Ulysse Nardin Introduces the World’s Lightest Mechanical Dive Watch, the Dive [Air]
Ulysse Nardin once again entered Watches & Wonders with only one watch. I like this strategy, as it allows a brand to really focus on storytelling and helping the press, retailers, and other guests understand what their new novelty is all about. Many Watches & Wonders meetings can feel a bit rushed as tray after tray of watches is passed around and given a full explanation. But Ulysse Nardin, by comparison, is a leisurely experience, and the information really sticks. I always come away from their big spring novelty impressed, and this year, with the debut of the new Dive [Air] was no exception.
The Dive [Air] sees Ulysse Nardin at their most experimental, pursuing the type of ultralight watchmaking that has driven brands like Richard Mille (the obvious point of comparison) over the past decade. According to Ulysse Nardin, the Dive [Air] is the world’s lightest mechanical dive watch, with a case that tips the scales at just 46 grams (with the elastic strap, the watch weighs 52 grams). I’m sure the Ulysse Nardin team had fun all week handing the watch over to people like me and watching their faces as the weight (or, lack thereof) sunk in. To be clear, 52 grams is disconcertingly light. It’s the type of light that makes you believe your mind is playing a trick on you, or that the watch might be a fake, some plastic, Happy Meal toy. But it’s not, of course, a toy. It’s a 44mm diver that sees Ulysse Nardin pushing their own technical limits, and coming up with ingenious solutions to watchmaking problems through the creative use of materials.
There are two factors that lead to the Dive [Air] being so lightweight: the case, and the movement. Let’s start with the case. It’s crafted from a combination of recycled titanium and carbon fiber. Nothing too revolutionary here – many watch brands are creating lightweight watches using these materials, and in much the same way as Ulysse Nardin. Basically, the midcase is titanium, while an outer “shell” that makes up the case walls and lugs is crafted from “Nylo-Foil,” which is a carbon fiber created from upcycled fishing nets. The bezel insert is forged carbon fiber made of material from upcycled sail boats. The decision to maintain a nautical theme even in the choice of recycled materials used here is very much intentional, and a big part of Ulysse Nardin’s presentation in their Watches & Wonders booth this year was focused on their long nautical history.
The movement, according to Ulysse Nardin, is where much of the weight savings really come into play. It’s skeletonized (obviously) but with purpose. Caliber UN-374 is an all new automatic movement made for this watch, but based on the UN-372 found in the brand’s Diver X line. The architecture is the same, but material has been stripped out methodically with the goal of saving weight and maintaining structural integrity. Bridges have been narrowed and hollowed out, the top movement plate has been removed entirely, material has been removed from the mainspring barrel, and the escapement is made from silicon. Even with all of this skeletonization, Ulysse Nardin says that the Dive [Air] is capable of withstanding an impact of 5000g.
The kind of lightweight watchmaking that Ulysse Nardin is doing here is like a complication unto itself. Unlike an exotic mechanical complication, though, an ultra-light watch doesn’t really require much of an explanation – all you need to do is hold it in your hand or put it on your wrist. There will be cynics, I’m sure, who complain about legibility with the skeletonized dial, and that this wouldn’t do you much good if your computer failed mid-dive. Fair enough, I guess, but that’s not really the point of the watch. This is a demonstration of a technical accomplishment, and the real benefits of an ultra-light are likely better realized in sporting activities on dry land, anyway. Also, let’s not forget, it also looks incredibly cool.
The Dive [Air] has a retail price of $38,000. Not cheap, by any means, but a far cry from what you’ll pay for a Richard Mille, and I’m guessing you’ll be more likely to find one of these in a UN boutique. Ulysse Nardin
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