Ulysse Nardin’s enthralling Skeleton Tourbillon Pearl
Crafted of mother-of-pearl, pearl, diamond and white gold, the Skeleton Tourbillon Pearl is a high jewellery timepiece that is impressive for its beauty and horological skill
An elite timepiece that is sure to be coveted by watch aficionados, the Pearl shimmers from the inside out. High jewellery timepieces have evolved into a combination of haute joaillerie and haute horlogerie, and the Pearl is an excellent example of this. Transparent and fluid in design, the Pearl entrances with its labyrinth of inner workings and sumptuous adornments that transduce the freely penetrating light.
Radiant in luminosity, the mother-of-pearl detailing casts a soft glow over the entire piece. Delicately pure in aesthetic, the exquisite material is complemented by an abundance of diamonds on its face, bridges, bezel, horns and crown. The Pearl’s hallmark is the in-house developed Skeleton Tourbillon Calibre UN-170 Manufacture, with its seemingly infinite maze of individual movements, parts and skeletonised bridges.
The skeletonisation allows light to permeate through, thus giving the watch an appearance of weightlessness. The technique of skeletonisation, which is partly art and partly horological mastery, enables the entire movement to seemingly float on air and explains why sometimes less is captivatingly more.
The bridges, which are very intricate, are embellished with eye-catching mother-of-pearl inlay work; some are set with diamonds, while others are presented only with diamonds. Brilliant rubies are used as pivots to reduce friction, enhancing its fluidity in both form and function. The barrel at 12 ‘o’ clock boasts a mother-of-pearl inlay adorned with a printed shell pattern. This pattern is continued in the tourbillon cage that is decorated with a shell motif machined into the cage’s mother-of-pearl bridge.
Placed within and visible from the back is the heart of the timepiece – its tourbillon. Comprising of a silicium balance spring, anchor and escapement wheel, its tourbillon guarantees superior accuracy, durability, longevity, and lower maintenance. Silicium, a revolutionary material in watchmaking, was first used in Ulysse Nardin watches in 2001 and remains one of the manufacture’s most technologically advanced and preferred substances.
The Pearl comes in a 44 MM case, is water-resistant up to 30 metres and has a seven-day power reserve. The movement has 23 jewels and 18,000 V/H. Functioning as a tourbillon and showing the hours and minutes, the Pearl is presented in an 18 carat white-gold case, with a sapphire crystal caseback and a leather strap with a simple buckle.
Ulysse Nardin is presenting the Skeleton Tourbillon Pearl as a limited-edition watch of only eight pieces.
