Ulysse Nardin’s beloved UFO, which in this case stands for Unidentified Floating Object, is making its final appearance this year. This marine chronometer-inspired table clock has three independent time-displays, and is presented in three colour editions. And each of these colour editions is limited to 30 pieces.
Ulysse Nardin’s UFO is aesthetically pleasing to look at and technically challenging to make, but is also playful in nature. It made its debut in 2021, to mark the 175th anniversary of the watchmaker whose heritage is deeply entrenched in the marine world. The 75 UFOs of the first edition, in dark blue, were quickly snapped up. The same year, an orange version was sold for the exceptional sum of CHF 380,000 at the Only Watch charity auction.
According to Ulysse Nardin, its R&D teams, in collaboration with the Swiss watchmaking specialist L’Épée, took two years to research and prototype the UFO. The clock has an oval body, resembling an ocean buoy in appearance. Despite its playful nature, it incorporates 675 components and boasts a year’s worth of power reserve.
The Ulysse Nardin UFO weighs 7.2 kg exactly. It is 263 mm tall and has a diameter of 159 mm. These dimensions give it the properties of a roly-poly toy. And like the classic children’s toy, the UFO’s half-spherical aluminium base enables it to sway playfully from side to side when nudged, up to an amplitude of 120°. The base contains a tungsten mass, which allows UFO to eventually return to an upright position.
UFO’s entire mechanism sits completely on top of its base and, thanks to its glass dome, is visible without any obstruction. The glass dome is hand-blown in the workshop of the Swiss glass and quartz specialist Verre et Quartz Technique (VQT). The glass dome – measuring 25cm in height, 15cm in diameter and 3mm in thickness – demands great dexterity and mastery of the shaping process.
Each UFO glass dome requires half a day to produce. Any deformities – such as spots, bubbles or cracks – formed during the blowing, annealing, and cutting processes result in rejection. As a result, only a third of the bells produced achieve the required quality.
The centrepiece of Ulysse Nardin’s UFO is undoubtedly its vertically layered calibre. The support structures of the calibre are designed to be as minimal as possible to maximise the visibility of the functional elements.
At the bottom are six massive barrels, arranged in three columns. Each column has its own gearing that transfers power from the barrels to a central balance wheel, with a 49-mm rim and beating at the low frequency of 0.5 Hz. Thanks to this slow tempo, along with the considerable energy stored by the six extra-large barrels, UFO’s power reserve lasts an entire year. It is then fully wound with 40 turns of a key that is also used to set the time zones.
The mechanisms that drive the three time displays are independent of each other. This allows for three time zones to be displayed on the three dials. Alternatively, the same time can be set on all three dials to use the UFO as a triple-sided clock. In the centre of the mechanism, just above the barrels is the power reserve display. It has three indicators, one for each clock.
The polished, brushed, and blasted components of the mechanism sharply contrast with the few anodized and coloured components. The three dials, the dead-beat second hand, the power reserve disk, some of the support cylinders and lower frame connectors, and a medallion on top of the balance wheel with the Ulysse Nardin anchor logo are the only components within the glass to feature the three hues. The largest coloured component by far is the base.
Ulysse Nardin is bringing the UFO chapter to a close with these three final editions in ice blue, green and champagne. The three colour editions will be available exclusively at three renowned watch retailers. The ice blue colour will be available with the Swiss retailer Bucherer, the green colour at Yoshida in Japan, and champagne at The Hour Glass, South-East Asia’s leading retailer. Each UFO is accompanied by a limited-edition certificate and a winding/setting key. Each numbered piece is presented in an aged wooden box.
