Ulysse Nardin, which introduced many high-tech innovations to the watchmaking industry such as silicon balance spring, is the guest of our Hands On corner with its engineering marvel model, Executive Skeleton Tourbillon.
When Ulysse Nardin is mentioned, I believe many of us think about the Marine Chronometer concept that has become the symbol of the brand and dozens of different iterations designed with this concept. Famous for being one of the few manufacturers of the Marine Chronometer devices that have been crucial in the early days of nautical instrumentology, Ulysse Nardin owns a solid place among the rest of the luxury watchmakers today thanks to the models through this concept.
Being the inventor of many cutting edge technology solutions like the silicon balance spring, Ulysse Nardin is not in the league of major luxury watchmaking brands with the Marine Chronometer inspired timepieces only, of course. In addition to some spectacular models that pay tribute to traditional watchmaking, the brand also receives great acclaims with models like Freak series that look to the future of the industry.
The model we opted for our review today, Ulysse Nardin Executive Skeleton Tourbillon, was added to the brand’s product line in 2016. Introduced to the likes of watch aficionados at the same year’s SIHH trade show, Executive Skeleton Tourbillon attracts attention with its simple and industrial details unlike the flamboyant models that we accustomed to see from the brand. Let’s take a closer look at the model that is designed in-line with the skeleton concept, which is still popular.
Executive Skeleton Tourbillon belongs to the brand’s Executive Collection that is defined by the words simple and modern. The model is offered in a 45mm diameter case made of ultra-lightweight titanium alloy. The case is equipped with anti-glare treated scratch resistant sapphire crystals on both sides and is water resistant to 30 meters / 3 bars. Offered with satin finish surfaces and a matt black ceramic bezel on the front side, the case successfully highlights the model’s industrial design. The case also features the three-piece lug design which is a signature detail of the Executive Collection model family along with a simple but useful winding crown and a pair of crown guards.
Due to the open works concept, it’s hard to talk about a dial. It is a great pleasure to watch the movement ticking inside the model through the sapphire crystal on the front side where there is only an inner chapter ring with stylized Roman numeral indexes assigned for time display task. None of the details that we used to see in standard dials exist, except the Ulysse Nardin logo that is laser etched to the rectangular bridge. I believe there will not be any watch enthusiasts complaining about not being able to read the time practically when this model is mentioned where the functionality is literally crushed by aesthetics.
The model is powered by the brand’s manufacture movement Caliber UN-171. Hand-wound movement beats at a frequency of 2.5Hz (18,000bph) and offers an impressive 170-hour power reserve when fully wound. Finished in a monochrome color palette mostly, Tourbillon movement can be enjoyed through the sapphire crystals on both sides.
Ulysse Nardin Executive Skeleton Tourbillon comes with a matt black leather strap decorated with carbon fiber pattern. The strap is secured with a black ceramic folding clasp.
Tourbillon, one of the top complications of traditional watchmaking, continues to decorate the dreams of many watch lovers. Although we correspond to relatively affordable models in recent years, this intriguing complication is still associated with high figure list prices. In this Ulysse Nardin Executive Skeleton Tourbillon model, Tourbillon meets a relatively-affordable MSRP of 38.000 CHF, as well as a contemporary design unlike the traditional alternatives.
