Skeleton Manufacture. - Ulysse Nardin

The Skeleton Manufacture celebrates the interplay of light and innovation.
Ulysse Nardin unveils its first timepiece featuring an exclusive skeleton tourbillon caliber. Incorporating the very latest
silicon technology, it is an exquisite expression of the brand’s pioneering spirit.
An independent watchmaker specializing in innovative techniques, Ulysse Nardin unveils the Skeleton Manufacture, its
first timepiece featuring a skeleton caliber that has been fully developed and manufactured in-house. With this watch,
the Le Locle-based Manufacture combines cutting-edge technology with an aesthetic exploration of the themes of
transparency and simplicity. The Skeleton Manufacture is an impressive and unique contemporary timepiece that pays
tribute to the brand’s prestigious past.
Purity and transparency.
Skeletonizing is a subtle art that requires both watchmaking know-how and an artistic sensibility. The aim is to reveal the
inner workings of the movement by reducing the structure of components to a bare minimum, allowing light to penetrate
freely through. Ulysse Nardin’s Skeleton Manufacture is a brilliant example of this endeavor.
The watchmaker’s new movement has been specially developed for this occasion, and instantly seduces with its refined
architecture and perfectly balanced proportions. The barrel at 12 o’clock mirrors the escapement placed at 6 o’clock.
Above the latter is a ratchet wheel engraved with the brand name, insignia and the power reserve. Surfaces are decorated
with an eye-catching contrast of bead-blasted and polished finishes. Color variations enhance the visual interest of
metallic components. Crimson rubies sparkle among the hand-beveled bridges embellished with a satin-finish “sunray»
decoration.
On the version with a red gold case, each train wheel is rhodium-plated, while those of the platinum version are finished
in glowing straw-colored 18-carat yellow gold. The blue of the steel screws echoes the azure tone of the silicon components.
The specially designed hands are inspired by a gently curved leaf shape and are skeletonized at their tips. Recalling
a Ulysse Nardin caliber from 1922, the back bears a screwed-in plate engraved with the serial number, making each
timepiece unique.
Cutting-edge technique.
Since it was founded in 1846, Ulysse Nardin has distinguished itself with its pioneering approach. The accuracy and
quality of its timepieces have forged an unrivalled reputation for the brand in the rarefied world of fine watchmaking.
Perpetuating this spirit, Ulysse Nardin has been a forerunner in the use of silicon, which it featured in a watch for the first
time in 2001.
The Skeleton Manufacture is an elegant showcase for this exceptional know-how: nestled within the hand-wound
mechanical movement is a flying tourbillon that comprises a balance spring, anchor and escapement wheel made from
silicon. The power reserve offers an impressive duration of 170 hours.
The Skeleton Manufacture is available in two limited editions: 99 pieces in red gold and 99 pieces in platinum.