391 articles · 29 videos found · page 12 of 14
No hands, no dial, no crown - the 2001 haute-horlogerie audacity from Ulysse Nardin.
Pinault\'s Kering luxury group. Watch portfolio: Girard-Perregaux (2011) + Ulysse Nardin (2014). Combined revenue ~CHF 200-300M.
Wristshot gallery from the Horlogeforum Ulysse Nardin thread.
Revolution
Carole Forestier-Kasapi, director of fine watchmaking at Cartier has been an industry trailblazer since her tenure at Ulysse Nardin. Having overseen the high profile ID concept watch project, Forestier-Kasapi has addressed some of haute horology’s nagging issues namely- lubrication and energy loss in geared movements. Since production of the exemplary Cartier Astrotourbillon and the Rotonde […]
Worn & Wound
When Ulysse Nardin unveiled the Freak in 2001, it set off a chain of events that forever changed the course of history for the brand and for the industry at large. The model seamlessly flexed a combination of technical and design achievements. The Freak offered material innovation that was far ahead of its time, introducing the use of silicon in the escapement wheels-a technology that is now used by almost every major watch brand from Rolex to Patek Philippe, Girard-Perregaux, Breitling, and Jaeger-LeCoultre, just to name a few. It also presented an entirely new set of aesthetic codes for watch design with an expression of time that notably lacked a traditional dial, hands, or crown. With the Freak’s overall success, it immediately established the brand as a thought leader, an innovator, and (perhaps most importantly) a rebel in an industry often paralyzed by its reverence and steadfast commitment to tradition. In the nearly 25-years since the first Freak, we have seen Ulysse Nardin infuse this spirit in each subsequent Freak model and its catalog at large-from the Blast collection to its UFO clocks and, most recently, in its record breaking Diver [Air], the world’s lightest mechanical dive watch. The first Freak We all know record setting has become a bit of a thing in watchmaking. Particularly in the past decade or so, we have witnessed brands embark on the race to claim the next world record title. Since 2014, Bulgari has set a whopping ten for the ultra-thi...
![Ulysse Nardin Introduces the World’s Lightest Mechanical Dive Watch, the Dive [Air]](https://wornandwound.com/library/uploads/2025/04/UN-Dive-Air-55.jpg)
Worn & Wound
Ulysse Nardin once again entered Watches & Wonders with only one watch. I like this strategy, as it allows a brand to really focus on storytelling and helping the press, retailers, and other guests understand what their new novelty is all about. Many Watches & Wonders meetings can feel a bit rushed as tray after tray of watches is passed around and given a full explanation. But Ulysse Nardin, by comparison, is a leisurely experience, and the information really sticks. I always come away from their big spring novelty impressed, and this year, with the debut of the new Dive [Air] was no exception. The Dive [Air] sees Ulysse Nardin at their most experimental, pursuing the type of ultralight watchmaking that has driven brands like Richard Mille (the obvious point of comparison) over the past decade. According to Ulysse Nardin, the Dive [Air] is the world’s lightest mechanical dive watch, with a case that tips the scales at just 46 grams (with the elastic strap, the watch weighs 52 grams). I’m sure the Ulysse Nardin team had fun all week handing the watch over to people like me and watching their faces as the weight (or, lack thereof) sunk in. To be clear, 52 grams is disconcertingly light. It’s the type of light that makes you believe your mind is playing a trick on you, or that the watch might be a fake, some plastic, Happy Meal toy. But it’s not, of course, a toy. It’s a 44mm diver that sees Ulysse Nardin pushing their own technical limits, and coming up with ing...
Hodinkee
A complex watch turns 23 years old, but it doesn't mean Ulysse Nardin doesn't have some new tricks.
SJX Watches
An outlandish concept that originally sprang from the mind of Carole Forestier Kasapi, the Ulysse Nardin Freak of 2001 was perfected by Dr Ludwig Oechslin and then made reality thanks to the advent of silicon in watchmaking. Lightweight and magnetism resistant, silicon was used for the escape wheels but that was only the beginning of the story. [This story, the third and final instalment in the series, details the history of silicium, the proprietary Ulysse Nardin silicium hairspring, and the patented Grinder rotor. The Saga of a Scientific Timepiece Part I covers the origins of the Freak, from its conception to realisation, as well as its distinguishing characteristics, namely the inventive movement construction and unique escapement. Part II deals with the evolution of the unique, high-performance escapement.] Silicon, Silicium, Silinvar Now used interchangeably with silicon, silicium is actually French for “silicon”, but now it is also used as the trade name for the proprietary form of silicon used by Ulysse Nardin for movement components, namely silicon with a hard oxide outer layer that gives the material thermocompensating properties. Silicium was developed by Swiss scientific institute Centre Suisse d’Electronique et de Microtechnique (CSEM) in collaboration with Ulysse Nardin. Notably, the material is also known as Silinvar, which resulted from a separated but related CSEM project backed by a consortium made up of Rolex, Patek Philippe and Swatch Group. As a ...
SJX Watches
One of Ulysse Nardin’s more obscure models, the Blast Hourstriker is one of the brand’s most interesting watches from a technical perspective. It’s equipped with an in-house, self-winding tourbillon movement plus a hour-striking mechanism on top. And concealed on the back is an amplification system developed with the help of Devialet, the French maker of high-end speakers that was coincidentally founded by a member of the Nardin family that once controlled the eponymous brand. Initial thoughts The Ulysse Nardin (UN) Hourstriker caught my attention in 2019 when the brand debuted the Hourstriker Phantom, the first model featuring the Devialet amplification system. Comprised of both a novel gong fixture and soundboard, the Devialet system arguably ranks alongside the inventions in the Patek Philippe “Advanced Research” Minute Repeater ref. 5750P and Audemars Piguet Supersonnerie as one of the most notable striking innovations on the market today. And the backstory of the Devialet system is surprisingly appropriate: one of Devialet’s co-founders is Emmanuel Nardin, an industrial designer who’s a descendant of Ulysse. The Hourstriker Phantom. Image – Ulysse Nardin The Hourstriker Phantom was short-lived and quickly replaced by the Blast Hourstriker. Even though the Blast Hourstriker is a substantially upgraded watch, most enthusiasts are probably unaware of it, probably because it resembles less complicated models in UN’s catalogue. In the Blast Hourstriker, t...
Time+Tide
Ulysse Nardin is a brand that has a ton of momentum at present. After a bit of a rocky era under Kering, and with a buyout looming, Ulysse Nardin CEO Patrick Parnaux and senior management would go on to acquire Sowind Group SA in 2022 – leading both Ulysse Nardin and Girard-Perregaux to regain full … ContinuedThe post Talking Freak, food, and more with Ulysse Nardin Chief Growth Officer Matthieu Haverlan appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Teddy Baldassarre
Since its founding in 1846, Ulysse Nardin has long been regarded as the standard bearer of nautical timekeeping, a historic watchmaking maison whose very name conjures up romantic images of seagoing adventure and oceanic exploration. However, here in the 21st century, Ulysse Nardin is also known in watch connoisseur circles as one of the most technically innovative and boldly experimental watchmakers on the scene, beginning with the bombshell introduction of the Freak in 2001. How did this intriguing brand achieve both these distinctions and how does it continue to pile up accolades in the modern era? Read on for a complete guide to the history, evolution, and diverse timepiece portfolio of today’s Ulysse Nardin. Foundations in Chronometry Like many inhabitants of Switzerland’s Jura Mountain region in the 18th and 19th centuries, Léonard-Frédéric Nardin took up the trade of watchmaking largely out of economic necessity, to supplement his family’s farming income during the cold, snowbound winter months. He passed that horological savoir faire on to his son, Ulysse, who proved to be an apt pupil and honed his own horological skills further under the tutelage of two of the region’s most talented and revered watchmakers, Frederic-William Dubois and Louis JeanRichard-dit-Bressel. In 1846, at the young age of 23, Ulysse Nardin (above) established his own watchmaking workshop in his hometown of Le Locle, where the eponymous company is still headquartered today. Ulysse ...
Quill & Pad
On January 24, 2022, two Swiss watch brands, Ulysse Nardin and Girard-Perregaux, were reorganized in response to men’s fashion developments in Rome, Italy. In a vacuum, it is hard to see how one would lead to the other: their connection is the Kering group. And then there's LVMH, but how does that group fit in here? Professor of economics Brendan Cunningham offers some thoughts on how all of this might just go together.
SJX Watches
After several years of trying to grow its sub-scale watch division, Kering has sold both of its watch brands in a management buyout led by chief executive Patrick Pruniaux. A former Apple executive who started his watch career at TAG Heuer, Mr Pruniaux first took charge of Ulysse Nardin in 2017 before also taking the top job at Girard-Perregaux a year later. He proceeded to merge both brands into a single factory in La Chaux-de-Fonds, a move that was subsequently followed by layoffs the next year. The slimmed-down brands will have the flexibility to do more, while also facing the challenge of being relatively small players facing off against stronger brands. The French luxury group never managed to replicate the earlier success of its watch brands, both of which were run by iconoclastic entrepreneurs – Rolf Schnyder at Ulysse Nardin and Luigi “Gino” Macaluso at Girard-Perregaux. Both their deaths led to their heirs selling the respective companies to Kering, the Macaluso family in 2011 and the Schnyder family in 2014. Patrick Pruniaux With brands like Gucci and Saint Laurent in its stable, Kering had 2020 revenues of over €13 billion, leaving its two-brand watch division diminutive in comparison. The group never found the right formula for its watch division, resulting in the gradual erosion of sales. At the time of their respective acquisitions, Girard-Perregaux has annual sales of about CHF180 million and Ulysse Nardin about €190 million according to recent es...
SJX Watches
A mainstay of the luxury-watch scene in Tokyo for a quarter century, The Hour Glass in Ginza is the only Japanese outpost of the Singapore-based watch retailer. Led since its opening by watch veteran Atsushi Momoi, the store in the posh shopping district recently reopened after a makeover, just in time for its 25th anniversary. To mark the occasion, the store commissioned a pair of limited-edition models, including the Ulysse Nardin Classico The Hour Glass Ginza 25th Anniversary (and the other a Vacheron Constantin Traditionnelle Tourbillon in platinum). The newly-revamped store in Ginza Initial thoughts Unsurprisingly given the experience of Mr Momoi and his team, the Ginza anniversary edition has an appealing, classical aesthetic characterised by a strong attention to detail. In fact, despite its simplicity, the dial is replete with elegant, smart details. One of the most subtle is the fact that “Swiss made” sits on the minute track, streamlining the dial. And it goes without saying the date has been removed. And illustrating the discretion often prized by Japanese clientele, the most expensive upgrade to the watch is hidden – the 22k gold rotor on the back. Sophisticated, classical style While UN typically favours Roman numerals on its watches, the Ginza anniversary edition is executed in a style that is decidedly classical, reflecting the taste of the Japanese consumer. The dial is “salmon” in tone and finished with a radial guilloche, with applied Breguet n...
Hodinkee
Ulysse Nardin first experimented with the moonphase complication in the mid-1800s.
Hodinkee
Ulysse Nardin's Blast debuts a new case, a new movement, and a new folding clasp.
Hodinkee
The latest Ulysse Nardin hour striking watch: loud and proud.
SJX Watches
Having unveiled commemorative editions from the likes of Audemars Piguet, De Bethune and Urwerk for its 40 years in business, Singapore watch retailer The Hour Glass continues the anniversary roll-out with the Ulysse Nardin Freak X Carbonium Gold. The watch is a variant of the entry-level but appealing Freak X, a remarkable exercise in simplicity and the most affordable version of the Freak to date. But importantly, it manages to be the base model without being a concession, and instead is more of an optimisation, offering a great deal of exotic watchmaking – it boasts the fanciest oscillator of any watch in this price segment – for little money as such things go. While the Freak X forgoes some characteristics of its avant-garde forebear, it is both technically clever and much more refined in design, offering an enhanced practicality by way of a smaller case, a traditional crown, an automatic movement, and most crucially, a high-performance silicon balance wheel – an innovation found only in one other Freak, the pricier Freak Vision. Streamlined mechanics Limited to 30 pieces, the Freak X for The Hour Glass combines a new case material – “Carbonium Gold” – with a striking champagne dial. In contrast to most Freak models that have dark dials, this Freak X has a face in a pale gold which gives it a greater presence on the wrist, but because of its matte, brushed finish, it isn’t loud and manages to be easily wearable. The only downside of t...
SJX Watches
Over the past five years, a new generation of bosses has taken over the watch world. Many share common traits that distinguish them from the preceding generation of chieftains: a charming informality and a nose for courting the next generation of consumers – millennial and otherwise. Patrick Pruniaux is a leading member of his class, who was tapped to run Ulysse Nardin in August 2017. A year later, he was elevated to run Kering’s watch division, which meant taking on leadership of Girard-Perregaux as well. Mr Pruniaux has done a remarkable job of revitalising Ulysse Nardin – not just with fresh marketing, but more crucially with new watches that make sense. He’s streamlined the range of offerings and introduced more accessible watches, with much of his efforts focused on arguably the most important Ulysse Nardin watch of the modern era – the Freak. His strategy for the Freak is notable for being all-encompassing, ranging from aggressively affordable pricing with the Freak X, while pushing hard at the boundaries of material science and engineering, culminating in the Freak NeXt. The Freak X Mr Pruniaux took a surprisingly roundabout way to arrive at one of the top jobs in watchmaking. He started in drinks and spirits at Diageo and then Moët-Hennessey. He then entered the watch business with TAG Heuer, where he rose to lead retail and sales. But the most instructive phase of his watchmaking career, ironically, was at Apple. The computer maker r...
Deployant
Detailed hands-on analytical review of the Ulysse Nardin Marine Tourbillon Grand Feu with live high resolution photographs from SIHH 2017.
Hodinkee
The Le Locle-based manufacture marks a milestone of its flagship collection with what might be the most ambitious Freak yet.
Hodinkee
Two of the boldest design approaches in independent watchmaking have been brought together-and it works.
Teddy Baldassarre
Teddy Baldassarre is an authorized luxury watch retailer of brands like TUDOR, OMEGA, IWC, Grand Seiko, Breitling, Blancpain, Glashütte Original, Zenith, Longines, ORIS, MIDO, Tissot, Hamilton, NOMOS Glashütte, Baume & Mercier, and more.
![Introducing: The Ulysse Nardin Freak [X Crystalium]](https://hodinkee.imgix.net/uploads/images/8f0bba68-227d-4c73-8750-d05bc9752ec5/Ulysse-Nardin-freak-crystalium-hero.jpg?ixlib=rails-1.1.0&fm=jpg&q=55&auto=format&usm=12&w=1200&h=630&fit=crop)
Hodinkee
UN's latest Freak variant uses a controlled crystallization process to create unique dial textures, making each of the 50 pieces completely one-of-a-kind.
Hodinkee
A new look to an intensely complicated watch from the innovative brand.
Hodinkee
The Freak-iest Manufacture expands its OPS capsule collection bringing collectors & enthusiasts together for an NY celebration.
![Introducing: Ulysse Nardin Produces The World's Lightest Dive Watch With the Diver [AIR]](https://hodinkee.imgix.net/uploads/images/bd6007d3-abff-46ca-8e1d-aa44c94ebeae/BG_DIVER_AIR_Duo_HD.jpeg?ixlib=rails-1.1.0&fm=jpg&q=55&auto=format&usm=12&w=1200&h=630&fit=crop)
Hodinkee
The brand's dive watch design goes on a diet.
Monochrome
Bucherer, one of the world’s oldest and most esteemed watch retailers, now owned by Rolex, has long been a leader in the industry, and for a few years, offers its customers exclusive access to limited-edition timepieces created in collaboration with renowned partner brands. For years, collectors and enthusiasts have enjoyed unique adaptations of existing models, […]
Hodinkee
Joining the brand's 'Operations' capsule collection, the Net OPS and Skeleton X OPS divers bring an avant-garde approach to tactical watchmaking.
Hodinkee
It's a Freak S sequel appropriate for Dune II, with sandy display to match.
Hodinkee
A newly independent watch brand gets in on the multicolored-gem trend.
Hodinkee
Get Ur Freak On.
Hodinkee
A Blast from the past, built for the future.
Question, suggestion, or just want to say hi? Drop a note.