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All the watch news, reviews, videos you want, brought to you from fellow collectors
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Presenting one of the most complex yet visually arresting timepieces, Ulysse Nardin has introduced the Blast [Free Wheel Maillechort]. Limited to just 50 pieces, the watch features Ulysse Nardin’s flying tourbillon designed with the Ulysse Anchor Constant Escapement—a breakthrough mechanism that used silicon in a tourbillon, making it win the Tourbillon Prize at the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève in 2015.
The 45 mm watch, crafted in white gold, features sharply defined angles finished in a mix of satin and polish, using precision laser techniques. The case architecture integrates a single-block sapphire crystal ‘glass box,’ providing an unobstructed, multi-dimensional view of the exposed mechanics. The open sapphire caseback reveals a Maillechort plate anchoring the dial. Maillechort is a warm-toned, grained alloy of copper, zinc, and nickel known for developing a unique patina over time.
Standing on the pedestal is the UN-176 manufacture calibre, a manual-winding movement designed entirely in-house, displaying Ulysse Nardin’s signature Free Wheel aesthetic—a highly exposed movement that appears to be floating. At 12 o’clock, a floating double-barrel system powers the watch for seven days—here, one barrel is exposed and the other is hidden. A finely decorated winding wheel is positioned at 2 o’clock. A distinctive power reserve indicator appears at 4 o’clock, using a static pointer and rotating disc rather than a traditional hand to display the remaining energy—opposing the indicator, three bands to one band show the reduction in the power reserve.
The technical centrepiece is the flying tourbillon at 6 o’clock, equipped with Ulysse Nardin’s Anchor Constant Escapement. This revolutionary mechanism replaces conventional pivots and jewels with ultra-thin silicon blade springs, delivering a consistent impulse to the balance wheel regardless of the winding state. This tourbillon structure is supported by a circular frame with a pallet fork fixed in the centre, supported in space on two perpendicularly mounted blade springs that are subject to a bending force that curves them and maintains them.
Surrounding these major components are other suspended elements, including the reduction gear at 8 o’clock, the power reserve differential close to 9 o’clock, and the intermediate wheel at 10 o’clock—each one appearing to float freely above the Maillechort dial. The hands are finished in grey and treated with white Super-LumiNova for optimal legibility.
Completing the timepiece is a waterproof blue velvet-effect rubber strap, secured by a white gold folding clasp. The Blast [Free Wheel Maillechort] is compatible with all other Blast Tourbillon straps and is water-resistant to 30 metres. Priced at INR 1,30,50,024 (approx.)
Presenting one of the most complex yet visually arresting timepieces, Ulysse Nardin has introduced the Blast [Free Wheel Maillechort]. Limited to just 50 pieces, the watch features Ulysse Nardin’s flying tourbillon designed with the Ulysse Anchor Constant Escapement—a breakthrough mechanism that used silicon in a tourbillon, making it win the Tourbillon Prize at the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève in 2015.
The 45 mm watch, crafted in white gold, features sharply defined angles finished in a mix of satin and polish, using precision laser techniques. The case architecture integrates a single-block sapphire crystal ‘glass box,’ providing an unobstructed, multi-dimensional view of the exposed mechanics. The open sapphire caseback reveals a Maillechort plate anchoring the dial. Maillechort is a warm-toned, grained alloy of copper, zinc, and nickel known for developing a unique patina over time.
Standing on the pedestal is the UN-176 manufacture calibre, a manual-winding movement designed entirely in-house, displaying Ulysse Nardin’s signature Free Wheel aesthetic—a highly exposed movement that appears to be floating. At 12 o’clock, a floating double-barrel system powers the watch for seven days—here, one barrel is exposed and the other is hidden. A finely decorated winding wheel is positioned at 2 o’clock. A distinctive power reserve indicator appears at 4 o’clock, using a static pointer and rotating disc rather than a traditional hand to display the remaining energy—opposing the indicator, three bands to one band show the reduction in the power reserve.
The technical centrepiece is the flying tourbillon at 6 o’clock, equipped with Ulysse Nardin’s Anchor Constant Escapement. This revolutionary mechanism replaces conventional pivots and jewels with ultra-thin silicon blade springs, delivering a consistent impulse to the balance wheel regardless of the winding state. This tourbillon structure is supported by a circular frame with a pallet fork fixed in the centre, supported in space on two perpendicularly mounted blade springs that are subject to a bending force that curves them and maintains them.
Surrounding these major components are other suspended elements, including the reduction gear at 8 o’clock, the power reserve differential close to 9 o’clock, and the intermediate wheel at 10 o’clock—each one appearing to float freely above the Maillechort dial. The hands are finished in grey and treated with white Super-LumiNova for optimal legibility.
Completing the timepiece is a waterproof blue velvet-effect rubber strap, secured by a white gold folding clasp. The Blast [Free Wheel Maillechort] is compatible with all other Blast Tourbillon straps and is water-resistant to 30 metres. Priced at INR 1,30,50,024 (approx.)
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