In the fine watchmaking field, the independent and integrated Manufacture Ulysse Nardin is a visionary with a drive for innovation that has fuelled numerous breakthroughs. This legacy began at sea in the 19th century, when the brand’s legendary marine chronometers were the most prized and cutting-edge navigational tools of their day. Today, the marine world remains front-of-mind of the brand, as the fate of our oceans hangs in the balance.
Introduced in 2020 as a concept watch, the Diver NET diving watch was swiftly brought to market, thus attesting Ulysse Nardin’s innovative spirit while embodying a fundamental mission dear to the Maison: sustainability. Collaborating with high-tech start-ups and environmental advocates, the brand has invested its expertise into finding new innovative materials and technologies to raise awareness about environmental responsibility. Continuing on this journey, this year, Ulysse Nardin introduces two ultra-dynamic creations with a trendy and sporty-chic style: the Diver Net OPS and the Diver X Skeleton OPS, as in “operations.” Following the launch of two Freak Ops in 2023, these new edgy models enrich the brand’s “Ops” capsule collection and celebrate its indomitable in-house watchmaking, while adding an adventurous twist to the [ 3] Diver lineage.
DIVER [NET OPS]
The Diver Net OPS is a high-performance timepiece that stands as the most sustainable sports watch with a manufacture movement on the market. With water resistance down to 300 metres, it’s powered by the automatic manufacture calibre UN-118, featuring a 60-hour power reserve and a balance spring in silicon, a cutting edge material first introduced by Ulysse Nardin in 2001. In addition, the escapement is coated in DiamonSil, a patented ultra-high tech form of diamond-coated silicon that delivers exceptional precision and durability.
The original case is made from a 95% recycled stainless steel and its construction features a combination of breakthrough materials that Ulysse Nardin has been pioneering. The side parts and the case back are composed of Nylo® (60%) and Carbonium® (40%). Nylo is a polyamide formed from upcycled fishing nets, while Carbonium® is a cutting-edge material with exceptional strength-to-lightness properties that is produced using the same carbon fibres found in state-of-the-art aircraft wings and fuselages. In fact, Carbonium® is made using offcuts from the aircraft manufacturing process, reducing its environmental impact by 40% compared to other carbon composites. In addition, this unique material provides a marbling effect to the unidirectional rotating bezel.
The dial, featuring a power reserve indicator at 12 o’clock and small seconds display at 6 o’clock, is in sandblasted khaki green, embossed with a large satin finished X. Against this background, Super-Luminova® markings in beige give a green glow in low light. The adventurous style is complemented further by a fabric strap also in khaki green, itself partly made from upcycled fishing nets, or a khaki green rubber strap with a black ceramic “Ulysse Nardin” element at 6 o’clock.
DIVER [X SKELETON OPS]
The audacious Diver X Skeleton OPS is an avant-garde reimagining of a dive watch as a piece of haute horlogerie. Water resistant to 200 metres, the 44 mm Diver X Skeleton OPS features the brand’s exceptional skeletonised automatic movement UN-372, showcasing an oversized oscillator and an escapement in silicon.
Carbonium® is once again the star of the show: not just in the concave unidirectional rotating bezel, but also on the barrel cover at 12 o’clock, extending the mottled aesthetic into the heart of the watch. The ultra-modern design is confirmed by the huge skeleton X structure that dominates the dial, and the sleek case construction in high-tech, lightweight titanium, given a black DLC coating. Once again, both the audacious visual style and sustainable approach are rounded out in a khaki green fabric strap, partly made from upcycled fishing nets.
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