Ulysse Nardin’s neo-vintage Diver 42 mm collection could be its most accessible collection of watches yet. Inspired by Diver Le Locle, a watch it produced in 1964, the new releases reinforce the relaunch of the Diver Chronometer Collection in September this year.
The concave bezel and domed sapphire glass are the same as on the 44 mm models launched in September, but the timepieces now have an unexpected vintage look, with an uncluttered sandblasted dial, touches of retro beige, and a central second instead of a small second counter. The GPS coordinates of Le Locle, the Manufacture’s hometown since 1846, are seen on the dial.
All the essential diver codes are here: Superluminova on the 0, hands, and notched rotating bezel, and water resistance to 300 meters. The classic mid-20th century diver's watch aesthetics are fully backed by 21st-century technology as seen in the in-house Calibre UN-816, which though based on a Sellita SW300, features a silicon hairspring. A 4-Hz movement, it has a power reserve of 42 hours.
Slim enough to fit snugly under a shirt, the watch case has a mix of brushed and polished surfaces and straight lugs and is available in a few strap options. These include blue fabric, black calf leather and three-row stainless-steel. In a first for Ulysse Nardin, the diver is also offered with a stainless-steel Milanese mesh bracelet, stamped from sheet steel, painstakingly stitched together by hand, and finished with a retro-styled butterfly buckle.
The hero of the new rollout is the Diver Blue Shark Limited Edition, in stainless steel with PVD blue bezel and a blue dial and strap pepped-up with bright orange touches. This limited-edition of 300 pieces knockout is blue-shark stamped on the case back, a nice echo to its big brother, the Diver Great White 44mm.
The Ulysse Nardin Diver 42mm retails for $5,800 on textile or leather strap and $6,500 on a Milanese mesh bracelet. The limited edition Diver Blue Shark is at $6,800.
