Tag: Ulysse Nardin Diver Norrøna Arctic Night
Ulysse Nardin Diver Norrøna Arctic Night
If anybody outside the watch world were to ask what some of the biggest trends in watchmaking are today, the answer would undoubtedly include ‘collaborations’ and ‘sustainability‘. Ulysse Nardin is no stranger to collaborations, and for its latest Diver, it teams up with Norwegian outdoor sportswear brand Norrøna to produce the Ulysse Nardin Diver Norrøna Arctic Night. Sheathed in dark sustainable materials – or at least materials with a lower carbon footprint – the Ulysse Nardin Diver Norrøna Arctic Night is a limited edition of 29 pieces and comes with a GoreTex Pro Norrøna jacket to accompany you on your next Arctic adventure.
Many watch brands have jumped on the sustainability sledge these days and want the world to know they are doing their bit to fight global warming. Long associated with marine chronometers, Ulysse Nardin’s portfolio has always steered on a nautical path with classical renditions like the Marine Torpilleur or more contemporary 300m diver watches in the Diver family. The Ocean Race Diver, which provides the base of this watch, was introduced six months ago and made of innovative, recycled materials, representing the brand’s commitment to the preservation of ocean life. With a 60/40% composition of recycled fishing nets and Carbonium for the case and caseback combined with recycled stainless steel for some of the components, the brand claims the watch reduces its environmental impact by 40% compared to traditional cases.
Norrøna, founded in 1929 by Jørgen Jørgensen and still a family-run business, specialises in durable outdoor equipment for Norway’s harsh environment (including wetsuits for cold water Arctic surfing!) and has a goal “to be the most responsible outdoor company” by 2029. To give a real-life action-worn face to the watch, Ulysse Nardin and Norrøna also count on Børge Ousland, a Norweigan explorer, a former deep-sea diver and Navy Seal, as a partner. You’ll be pleased to know that Ousland also served as a consultant in the development of the arktis Norrøna jacket included with the watch.
The dark palette of the watch, with its mottled grey and white bezel, is inspired by Norway’s deep fjords and volcanic rocks. The Ulysse Nardin Diver Norrøna Arctic Night robust 44mm case with a water resistance of 300 metres uses an assortment of Carbonium – the same material used for the fuselage and wings of aircraft, with a 40% lower environmental impact than other carbon composites since it makes use of offcuts (leftovers) – Nylo, recycled fishing nets and recycled stainless steel. The structure of the case is built as follows: the caseband and caseback are made of 40% Carbonium and 60% Nylo; the stainless steel container is made from 80 recycled automotive parts; the mottled decoration on the bezel is made of 100% Carbonium; the strap is made from 100% recycled fishing nets; and the components of the manufacture movement are sourced in Switzerland within a 30km radius (to cut down on carbon emissions).The black sandblasted dial features the classic double X-shape embossed in the centre with a power reserve indicator at noon and a running seconds counter at 6 o’clock with a circular date window and Norrøna’s Viking logo in the centre. The short, thick indices are treated with Super-LumiNova and indicated by lumed hour and minute hands, while the markings on the dial, sub-dials and unidirectional rotating bezel are picked out in a contrasting shade of grey.
The smoked sapphire caseback with Norrøna’s Viking logo reveals the UN-118 automatic manufacture movement. The Ulysse Nardin Diver Norrøna Arctic Night UN-118 was the brand’s first in-house base calibre and made its debut inside the Marine Chronometer Manufacture of 2012 and was fitted with cutting-edge nanotechnology in the form of a DiamonSil escapement (alliance of silicium and artificial diamond) and a silicium hairspring. The movement uses 50 jewels, runs at a rate of 28,800vph and provides 60 hours of power reserve.