Baselworld 2015: The Ulysse Nardin Ulysse Anchor Tourbillon


UN Ulysse Anchor Tourbillon thumb 150What was still only a prototype in 2014 has now become a reality. At Baselworld 2015, Ulysse Nardin brought out the Ulysse Anchor Tourbillon, a limited-edition piece. This watch is most notable for being the first with Ulysse Nardin’s proprietary constant force escapement system, made entirely out of silicon.

This escapement is front and center on the dial thanks to the tourbillon mechanism. The Anchor Tourbillon has a dial in grand feu enamel with an aperture at 6 o’clock to reveal the tourbillon. At the top of this opening is a 140-degree arc, which bears the scale for the power reserve. A blue arrow points to the remaining amount of winding. The watch has two barrels for a minimum power reserve of seven days; the dial is marked for eight days in total. The movement, known as Caliber UN-178, runs in 29 jewels at a low frequency of 18,000 vph. It is manually wound.

UN Ulysse Anchor Tourbillon glamor 560

The escapement was in development for eight years. It has a circular frame with a pallet fork in its center. This pallet fork is held in place by two blade springs, each less than a micron thick: that’s one tenth the width of a human hair. The blades are perpendicular to one another and snap back and forth as the escapement oscillates; UN likens the metal’s movement to that of a snapping hair clip. There is no pallet staff needed, and the pallet arms pivot back and forth due to the tensile energy of the blade springs. The redesigned pallet fork requires less energy from the balance wheel in order to reach its tipping point, which means that the oscillations of the balance can maintain a constant rate. Every part of the escapement is made of silicon, which makes it both lightweight and more durable.

UN Ulysse Anchor Tourbillon escapement CU 560
UN Ulysse Anchor Tourbillon rg 560

The Ulysse Anchor Tourbillon comes in a 44-mm gold case, in the UN Classico design. It is available in white gold or rose gold; 18 pieces of each edition will be produced. It has a nonreflective sapphire crystal and a sapphire caseback, through which you can see a series of elegant bridges. The watch is water resistant to 30 meters. It comes on a brown or black leather strap with a pin buckle. In rose gold it costs $89,400; in white gold it’s $93,600.

UN Ulysse Anchor Tourbillon wg 560
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  1. MrTissot

    UN watches are very special and this is no exception. Absolute horological masterpiece!

    Reply
  2. Fabio Anderaos de Araujo

    Very beautiful. However, the new model, UN Anchor Tourbillon, remembers the Girard Perregaux 1966 Petite Second, which is no longer produced or descontinued.

    Reply
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