Ulysse Nardin Marine Chronometer Manufacture

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Ulysse Nardin Marine Chronometer Manufacture

Marine Chronometer Manufacture
News

Sailing independent ways
La Cote des Montres - March 17th, 2012

 
Ulysse Nardin sailing independent ways - unites Art and Precision with Enamel and UN-118 Caliber.

Since the spark of international trade in the late 19th century, Ulysse Nardin has been crafting marine chronometers, keeping captains and their valued cargo precisely on course. Advanced since its first introduction in 2011, the UN-118 caliber is powering the artfully designed 2012 Marine Chronometer Manufacture.

 
An expanded 45 mm diameter case and a new crown design for easy handling, complete with a rubber notch for comfortable winding, are not the only progressions made to the coveted Marine Chronometer. Gracing the collection’s latest addition is its beautifully handcrafted enamel dial produced by Donzé Cadrans, the world-recognized enamel-dial specialist and the latest member of the Ulysse Nardin group of companies.

 
A refined and complex decorative technique, the mastery of enamelling depends upon both the personal sensitivity and daily practice of the artist. It is a centuries-old craft that continues to make its stunning mark on Ulysse Nardin timepieces. For the Marine Chronometer dial, the aesthetic is a bright, snow white offset by black Roman numerals and bold accents of cherry red, presenting a style that is simultaneously straight-forward and interesting. Its 18-karat rose-gold bevelled case enhances the timepiece’s sophistication.

 
Further illustrating Ulysse Nardin’s imagination in watch making is the UN-118 caliber, the manufacture’s self-winding base caliber conceived and executed entirely in-house, and now offered in the Marine Chronometer Manufacture. This caliber continues the advancement of Ulysse Nardin’s use of new materials and techniques.

The anchor escapement in Caliber UN-118 is produced using DiamonSil, Ulysse Nardin’s revolutionary alliance of diamond and silicon, and a furthering of its pioneering collaboration with Sigatec. Caliber UN-118 demonstrates the synergies between technologies of the engraving of silicon and Diamond Coated Silicon (DCS) and is the first member of a new family of movements that will house this anchor escapement in DiamonSil, with Ulysse Nardin’s own oscillator and its patented hairspring.

 
The movement features a stellar 60-hour power reserve indicator, oversized small seconds register and a date display at 6 o’clock. It boasts Ulysse Nardin’s "quick setting" allowing forward and backward date adjustments.

The Marine Chronometer Manufacture will be available in a limited edition of 350 pieces in 18-karat rose gold, and an unlimited edition of two-tone titanium case with gold bezel and gold crown, as well as an all stainless-steel/titanium case.

From the art of enamelling to the precision of engineering and technology, Ulysse Nardin reveals through the Marine Chronometer that art and innovation go hand in hand in leading the company in the most independent of ways.

Ulysse Nardin Marine Chronometer Manufacture

Technical Data

References
Ref. 1186-122 :18 ct rose gold with Grand Feu enamelled dial, Limited Edition to 350 pieces
Ref. 1185-122: titanium with gold bezel
Ref. 1183-122: titanium, stainless steel
Movement :caliber UN-118, 11 ½’’ In-house designed movement
Escapement :patented DIAMonSIL
Oscillator :patented inertial balance wheel I 10 with silicium hairspring 50 jewels
Power-reserve :approximately 60 h
Winding :self-winding
Functions :chronometer C.O.S.C with power reserve indicator at 12 o’clock Small direct seconds and round date window at 6 o’clock Forward and backward date corrector
Case :18 ct gold or titanium with gold bezel or titanium-stainless steel
Crown:screw down security crown
Diameter :45 mm
Water-resistance :200 m
Crystal :anti-reflective sapphire crystal
Case-back :open case back with sapphire crystal
Bracelet :leather strap or rubber strap with 18 ct gold or titanium elements and folding buckle, 18 ct. gold or titanium-gold or titanium-stainless steel bracelet
 

Caliber UN -118
 

Diamonds Forever 
 

 
 
With the introduction of its new Caliber 118, Ulysse Nardin proves again its leadership in the innovative use of avant-garde materials in the watch industry.

 
Caliber 118 follows in the footsteps of Ulysse Nardin’s Caliber 66/67 Sonata, the first timepiece conceived and manufactured in house and Anniversary Caliber 160, but takes innovation in movement technology a further giant step forward.

 
The escapement of Caliber 118 is produced in collaboration between Ulysse Nardin and Sigatec in Sion, Switzerland.

 
DIAMonSIL is a revolutionary alliance of silicium and man-made diamond. It is an extremely light but hard material that eliminates friction and removes the need for lubrication of the escapement – the watchmaker’s holy grail.

 
Sigatec is the only company in the world capable of producing high-precision components both in Silicium and DIAMonSIL; a nanotechnology which has taken many years to develop.

 
Caliber 118 will be the first member of a family of movements with an in-house-produced and patented DIAMonSIL escapement together with the in-house-produced oscillator adjustable with four screws and fitted with a silicium 1.1.1 hairspring. This oscillator, patented in 2007, was first put on the market in the Sonata Silicium in March 2008.

 
“The Caliber 118 also features a 60-hour power reserve and its own date-corrector, allowing forward and backward settings in seconds.

Caliber UN -118

Technical data

Movement:In-house designed
Certification :COSC
Escapement:patented DIAMonSIL
Oscillator :patented inertial balance wheel I 10 with silicium 1.1.1 hairspring
Total diameter :31.60 mm
Total thickness:6.45 mm
Power reserve :60 hours
Number of components:248 pieces
Number of jewels :50 pieces
Frequency :4Hz, 28’800 v/h
:Côtes de Genève
Circular Côtes de Genève
Circular graining
Diamond angling
Alloy of platinoïde metals plating
Display :Hours – minutes : hands in center
Small direct seconds
Power reserve indicator
Date at 6 o’clock , forward and backward date corrector
 

Enamelling process
 

Ulysse Nardin acquired artisan enameller Donzé Cadrans SA and perpetuates traditional master craftsmanship 
 

 
Last September 2011, Swiss watchmaker Ulysse Nardin SA announced that it had acquired Donzé Cadrans SA, the specialist luxury watch Manufacture dial enameller.

 
Since its creation in 1846, Ulysse Nardin has been one of the most distinguished names in watch design. The first to utilize novel materials and bring forth fresh design sensibility, enamel has been featured prominently in its collections over the past 25 years.

 
The acquisition provides Ulysse Nardin with additional cloisonné and grand-feu enamel expertise, while cultivating its passion for uniquely beautiful watches.

 
Enamel is a vitreous material composed of silica, feldspar, kaolin and metal oxides, in the form of crystals. These metal oxides are either naturally occurring or added by master artisan, and they are what give enamels their infinite variety of colors. The mixture is then vitrified at very high temperature.

 
There are two main techniques:

Champlevé is an enamelling technique in which cells are carved with a chisel on the metal plate (dial), and filled with vitreous enamel. The piece is then fired until the enamel melts, and when cooled the surface of the object is polished.

 
Cloisonné is an enamelling technique in which the outline of the dial designs is produced either on the dial itself, or on paper. Extremely fine strips of gold wire measuring only 0.07 mm wide (no larger than a human hair) are hand bent and applied to the outline using two pliers. The individual cells that give the image detail, dimension and nuance are also formed by gold wire and placed within the outline. Colors are then picked out for each cell in order to create the cloister effect. Five layers of enamel are applied to the cloisonné dial. This meant that a cloisonné dial has all colored cells filled in and baked (800-1200 degrees celsius) in the kiln for a total of five times before it is ready to be polished. Theses multiple levels of color create the sense of depth and three dimensions that make the enamel dials come to life.

 
 
 
 
 
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