BY DHANANJAY PATHAK
As a part of its 2021 novelties, Ulysse Nardin recently revealed the new Limited-Edition Diver X Skeleton watch. Featuring a heavily skeletonized dial packed inside a lightweight, 44mm Titanium case, this new watch is designed to offer consumers a unique dive watch experience blending artistic ideas with a rugged and utilitarian aesthetic.
The real draw with this watch is the dramatic open-worked dial. While previously released dive X watches feature an X formation that blends with the rest of the dial, the Skeleton X, does the opposite and makes the concept more pronounced. Emanating from the center and presented in sporty shades of blue and orange, the ‘X’ formation is the centerpiece of this watch. The letter ‘X’ is also, for the most part, the only bit of dial on this watch, as the surrounding areas have been hollowed out to reveal the complex mechanical internals underneath. On the outer periphery of the dial is a printed orange minute track and lume filled hour indexes that have been applied in such a manner that they give an illusion of being suspended in the air. The broad baton-style hour and minute hands have been borrowed from other members of the Diver X family, whereas the second’s hand has a nice paddle-style shape. Furthermore, the hands also get a blue PVD treatment with a hint of orange to blend in with the overall color scheme.
Beating inside the new Ulysse Nardin Diver X Skeleton is Ulysse Nardin’s in-house calibre UN-372. It is an automatic movement based on the manually wound UN-371 calibre. One of the major differences between the two is the X-shaped oscillating weight on the UN-372. The movement operates at a frequency of 3 Hz and offers a healthy autonomy of around 96 hours. Apart from the fact that its architecture can be admired from the front as well as the back, the movement bears an industrial look, leaving nothing much to write about with regards to the decoration.
Machined from Titanium, the case on this watch measures a modern 44mm in diameter. To match the colors on the dial and give the watch a coherent visual appearance, the case has been PVD coated in blue except for the vibrant orange crown guards. The case has been finely finished and features micro-beaded sides and satin polished lugs. It is water-resistant to 200 meters, and there is a chunky un-directional bezel on top of the case to time those recreational dives. Due to its carbon composite construction, the bezel also adds a fair bit of visual intrigue to the watch, exhibiting several shades of blue and grey.
The new Ulysse Nardin Limited Edition Diver X Skeleton comes attached to a rubber strap and is available to purchase at a retail price of USD 22,200. As this watch marks the 175th anniversary of the brand, the production run would be limited to 175 pieces.
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