This past Thursday in Zurich Ulysse Nardin debuted the “Stranger”, a timepiece which emulates a classical music box and plays Frank Sinatra’s “Strangers in the Night” either on the hour or on call.  This innovative timekeeper was done in collaboration with musician Dieter Meier (a rather interesting fellow, it appears).  The Ulysse Nardin Stranger is a limited edition of 99 pieces.
Click through for a closer look and explanation of how this watch works

As we saw from March 20t12 at Baselworld, Ulysse Nardin came with a very strong lineup of new watches year, both technically and aesthetically.   I am particularly fond of the 2012 Marine Chronometer which is equipped with the new manufacture caliber 118 (equipped with high-end escapement technology, DiamonSil).   In addition, I have throughout the year covered other great pieces such as the Black Sea Chronograph, the Black Sea (Yellow),  and the Blue Sea Dive Watch.  The last piece of the 2012 introductions that I would like to cover now is the (now available) Sonata Streamline.

Alarm with cathedral gong. Countdown indicator.  Dual Time system with instant timezone adjustor.  Big date in a double window. Quick date correction in both directions.

Ulysse Nardin indicates that the reception to this watch was very positive, and I do find it to be a compelling timepiece (actually there are two variations).   But at the same time this piece reflects some meaningful evolution away from the historical DNA of the Sonata series, which itself is worth a closer look.  We’ll explore it all, below.
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If you are not partial to yellow, there’s always red.  More on brother yellow, here.  Your pick.

Ulysse Nardin Black Sea (Red)

45.8mm rubber-coated steel case, automatic mechanical UN Caliber 26

A new one from Le Locle, Switzerland-based Ulysse Nardin’s Black Sea collection — a chronograph with yellow hands and indices.  This watch joins the earlier model with red accents, and also the Black Sea Chronograph which I wrote about this past May.  Again the stainless-steel case is specially treated with a complex vulcanization process which gives it a matte-black rubber coating.   Small seconds and round date are displayed at 6 o’clock.   There is also a power-reserve indicator situated at 12 o’clock — though as it is an automatic watch I don’t really see the need for such an indicator.  Water resistant to 200 meters.  Comes on a black rubber strap with ceramic inserts and ceramic folding clasp.

Ulysse Nardin Black Sea Chronograph

Ref 263-92-3C/924

45.8mm rubber-coated steel case, automatic mechanical UN Caliber 26

“The Big Unit” Randy Johnson recently joined Ulysse Nardin as an Ambassador.  Ulysse Nardin CEO Patrik Hoffmann officially announced the relationship at Diamondback Stadium in Phoenix, Arizona on June 4th during a special event to benefit The Muhammad Ali Parkinson Center at Barrow Neurological Institute.  There are not many baseball players that serve as Ambassadors to high-end Swiss watch manufactures, and this pairing is certainly never one I would have guessed.  But if it works, it works — good for Randy Johnson and good for Ulysse Nardin!  More exciting to me is that we can look forward to a Ulysse Nardin “The Big Unit” timepiece to commemorate the Johnson’s Ambassadorship — likely to be launched later this year or early next.  I hope Ulysse Nardin comes up with something special.

Randy Johnson, Ulysse Nardin Ambassador

I had forgotten how “big” “The Big Unit” really is!

This new Ulysse Nardin Black Sea Chronograph — its matte-black appearance caught my eye and upon closer inspection there is a lot to like about this watch.  Specifically, the great looking case this watch — turns out it is rubber-coated stainless steel — something Ulysse Nardin has been using on a lot of its watches lately, and to great effect.  Then there is the grained dial — not something you see every day (see closeups below), and I like it.  The rubber strap also has a fine textured to it which harmonizes well with the dial and rubber case.  Note also the black inserts on the rubber strap — black ceramic (the buckle is ceramic, too).  The dial is well organized with good color and lume placement.  I also really like the nice, fat semi-skeletonized hands with lumed tips (also seen often on UN watches).  Though I am not a huge Ulysee Nardin fan (purely a matter of preference), this is definitely a Ulysee Nardin I would wear.  It is an incredibly good looking watch.

Ulysse Nardin Black Sea Chronograph

45.8mm rubber-coated steel case (200 meters WR), automatic mechanical UN manufacture caliber 35, chronograph  with central chronograph seconds hand and permanent seconds in a counter at 3 o’clock, 30 minutes counter at 9 o’clock, a 12-hour counter detailed
at 6 o’clock, rubber strap with ceramic inserts

Ulysse Nardin has released several new Marine Chronometer models for 2012. The particular model you see here is a limited edition piece with a rose gold case and enamel dial.  I have included a lot of photos depicting the making of the enamel dials, as well as a closer look at some of Ulysse Nardin’s patened silicon component technology.  The watch is powered by Ulysse Nardin’s UN-118 caliber, first introduced in 2011 and featuring several of UN’s silicon based innovations such as the DiamonSil (silicon treated with a thin layer of diamond coating that not only eliminates the need for lubrication, but also significantly increases the part’s durability) and silicon hairspring — see Video below.   As well, the Marine Chronmeter case is slightly expanded to 45mm and has a new rubber-covered crown design.  The enamel dial is beautifully handcrafted by Donzé Cadrans, a world-recognized enamel-dial specialist that is owned by Ulysse Nardin.  As I say this is the limited edition piece, but I have included photos of the other models below as well.

Ulysse Nardin Marine Chronometer Manufacture

Ref. 1186-122 , Limited Edition to 350 pieces

45mm rose gold case with enamel dialh, automatic mechanical UN manufacture caliber 118 (DIAMonSIL escapement, silicum hairspring, COSC), date window, small seconds and power reserve subdials

a closeup of the finished Grand Feu enamel dial:

enamel dials ready to be fired…

firing…

fired and ready for imprint…

imprinting…

Rubberized Crown:

 Ulysse Nardin Caliber UN-118

DIAMonSIL Escapement Parts (Pallet and Wheel)

Rendered image of an escapement, silicon hairspring

Ulysse Nardin DIAMonSIL video:

Other options:

Ref. 1185-122 titanium with gold bezel

Ref. 1183-122 titanium, stainless steel

Baselworld 2012: Ulysee Nardin presents a high tech perpetual calendar (adjustable with a single crown) with a dual time function and the legendary in-house movement.

Ulysse Nardin El Toro Perpetual Calendar

43mm rose gold case with blue ceramic dial, automatic mechanical manufacture movement (UN-32; COSC), rubber strap with titanium/ceramic deployant clasp or leather strap with folding buckle (both picture)

• The only perpetual calendar that adjusts forward and backward in seconds over the quick corrector position of a single crown, even in the year 2100.
• The hour hand is adjusted instantly to a new local time with pushers (+) or (-) without taking the watch off the wrist or interfering with its time keeping.
• The arrow keeps track of one’s home or reference time.
• The oversized date, the day, the month and the year change instantly forward or backward when the hour hand is moved to a new local time across the dateline with pushers (+) or (-).
• The 22 ct gold rotor ensures that the watch is automatically wound with a power reserve of 45 hours.
• The bezel and pushers are made in ceramic. The skeletonized hands permit easy reading of all calendar functions and the sapphire case-back allows to observe the mechanics of time.

Baselworld 2012:  Baselworld starts tomorrow but I’ve got a number of previews I’ll get up for you today.  Here’s one from Ulysse Nardin, the Blue Sea.  If you are new to the name, Ulysse Nardin is a high end Swiss manufacture known for its marine/dive watches, among other things.   The Blue Sea watch is immediately distinguished by its color tone — the case has been specially treated with a sophisticated vulcanization process giving it a blue rubber coating with a remarkable appearance (though I’ve always wonder how the coating fares over time).  As well, the non-moving metal parts of the movement have been treated with a stainless blue titanium based alloy.   The hour markers and hour and minute hands are covered with blue luminescent material for improved readability.  There is a power-reserve indicator at 12 o’clock (could have done without this, IMHO) and a small seconds and large date at 6 o’clock.    Fitted with a unidirectional rotating bezel and screwed crown, its individually-numbered case is water-resistant to 200 metres.  The wave pattern seen on the dial and strap are commonly seen on the brand’s dive watches.

Ulysee Nardin Blue Sea Dive Watch

limited edition 999 pieces

45.8mm rubber-coated steel case coated, automatic mechanical movement, rubber strap with ceramic clasp and inserts

Getting back to my ONLY Watch 2011 previews (see all my watch previews here), today we look at the Ulysse Nardin Freak Diavolo “Only Watch 2011″ edition.   This watch is another evolution of the iconic “Freak” that was first introduced by Ulysse Nardin in 2001. The originally Freak was revolutionary at the time in that it possessed no true dial, crown or hands, and was the first timepiece to successfully present escapement wheels constructed of silicium.  The Freak Diavolo “Only Watch” pays tribute to — and advances upon — the original Freak’s pioneering spirit.   Silicum is used throughout most of the escapement, and the watch also features a flying tourbillon that indicates the seconds, among other technical advancements. Note also the lack of a crown — the Freak Diavolo is wound by turning the lower bezel, and the time is adjusted by turning the upper bezel.

Ulysse Nardin Freak Diavolo for ONLY WATCH 2011

Unique Piece

44.5mm stainless steel case, 60-second tourbillon

The two specially conceived ball bearing systems enable the “flying” function of the minute movement and of the seconds-indicator tourbillon without the need for a supporting bridge.