Introducing – Ulysse Nardin Anchor Tourbillon Blue Enamel Dial (inc. price)

14/12/2015 | By Brice Goulard | 2 min read |

After introducing a first prototype in 2014, demonstrating to the world the brand new innovation they created, Ulysse Nardin followed in early 2015 with an impressive commercial piece called the Anchor Tourbillon, a visually very classical watch that integrates a splendid (and totally new) escapement module, a massive break after 200 years of Swiss anchor escapement. Introduced first with a conservative white enamel dial, the Ulysse Nardin Anchor Tourbillon comes back now with a superb blue dial, both engraved and enameled.

The first edition of the Ulysse Nardin Anchor Tourbillon was quite surprising, as besides its superlative technical complexity, it was also a very traditional watch, with a simple round case, a calibre finished and designed to look like a pocket watch movement and a white enamel dial contrasting with blued hands. Somehow, the definition of an antique watch, right. For this end of 2015, the brand offers new variations to this innovative piece, new editions inspired by the Ocean Blue (a recurring theme for UN), with a deep blue enamel dial, that might be as traditional in their execution but also look bolder.

This new Ulysse Nardin Anchor Tourbillon Blue Enamel Dial is available in a choice of pink gold and white gold for the case – materials that can also be found for the hands, for the applied numerals and for the tourbillon itself. Created in-house by Ulysse Nardin (at Donzé Cadrans, a member of the Ulysse Nardin group of companies), the thick metal surface of the dial is first engraved with a concentric wave pattern. Then, it is filled with moist, powdered, blue enamel and fired until it melts – a technique called Grand Feu enamel – a complicated process that result in many non-useable dials. The final step of the creation of this dial is a sanding operation, which will reveal the pattern underneath the translucent blue enamel.

The Ulysse Nardin Anchor Tourbillon Blue Enamel Dial comes in a very traditional 44mm case (18k white gold or 18k pink gold) that however encloses a technical masterpiece, the new Anchor escapement. This movement (which won the Tourbillon Watch Prize from the 2015 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève – GPHG) gets rid of the traditional Swiss anchor escapement and brings a constant force escapement made entirely of silicium, and features a circular frame with a pallet fork that moves without friction – and of course a one-minute tourbillon. We highly encourage you to have a look at our in-depth analysis of the Ulysse Nardin Anchor Tourbillon here, to understand all the ins-and-outs of this impressive achievement.