Video Interview – Patrik P. Hoffmann, CEO of Ulysse Nardin, about Baselworld 2016 and the 20th anniversary of the Marine Collection

Marine Chronometers are a major part of the DNA of Ulysse Nardin. 100 years ago already, UN was already one of the leaders in the market for deck chronometers (marine chronometers to be used on boats deck) and since then, this spirit has been kept alive by the brand as a motto. This year, Ulysse Nardin is celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Marine Collection, its most important range of watches and mostly, a modern interpretation of deck chronometers. For this reason, we had a long talk with Patrik P. Hoffmann, CEO of Ulysse Nardin, about Baselworld 2016 and the 20th anniversary of this collection – celebrated by introducing 2 novelties, the Ulysse Nardin Marine Chronograph Annual Calendar and the Marine Grand Deck Tourbillon.

Alongside mentioning the importance of the Marine Collection for Ulysse Nardin – in fact a marine chronometer in the form of a modern wristwatch, a watch inspired by antique clocks and linked to the roots of the brand – Patrik P. Hoffmann, CEO of Ulysse Nardin comes back here on the two main novelties of UN for Baselworld 2016. The first one is more of a regular piece, a watch intended to be produced to a large scale, but with an interesting horological content; the Ulysse Nardin Marine Chronograph Annual Calendar. It combines the in-house chronograph movement developed by Ulysse Nardin and introduced in 2014 – a manufacture, automatic integrated movement with column-wheel – on which genius watchmaker Ludwig Oechslin worked to create an annual calendar. Oechslin is known to master complications in the easiest possible way and here, together with the watchmaking teams of Ulysse Nardin, they were able to achieve to display a complex calendar function by adding only 7 parts to the movement – price: around 11,000 Swiss Francs.

The second piece to be released during Baselworld 2016 was the Ulysse Nardin Marine Grand Deck Tourbillon, a watch with a unique and complex display – and at the same time the real jubilee piece that celebrates the 20th anniversary of the Marine Collection. This project, started under the code name “Winch“, summarizes all the marine spirit of the brand and its mastering of haute horlogerie, with a display using a ship’s boom, which moves like a retrograde hand, and not driven by normal gears and wheels but by winches and pulleys, as well as wires. Not only this display is unique and extremely complex but it also creates a strong link with the history of the brand and the spirit behind the collection. Finally, the dial is a wooden marquetry, also reminiscent of deck’s boat – price: around 280,000 Swiss Francs.

Thank you to Patrik P. Hoffmann, CEO of Ulysse Nardin, for his time during Baselworld 2016. More details about the new collections of Ulysse Nardin on the official website.