Totally in-house-made, the UN-118 automatic movement operates at 4Hz with an ample power reserve of 60 hours. It is interesting in its design with wing-like balance bridges and nicely finished with polished bevels and radial Geneva stripes. It seems unnecessary for the brand to “certify” its own watch, but it is a fun detail, and even the “Ulysse Nardin Certified” stamp itself is nicely executed on the movement. The UN-118 uses a silicon hairspring and a DIAMonSIL escapement. More and more watchmakers are using silicon for these types of components, but it is particularly fun and noteworthy in a Ulysse Nardin watch because they are the brand who pioneered its use.
DIAMonSIL is a combination of silicon and man-made diamond that “eliminates friction and removes the need for lubrication of the escapement,” and it is produced in collaboration with the Swiss company Sigatec. Silicon is also impervious to magnetization, and each of these qualities are like answers to age-old watchmakers’ dilemmas. The result is an interesting and robust movement. Just in case you needed more than all that (and the brand’s own Ulysse Nardin Certified stamp), this is a COSC chronometer-certified watch, as its name makes clear. In addition to the obvious time with small seconds and date (6 o’clock), and power reserve indicator (12 o’clock), a nice little touch of the UN-118 movement is that you can conveniently adjust the date backward and forward.
Ulysse Nardin is a creative brand not only in its technology but its personality and designs look quite unlike anything else out there, in my opinion – even if there is often a yachting theme that I can’t quite relate to personally. The Ulysse Nardin Diver Chronometer is not too flashy, but it is modern, sporty, and expensive-looking – and, again, it might be a little more boaty than some people can convincingly integrate into their lives. The also recently announced Diver Chronometer 42mm and the Diver Le Locle are both more traditional dive watches from the brand, if that is your speed, and they are arguably more versatile than the model being reviewed here.
The titanium case of the Ulysse Nardin Diver Chronometer is not too thick for a dive watch and light on the wrist. It also feels extensively architected and full of little details to discover – surely more than necessary. I particularly like the new bezel design in comparison to the outgoing generation, but basically everything has been refined, in my opinion. Patrick Pruniaux became CEO of Ulysse Nardin in 2017, and UN tells us that he was extensively involved with the Diver Chronometer redesign personally – if this and other recent releases are an indication of the direction he is taking the brand, then I feel very positive about it.
Ulysse Nardin’s rubber strap with its single link acting as a plaque with the brand’s name is a big part of the package and experience. I can’t really imagine wanting to change it often, but a bracelet option as some versions of the past generation offered might also be cool. The strap is not integral to the watch itself like other parts are, however. Matching blue rubber is used not only for the strap but for the bezel insert and crown guards, and while I trust that Ulysse Nardin is using high-quality materials, it remains a question as to how it will hold up over time. And how a watch and its materials age is the kind of thing watch collectors, or probably anyone spending this kind of money on a luxury, rightly tend to consider.
People misunderstand luxury dive watches if they find them to be a contradiction in terms. They just have a slightly different purpose than the rugged, tool-watch variety. Dive watches are fun to wear, and brands like Ulysse Nardin are refining details and using higher-end movements in order to amplify that wearing experience. Take it diving, sure, but you know just by looking at the Ulysse Nardin Diver Chronometer that it’s made to be enjoyed on various levels. The Ulysse Nardin Diver Chronometer is available in four variations, and the blue dial version reviewed here has a retail price of $7,900. Learn more at ulysse-nardin.com
Necessary Data
>Brand: Ulysse Nardin
>Model: Diver Chronometer
>Price: $7,900
>Size: 44mm
>When reviewer would personally wear it: As a daily wear or “desk diver” despite that it might be mismatched to my mostly landlubbing existence.
>Friend we’d recommend it to first: Guy committed to boating and an associated lifestyle – which would imply that they are in the income bracket to afford it as well.
>Best characteristic of watch: The endless details and their quality.
>Worst characteristic of watch: The yachting theme makes it less versatile in terms of the range of consumers it will appeal to.
