The capital of competitive sailing, Newport, RI, United States, was the location for Ulysse Nardin’s latest unveiling. The Ocean Race crews have been out for four months racing at sea. They started at Alicante (Spain) in January, stopped off at Cabo Verde (Cape Verde), then Cape Town (South Africa), Itajai (Brasil), and have now docked at Newport, RI (USA).
The Ocean Race Diver Chronograph Limited Edition is a new timepiece that has been created by Ulysse Nardin to celebrate the historic race’s 50th anniversary, which first set off in 1973 off the coastal town of Portsmouth in England. This prestigious race goes by many names. Before it was called the Ocean Race for the 2022-2023 season, it also went by the names of Whitbread Round the World Race and the Volvo Ocean Race. The Ocean Race is seen as a formidable test of human endeavour and is widely seen as one of the hardest races on the high seas.
Ulysse Nardin is the Official Timekeeper of the Ocean Race, so it was only right that this limited-edition model was launched in collaboration with the Ocean Race. The watch brand is responsible for the official timings of the various legs and stops while also being the timekeeper for the 24-Hour Speed Challenge. This challenge has each team face off against each other to see who can cover the most distance in a 24-hour period.
Patrick Pruniaux, CEO of Ulysse Nardin explains this timepiece as “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.”
The Ulysse Nardin Ocean Race Limited Edition comes in a 44mm sandblasted black DLC titanium case that has a water resistance of 300m. The uni-directional bezel comes with a Carbonium finish, which means it contains fibres that are upcycled from aeroplane fuselage offcuts, which ultimately offers 40% lower environmental impact than other carbon composites. It also provides a unique look, as it stands out beautifully against the black DLC titanium case.
The main colour theme on this timepiece is blue and white, which is a call to the colours of The Ocean Race. Blue and white can be found throughout the watch, starting from the bezel which has alternating markings in these colours. This colour coordination can be found on the dial on the minute track and the sub-dial counters. The chronograph seconds hand is in blue, while the rhodium-plated hour and minute hands along with hour indices are in white thanks to the generous amounts of Super-LumiNova.
The counters displayed are 30-min at 3 o’clock, 12-hour, and 6 o’clock, and a constant seconds counter at 9 o’clock. A subtle date window is also located within the 6 o’clock counter. The finishing touch is the black sand-blasted finish on the dial. This sand-blasted finish gives the dial a grainy texture/look and gives it a more visual appeal like the bezel.
Ulysse Nardin has fitted the calibre UN-150 self-winding manufacture movement, which can be visible through the sapphire crystal case back. The case back also has the engravement number “50”, which is a tribute to the race’s anniversary. The calibre UN-150 movement operates at a frequency of 4hz, while giving out a power reserve of approximately 48 hours.
The Ocean Race Diver Chronograph is being presented as part of the sport and environmental commitment that Ulysse Nardin is a part of. The Manufacture is a partner of Time to Act, which is a program that aims to reduce the devastating impact of pollution, climate change and industrial overfishing of our oceans. This timepiece is limited to 100 models only, and can only be purchased from Ulysse Nardin boutiques.
Specification
Reference: 1503-170LE-2A-TOR/3A
- Case: 44mm
- Thickness: 14.9mm thick
- Case Material: Sandblasted and satin-finished black DLC titanium
- Case back: Black DLC titanium open sapphire case back, ‘50’ logo in tribute to the 50th anniversary of The Ocean Race
- Dial: Sandblasted black dial
- Crystal: Scratch-resistant anti-reflective sapphire crystal.
- Water resistance: 300m / 30bar
- Movement: Calibre UN-150 self-winding Manufacture movement Chronograph
- Power reserve: 48 Hours
- Strap: Black rubber strap with a black ceramic element at 6 o’clock, engraved with The Ocean Race logo Black ceramic pin buckle
International Recommended Retail Price: AUD $15,700
Availability: Available now through Ulysse Nardin Boutiques.
