Ulysse Nardin isn’t a manufacturer that’s widely recognised for their dive watches. They’re perhaps better known for their more avant-garde and eye-catching Freak model and pieces with clever, innovative complications. However, their latest release, the Diver Atoll, proves they can also do the conventional rather well – with a signature Ulysse Nardin twist, of course.
The Diver Atoll is a 39mm dive watch - so far, pretty standard stuff. It’s also water-resistant to 300 metres and is available on either a white rubber strap or a white alligator leather strap for maximum style points. Elsewhere, there is a stainless steel case with polished and satin-brushed finishes - the steel here is also 80 percent recycled, signalling Ulysse Nardin’s commitment to sustainability. However, from there on out things are going to get a little less traditional…
The movement inside seems a logical place to start, being an in-house UN-816 calibre. It’s a movement that on its own is quite simple for a Ulysse Nardin piece, as it is based on the Selitta SW300-1. In the Diver Atoll, it comes with 19 jewels, a higher 28,800 v/h beat rate, and a 4Hz frequency. What’s particularly clever about the UN-816 is that it comes with the brand’s silicon escapement tech, which has been in place since the launch of the Freak in 2001. It allows for increased durability of key components, and is anti-magnetic, too.
The real star of the show here, though, is the choice of dial material. We’re seeing more interesting dials become a bit of a trend over the last couple of years, and Ulysse Nardin has gone all-in with the Diver Atoll, and its choice of a stone-cut dial of chrysocolla. Chrysocolla, perhaps better known as the ‘Peace Crystal’, is a gemstone which features gorgeous hues of blue and turquoise when cut, which are contrasted by deeper blacks and browns, to produce a mesmerising pattern that’s ideal for a diver’s watch. As it’s hand-cut, each piece of chrysocolla (of which there are 100) is unique, so no two Diver Atoll’s dials are the same.
Ulysse Nardin has previously used mother-of-pearl and aventurine glass in watch dials, which both have their own ways of drawing you in. Their use of chrysocolla this time around continues that aesthetically stunning innovation. If that wasn’t enough though, the Diver Atoll also features a uni-directional rotating bezel that’s set with 40 diamonds, with a further 11 present on the hour markers, giving you a total of 0.92 carats worth of diamonds.
The Diver Atoll retails for £13,920/$15.800 (excluding applicable sales tax), which makes it one of the brand’s more ‘affordable’ limited edition pieces and puts it among the other options in their growing ‘Diver’ collection of watches. If you’re someone who can afford a piece like this, and you want an off-the-wall dive watch with one of the best dials out there, this is definitely one to consider as your next piece.
Technical Specifications:
8163-182B1LE-9A-ATOLL/3A (white rubber strap)
8163-182B1LE-9A-ATOLL/1A (white alligator strap)
- Brand: Ulysse Nardin
- Model: Diver [ATOLL]
- Price: £13,920/$15.800 (excluding applicable sales tax)
- Material: Stainless Steel
- Movement: UN-816 calibre, self-winding movement
- Functions: Silicon technology: escapement wheel and anchor/Hours, minutes, seconds, date/19 jewels/Frequency 4Hz / oscillations 28’800 V/H/300m water resistance
- Dial: Chrysocolla
- Size: 38mm
