Home » The Salon International De La Haute Horlogerie » SIHH 2017 Review – Ulysse Nardin Marine Regatta Chronograph Watch
At SIHH 2017, Ulysse Nardin unveiled its new timepiece tooled with a bi-directional chronograph counter that automatically starts timing the race once the countdown is complete, thus eliminating the need to hit the restart button when the race starts. The new Marine Regatta Watch is one of the few timepieces to provide a real countdown capability which is perfect for a regatta.
Ulysse Nardin Marine Regatta Watch Is developed with the guidance of two professional yachtsmen, Loïck Peyron and Iain Percy, Ulysse Nardin’s ambassadors and members of the Swedish Artemis Racing team.
The new Ulysse Nardin’s bidirectional chronograph starts its journey as a reversed chronograph/ countdown timer and automatically shifts and begins to track time as a traditional chronograph once the race begins. Its timer can be set anywhere between 1 and 10 minutes. By pressing the push-piece at the 10 o’clock position, the future owner of the watch will set the countdown timer to the desired minute. Once the official timing hits this accurate time, it is just needed to press the chronograph pusher at the 2 o’clock position, in order to start the countdown. The chronograph seconds hand starts running counterclockwise, and the yellow countdown hand also moves backwards. Once they both reach zero, the races start, and that is where the role of a regatta watch ends.
The Marine Regatta timepiece is equipped with the in-house developed caliber UN-155 chronograph movement which consists of 650 components. The impeccable mechanism operates at the rapid frequency of 28,800 alternation per hour (4 Hz) and provides a three-day power reserve.
The watch is housed in a stainless steel case measuring 44mm in diameter and featuring a fluted bezel with rubber inserts, molded rubber pushers and a screw-down crown. Water resistance is assured down to 100 meters beneath the water’s surface.
The Swiss manufacturer offers two versions of the Marine Regatta Watch. The first one comes with an ocean blue dial, while the other features a white dial. Both versions have yellow countdown registers and luminescent hands. Depending on the model, the rubber strap is either black or blue and comes with a titanium element and a folding buckle. The retail price is 15,900 Swiss francs.