Light as a feather
If you have a watch you want to create, but it is a challenge as there are no materials out there at the moment that would satisfy your requirement. What do you do? You either wait for the day to happen, or you do it yourself, and at Ulysse Nardin, they did both. They decided to create the desired material even if it takes time. At the Watches & Wonders Geneva 2025, the watchmaker extraordinaire unveiled the Diver [Air]. It bears the moniker for a reason, as it is currently the lightest mechanical dive watch on the planet, as it weighs a mere 52 grams, including the straps, which weigh in at 6 grams. Now! That’s mind-bogglingly light! If the watch doesn’t exist, one could say it’s impossible. But it does exist, and it’s right before our eyes.
To arrive at that ridiculous lightweight is a journey that took the R&D department at Ulysse Nardin four to five years to develop. They did not work alone, they unlisted help from Thyssenkeupp and TiFast, two metallurgy specialists in creating the lightest form of recycled titanium which made up of 90% of the material for the caseband, as ordinary titanium won’t do as it is deemed too heavy for the folks at R&D. Then the side components that give the case an extra protection are made of Nylo-Foil which is made from a composite of 60% recycled fish nets from Fil & Fab and40% upcycled Carbon fibres from CDK Technologies, to create something as light and strong as anything. CDK Technology produced the 100% upcycled carbon fibre CarbonFoil for the concave bezel, with the unusual marbled-like pattern. The case measures 44mm in diameter, and that’s quite large considering how light it is.
The challenge to reduce the weight did not stop there, they went further in their weight reduction exercise, they put their automatic Calibre UN-372, which is seen in the Diver X Skeleton range, through a forced dieting by removing more metal to achieve the desired weightlessness, and in addition, the little bit left of the X bridges and main plate are made from the same 90% recycled titanium as the caseband. The power to drive the escapement is harnessed in the oversized balance wheel and spring, which are made of silicon. The anchor in the escapement wheel is made of upcycled silicon from Sigatec to ensure its accuracy and longevity from wear and tear. In the centre are the SuperLuminova-filled hours, minutes and seconds black hands and a black inner bezel with black appliqué SuperlumiNova-filled hours indexes, as they appear to float over the X skeleton dial, showing their collective weightlessness. The result is a brand-new Manufacture automatic Calibre UN-374.
Miraculously, or not so, it is the work of the geniuses at the R&D department at Ulysse Nardin and the collaborations they have with their partners to help achieved their ultimate goal, the lightest diver’s watch in the world, which is made up of 80% air and 20% the components within the watch.
