With pure luxury as the central trait of the watch, Ulysse Nardin Royal Blue Tourbillon timepiece is an extremely lavish product, available only to those who can spare to spend a seven figure sum of money for a wristwatch. The timekeeper is made with a lovely mystery tourbillon complication and decorated with a hefty number of diamonds and sapphires which can be found practically everywhere you look. It is so ornate that it is actually hard to notice that its case and bracelet are made from platinum. It is probably not a watch that suites everybody’s taste and certainly a product that is way out of reach of mere mortals with its price that exceeds million dollars. Regardless of how much you value its arguably excessive decorations, you will still have to admit that Royal Blue Tourbillon from the High Jewelry Special edition of Ulysse Nardin is an advanced horological product.
Ulysse Nardin Royal Blue Tourbillon Haute Joaillerie 799-99BAG-8BAG Watch
The core of the watchmaking value of the Royal Blue Tourbillon timepiece is its manual-winding Caliber UN-79 mechanical movement. The caliber with 36 integrated jewels features a main plate and bridges in sapphire, which is a trick behind its mystery tourbillon complication, and the reason why it appears that the tourbillon cage is flying. An additional touch of mystery is achieved by adding a hidden circular rack mechanism for winding. Once fully wound, the caliber secures a power reserve of about 100 hours.
Diamonds and Sapphires Everywhere You Look
The highly exclusive timepiece from the same kind of limited edition of the High Jewelry collection is made with platinum 950 housing (which means that it is an alloy that consists of 95 percent platinum). It is a medium sized housing, with the width of 43 mm. However, once we take a look on the amount of gemstones on the case, it becomes clear that this by no means is an average watch. It sports 80 baguette-cut diamonds and 45 more blue sapphires cut in the same manner. Each of the jewels that are used requires skillful crafts of the company’s artisans. Another fine example of the shameless luxury of the timepiece is its sapphire cabochon crown encircled with eight more diamonds. On the inner platinum bezel, one can easily note more diamonds and sapphires.
Ulysse Nardin Royal Blue Tourbillon Haute Joaillerie 799-99BAG-8BAG Watch
Even the multitude of sparkly stones on the case does not complete the story about the watch’s decorations. The most extravagant version of the watch, the model 799-99BAG-8BAG, is with a platinum bracelet. As it was the case for the housing, Ulysse Nardin once again decided to hide the platinum with diamonds and sapphires. With a little adding up of these ornaments and the ones used for the case, the total count of precious stones goes up to 568 diamonds (Top Wesselton color and wieght of 33.8 ct) and 234 royal blue sapphires (weighing about 16.79 ct). Considering the complexity of its flying tourbillon movement and over 800 gemstones specifically cut to grace the construction, it becomes clear why the value of the watch equals to mind-boggling $ 1.1 million.
Ulysse Nardin Royal Blue Tourbillon Haute Joaillerie 799-99BAG-8BAG Watch Detail
“Modest” Variations
The second version of the Royal Blue Tourbillon timepiece by Ulysse Nardin can be described as a more modest one, but only when compared to the most expensive one. The 799-99BAG variation has a blue alligator strap which, of course, just had to include some of the decorations, so it sports 16 diamonds and the same number of sapphires on its folding clasp. Each of these two variations of the timekeeper is water resistant to 30 meters and includes a glare-proof treated sapphire on its face. A shared trait is also the number of pieces in the limited editions which equals to 30.
Ulysse Nardin Royal Blue Tourbillon Haute Joaillerie 799-90 Watch
Ulysse Nardin Royal Blue Tourbillon Haute Joaillerie 799-93 Watch
Apart from the basic two models, there are three more limited editions of Ulysse Nardin Royal Blue Tourbillon timekeeper that feature different arrangements of the gemstone decorations, but all have the same alligator strap as the second basic one. Two of them are sporting sapphires on the bezel. As the first model 799-98BAG has an uninterrupted ring of sapphires on the bezel, as well as the same kind of stones on the lugs; the second version 799-90 has eight separate segments of sapphires on the bezel. Both of these watches are also made in the limited series of 30 pieces.
Ulysse Nardin Royal Blue Tourbillon Haute Joaillerie 799-98BAG Watch
Ulysse Nardin Royal Blue Tourbillon Haute Joaillerie 799-99BAG Watch
The most numerous edition is the 799-93 variation of Royal Blue Tourbillon – Haute Joaillerie that consists of 99 watches. The final version features diamonds on the bezel and its lugs. Unfortunately, the high watchmaker and jeweler Ulysse Nardin does not provide complete information on the number and weight of stones used in the last three versions. Ulysse Nardin and its Royal Blue Mystery Tourbillon timekeeper were a part of the recently organized World Brand Piazza exhibition at the Hong Kong Watch & Clock Fair.
