with red gold or platinum folding clasp.

What a cool watch.  Dare I wish that they had hidden the sub-dials for the date and days?  I should be so petulant.

Ulysse Nardin “El Toro”

Limited to 500 pieces

Ulysse Nardin announced today a new limited edition (100 pieces) Maxi Marine Diver – the “Monaco YS”.  That’s “YS” as in “Yacht Show” – because the brand is participating this year (for the first time) in the Monaco Yacht Show.  It’s actually a pretty cool looking watch, although I find the timing of this announcement to be a bit strange – why didn’t Ulysse Nardin just get in on the “Only Watch 2009″ charity auction held yesterday as part of the same Monaco Yacht Show festivities?  Anyway, here’s the watch:

The case is 42.7mm in diamter, in black DLC (diamond-like-carbon) treated and hardened stainless steel, with a see-through caseback so you can admire the movement. Water resistant to 200 meters.  As for the watch’s functions – it has a small power reserve indicator at 12 o’clock and a small seconds and round date window at 6 o’clock.   The partially skeletonized hour and minute hands are equipped with dark grey luminous material which glows in the dark (presumably in the normal yellow-green color of most lume).  The dial has UN’s distinctive black wave-patterned bezel, accendted with 18 ct rose gold inlay.  Interestingly, rubber strap has a black ceramic folding clasp as well as black ceramic accents which can be seen in the above photo.  Here’s the watch from a different angle:

While this watch could certainly do without the cheesy “Limited Edition” stamp on the strap, the rose gold inlays contrast nicely with the black DLC and make this overall sharp looking dive watch.

Perpetuelle.com Moderator James Bond recently attended a splendid “Get Together” (or “GTG” as the hard core watch enthusiasts refer to them) in Boston, MA.  The watches in attendance at this GTG were phenomenal and I wish I could have been there to enjoy them (I’m sure the people were nice, too).  In addition to a beautiful Rolex Red Daytona, the lineup of vintage watches was amazing.  I am sharing a couple teasers below, but you’ll need to click here to check out Mr. Bond’s full report on the Perpetuelle.com World Watch Forum.  Partial Listing of Watches in attendance include: Rolex “Red Daytona”, Vintage Ulysse Nardin, Vintage Omega Seamster 300, Vintage IWC, Pink dial Minerva, Omega Seamaster Broad Arrow, Chopard, Breguet Type XX, Omega SMP, (Vincent?) Calabrese.

Thanks for the great GTG report, James!

Rolex Red Daytona

Photo: James Bond

“Group Shot”

Photo: James Bond

Again, click here to check out Mr. Bond’s full report on the Perpetuelle.com World Watch Forum.

Only Watch is a charity auction of unique watches created by many of the most important watch brands in Switzerland. This exceptional event is held every two years in Monaco during the Monaco Yacht Show and is under the patronage of HSH Prince Albert 11. All the proceeds from Only Watch go to support research into Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. The next Only Watch auction is organized in close collaboration with Patrizzi & Co and the Monaco Yacht Show, and will take place on 24 September 2009.

Participating brands include Audemars Piguet, Blancpain, BNB Concept, Bovet Fleurier, Breguet Montres, Cartier, Corum Montres, De Bethune, Delacour, Franck Muller, Frédérique Constant, Glashütte Uhrenbertrieb, Hermès, Hublot, Jaquet Droz, Louis Vuitton, Maximilian Büsser & Friends, Mont Blanc, Omega, Patek Philippe, Piaget, Richard Mille, Swatch, Tag Heuer, Tourneau Timepieces, Ulysse Nardin, Urwerk, Vacheron Constantin, Van Cleef & Arpels, Zenith International.

Below is a mosaic of their “pieces uniques”  – you can view larger images and a quote from each respective brand about their 2009 “Only Watch” contribution HERE.