Ulysse Nardin’s new Ulysse Anchor Tourbillon features a genuine translucent blue enamel dial that is inspired by the ocean.

Flowing forward on a crest of innovation, the latest model brings with it a cascade of sapphire hues inspired by the depths of the sea. 

An evolution of the award-winning Anchor Tourbillon that premiered in 2015, this limited edition in rose and white gold showcases artistic tradition and inventive modernity coming together in sharp – yet beautiful – contrast.

A rare and classic art form, enamelling is a hallmark of Ulysse Nardin. Handcrafted in-house at Donzé Cadrans, a member of the Ulysse Nardin group of companies, the enameling technique is intricate. Cavities, or cells, are formed in a thick metal surface then filled with moist, powdered, blue enamel and fired until it melts. After cooling, it is sanded by hand by the master enameller to expose its azure radiance.

Juxtaposing its classicism is its pioneering technology. Since its debut, the first Anchor Tourbillon has been the recipient of three consecutive and prestigious awards, the most recent being the Tourbillon Watch Prize from the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG).

Challenging the traditional Swiss anchor escapement, the Ulysse Anchor Tourbillon was eight years in the making and a world first. Housed in a 60-second tourbillon cage, the watch’s architecture is based on the principle of flexible mechanisms, exploiting the elasticity of flat springs. It presents a constant force escapement made entirely of silicium, and features a circular frame with a pallet fork that moves without friction. The pallet fork is fixed in the centre and supported in space on two minuscule blade springs. Mounted perpendicular to each other, they are subjected to a bending force that curves and keeps them in a bi-stable state. The result is a positive energy balance that maintains the oscillations of the balance wheel at a constant rate without motor torque influence.

The 44-mm-dia timepiece’s breakthrough engineering revolutionised the power transmission to the regulating system and significantly improved timekeeping accuracy unsurpassed by any other manufacture.

Only 36 pieces of the watch will be made - 18 in white gold and 18 in rose gold - and the new edition is priced at $85,000.