THE FLAGSHIP
A watch inviting you to weigh anchor and set sail for a new timekeeping world, where imagination combines with a surprising mechanism. All aboard!
When you are travelling, on sea or land, it’s not so much the destination that counts, as the route you take to get there. So it’s always a good idea to choose the right company! The Marine Mega Yacht by Ulysse Nardin has all the assets you could ever need. On the dial is a beautiful 3D grey-gold reproduction of a ship’s bow, sailing across the deep-blue sea of “Grand Feu” enamel. In this still setting, a range of elements come to life, including the hour and minute hands. At 6 o’clock, a flying tourbillon turns around on itself inside a cage containing blades resembling the powerful propellers on a cutting-edge yacht. The cruising speed? One revolution a minute. At 9 o’clock, you can admire the moon with a surface that is the exact copy of the original and produced by laser engraving. The moon has two hemispheres, one coated in blue PVD and the other rhodium-plated. It displays moon phases in real time. Below is an indicator of tidal coefficients and volumes, a feature that sailors will find comes in handy.
The watch settings are adjusted using the crown. You select the function you want to change in an opening on the side of the case. You can choose between the S (Set) position, TM (Tide and Moon) and W (Winding).
Down in the machine room, the calibre UN-631, the result of a collaboration with Christophe Claret, powers the 30 pieces in this limited edition for up to 80 hours. The power-reserve indicator is shown at 3 o’clock and is shaped like an anchor and winch, while a real miniature windlass is at work at 12 o’clock. The sapphire crystal back of the 44m-wide platinum case reveals the workings of this fascinating hand-wound mechanism.
Price: 310,000 EUR
By Dan Diaconu