Ulysse Nardin, who succeeded to be among the iconic brands of the watch industry with the models designed in Marine Chronometer concept, introduced the latest version of its alarm function model Classic Sonata.
In fact, the Classic Sonata collection, which is in the brand’s catalogue for a relatively long time, mostly played the second fiddle among the Ulysse Nardin product range, due to its bold design, mechanical alarm function in the form of cathedral gong and slightly higher price. The brand wanted to change this situation and designed a new model that offered a more refined look without moving away from the Classic Sonata DNA. One of the important features of the new model, which was introduced recently, is the addition of a stainless steel version to the collection among a few technical and visual updates.
No doubt the most important feature of the Classic Sonata concept is the mechanical alarm function. This unique feature that can be considered rare in the world of mechanical watches reminds me the brand Vulcaine. Jaeger-LeCoultre also has alarmed models as well. But Classic Sonata’s point is about the technical structure of the alarm function. In the standard mechanical alarm watch concept, the alarm signal is provided in the form of a beating through a hairspring driven knocker to a bell, gong or even the watch’s case. In Classic Sonata, this situation is a bit more complicated, as the sound is produced through a cathedral gong which we are familiar with the Minute Repeater function timepieces. Thanks to the system, the alarm signal is heard loud and clear. There is also an oscillator which regulates the speed of the signal making it sound like a melody.
The model is powered with the brand’s in-house Caliber Ref. UN-67. Besides the alarm function mentioned above, the automatic mechanism also features a dual time display and a big date window. Caliber-67, which works with the brand’s own design and production silicone hairspring, operates at 28800vph and offers 42 hours of power reserve when fully wound.
It is hard to say simple for the model’s dial, but it is obviously more sterile than the previous versions, as the use of text on the new model dial has been minimized. The hand set is updated with baton style hands without SuperLuminova filling. Triangular parts are taken out and the dial surface is finished with less decoration.
The new Classic Sonata is available in two different versions. It is possible to choose the case in 18K pink gold or stainless steel, which is 44mm in diameter and designed with plenty of winding crowns and buttons due to the functions of the model. Stainless steel models were offered with a silver tone dial accompanied by blue hands, while the 18K pink gold model used a black dial with pink gold accents. Both models are offered on black alligator straps with folding clasps made of matching case materials.
The sales prices of the models are EUR 24,800.00 for the stainless steel version (Ref. 673-05 / 90) and EUR 42,800.00 for the 18K pink gold version (Ref 672-05 / 92)
