Ulysse Nardin Anniversary 160 watch

The Ulysse Nardin Anniversary 160 watch defines the Manufacture excellence of the house of Ulysse Nardin, and demonstrates their commitment to horological innovation, as well as exceptional aesthetic creativity. The heart of the Anniversary 160 watch is the unique UN-160 movement, which is designed and produced from the ground up, by Ulysse Nardin. Building on the expertise gained with their revolutionary "Freak 2" watch, Ulysse Nardin has again utilized the dual Ulysse escapement, a noteworthy departure from the traditional Swiss lever escapement. Unlike the Swiss lever escapement, which loses some efficiency due to sliding friction and depends upon precise lubrication for optimum performance, the dual Ulysse escapement requires none, and yet operates virtually friction-free. The dual wheels of this innovative escapement are made from nickel phosphorous, a material chosen for its exceptional natural lubricity, among other advantageous traits. For the sake of efficiency, the dual escape wheels must be extremely light, so Ulysse Nardin had to find a way to overcome the operational hurdle created by the considerable mass of nickel phosphorous; they found their solution in the remarkable LIGA technique--a process that uses photolithography and electroplating--to manufacture wheels with a remarkable degree of skeletonization, even on the teeth themselves. The resulting component is wheels which, despite being made from nickel phosphorous, weigh virtually nothing and are ideally suited to their application within the dual Ulysse escapement.

Innovation continues in both the balance bridge and the balance wheel itself; the Ulysse Nardin Anniversary 160 watch's full balance bridge possesses greater stability when exposed to shocks than does a traditional balance cock, and the new balance wheel, outfitted with 4 recessed gold inertial screws,enables fine adjustment while precluding the possibility of any aerodynamic disturbance. Directly driven, the seconds hand can be stopped by pulling out the crown, enabling precise setting of the Ulysse Nardin Anniversary 160 watch to a time signal. The massive white gold rotor which has been decorated with fine blue enamel, enables the Anniversary 160 watch to quickly realize its full power reserve of 50 hours; through the use of ceramic ball bearings in the rotor assembly, Ulysse Nardin has circumvented the necessity for lubrication in that component as well. The Caliber 160 movement incorporates the patented Ulysse Nardin large date mechanism, which enables adjustment of the date both backwards and forwards, an operation that can be performed at any time with no risk of damage. True to the historical precedent that Ulysse Nardin has established as a producer of peerless chronometers and other precise horological instruments, the UN-160 Calibre has undergone and passed all of the demanding tests of the Controle Officiel Suisse des Chronometres (COSC), thus earning the title of Swiss Chronometer.

Ulysse Nardin has succeeded in producing a fantastic design to showcase this remarkable new Manufacture caliber. The 43 X 40.5mm case of the Ulysse Nardin Anniversary 160 watch features a complex oval form which is subtly concave in its cross section, a profile echoed by the uniquely shaped inwardly curved sapphire crystal; the very striking blue dial is a masterpiece of three dimensional richness, demonstrating contrasting satin and "Cotes de Geneve" textures. It provides an attractive stage for the large date, as well as the applied gold medallions which bear the Ulysse Nardin logo and the dates of the company Anniversary. A small oval plaque affixed on the side of the caseband indicates the individual number of the limited edition Ulysse Nardin Anniversary 160 watch, which is produced in a numbered series of 500 pieces each in 18K white and 18K rose gold.