Ulysse Nardin deserve commendation for creating a diver’s watch for women that is not just a scaled-down version of a men’s diver. It is a curious concept, because though it presents certain features typical of a diver’s watch – principally the unidirectional rotating bezel and screw-down crown – they don’t seem to have any real function for someone underwater. Can you measure the time of a dive in diamonds? But it doesn’t matter, it’s a watch that uses the diver’s aesthetic and combines it with gold and diamonds to make it a very different-looking women’s watch, and one that can be safely worn while swimming.
Case and dial
The case is 40 mm in diameter, and so in line with the current trend of women wearing larger watches. The mother-of-pearl dial and the rotating bezel are hallmarked by a wave motif, and the edge of the bezel is in the distinctive serrated edge that facilitates gripping and rotating it. There are 12 diamonds on the bezel, more on the dial, and 30-odd more between the lugs. In total, 71 diamonds for 0.7 carats. The result is a very interesting marine appearance, that reminds you of a porthole, or a diver’s helmet, with the feminine contrast provided by the diamonds. The hands are elegant, and have luminescent material on them for night-time visibility. There is a circular date window at 6 o’clock. The case has a water resistance of 100 metres; the watch is mounted on a rubber strap with wave motif and a deployant clasp.
Movement
The UN-815 movement is a self-winding calibre with a power reserve of about 42 hours. It is a modified version of the ETA 2892-A2 movement.
References
The Ulysse Nardin Lady Diver Starry Night is made in references:
8156-180E-3C/10 (below left, white mother–of-pearl dial), price €25,700;
8156-180E-3C/12 (below right, black mother–of-pearl dial), price €25,700;
8156-180E-3C/20 (bottom left,. white mother–of-pearl dial sprinkled with more diamonds), price €26,300;
8156-180E-3C/22 (bottom right,. black mother–of-pearl dial sprinkled with more diamonds), price €26,300.
