On Sunday, November 8th, at the 9th Vendée Globe, about 30 adventurers will set off from Les Sables d’Olonne, an endless and endless yacht race around the world. With only one voyage of 21,638 nautical miles (40,075 kilometers) every four years, copy Ulysse Nardin is honored to be the official timekeeper.
Since 1846, this Swiss watchmaker has been creating chronometers of unparalleled reliability for explorers and continues this tradition by supporting the VendéeGlobe. This year, the sailors will spend at least 70 days at sea before returning to Les Sables d’Olonne to cross the finish line. In this adventure, they will inevitably face 5 trillion pieces of floating plastic that pollute the ocean.
Ulysse Nardin (Ulysse Nardin) is committed to research and development of solutions to solve the growing ocean plastic pollution crisis. The watchmaker has established a special research department to study the characteristics of marine materials, especially oyster shells, algae, marine PET (plastic bottles) and polyamide fishing nets. The team is currently studying several sustainable innovation avenues for future watchmaking projects.
In October 2020, Ulysse Nardin launched the new “R-Strap”, marking the first milestone in its commitment to the marine circular economy. The straps made of fishing nets are compatible with Diver, Marine and Freak X watches and are made of recyclable fishing nets, which are one of the main sources of marine plastic pollution.
Today, Ulysse Nardin has launched Diver Net, a concept fake brand name watches in which every decorative element is as environmentally friendly as possible, thus further fulfilling its promise. Looking for innovative suppliers is crucial for a fully innovative and “upgraded” watch.
For the middle, rear and border decoration of the diver’s net, Ulysse Nardin trusted three young Breton designers to create the first fishing net recycling department in France. FIL&FAB recycles unused nets from ports and converts them into polyamide pellets. This raw material has high friction resistance. These partners have a background in industrial design and transition, and are truly sensitive to products.
“One of the three founders of FIL&FAB” Yann Louboutin emphasized: “A design object is creating a function that is considered from beginning to end to achieve its function without harming the environment.” “We and Ulysse Nardin The connection is natural: it is inevitably connected first to the ocean, Ulysses, Odyssey, adventure, exploration, wind gusts, salt spray, etc. We also hope to produce durable and reliable items while reducing the ecological impact. Today, We are committed to solving environmental problems. No action should be considered too small. Recycled materials are a necessity for the future.”
Research carried out around Diver Net includes redesigning its interior elements so that the watch has a wristband made of marine PET plastic and converted into a spool by the Swiss company TIDE. The supplier is also committed to stopping the production of virgin plastics at the source and using the large amount of resources already available.
When looking for a low-impact solution, Ulysse Nardin replica also replaced the traditional sapphire glass with transparent ceramic glass processed in the Swiss Jura. Transparent ceramic glass is a material used for the purpose of limiting energy at the time of manufacture and having a small impact on the environment. The innovation department therefore evaluated and tested several solutions, which may be extended to other products.
Diver Net is a concept watch designed to explore important environmental innovations while maintaining the brand’s brilliant watchmaking tradition. In fact, the silicon technology of the UN-118 movement can be appreciated through the back of its 44mm case. This concept diving watch is equipped with a concave inverted unidirectional bezel, also made of recyclable fishing nets, with curved transparent ceramic glass instead of traditional sapphire glass.
The white, gray and green dial with the majestic white “UN” lettering indicates the mechanical wonders inside the case. On the hour markers and hands, the acidic green Superluminova makes it easier to see the time in the dark. Green symbolizes nature, everywhere: the dial, the bezel, the crown protector and the stitching on the recycled PET strap. The dial also has a power reserve indicator at 12 o’clock, and a date window and small seconds at 6 o’clock.
Patrick Pruniaux, CEO of Ulysse Nardin, emphasized: “The ocean has always been part of our brand’s DNA, and exploration has always been our pioneer.” “Generally speaking, employees have a strong will and interest to support initiatives aimed at improving the environmental performance of the brand. Initiatives. Our intention is not to be the first company to innovate with sustainable materials, but to show the swiss watches for men industry that it is possible to make our customers aware of recycled materials and even luxury goods. If our innovation in some way “Open source”, we will be very happy.
Technical index:
Ulysse Nardin Diver Network
Reference: 1183-170 / 90-PLAST
case
Material: 100% recycled from fishing nets.
Diameter: 44 mm
The border decoration is 100% recycled from fishing nets.
Glass: Transparent dome ceramic.
Water-resistant to 300 meters.
Dial and hands
Oversized white UN lettering
Index of Green Superluminova
movement
Ulysse Nardin (Ulysse Nardin) movement UN-118
Silicon and diamond technology escapement
Number of gems: 50
Frequency: 28,800 vph (4 Hz)
Functions: hours, minutes, small seconds (6:00), date (6:00), power reserve indicator (12:00)
Power reserve 60 hours
Strap and buckle
Fabric R-PET, with scratch closure
100% PET recycled from the sea
Black, green stitching