Ulysse Nardin GMT +/- Perpetual
Groundbreaking Ulysse Nardin GMT +/- Perpetual
In addition to its unique watch designs, high-end Swiss watch manufacturer Ulysse Nardin is known for producing some of the most revolutionary mechanical complications and movements in the world. The Ulysse Nardin GMT +/- Perpetual is a perfect example of a focus on technical innovation that, despite being more than two decades old, remains one of the most beautiful and user-friendly complications available today. Today, we focus on a watch that combines an innovative mechanical movement with the noblest material, platinum. If you haven’t already, get acquainted with the Ulysse Nardin platinum GMT +/- Perpetual ref. watch. 329-80.
Practical perpetual calendar and user-friendly dual time
In 1996, on the occasion of the brand’s 150th anniversary, Ulysse Nardin launched the Perpetual Ludwig. This model is named after master watchmaker Dr. Ludwig Oechslin, who invented the cutting-edge movement that powers the perpetual calendar watch. Unlike other perpetual calendars, which are cumbersome to adjust, the Ludwig Perpetual Calendar mechanism stands out for its ability to adjust the time and date forward and backward, a first for a perpetual calendar and a feature that makes the watch extremely convenient. Not only does this mean the wearer can easily set the time/date backwards when traveling west, but in the year 2100 (the Gregorian calendar skips leap years), whereas most other perpetual calendar watches will have to be sent back to their respective countries. Factory reset allows the wearer to easily adjust the Ulysse Nardin watch.
Ulysse Nardin 329-80 combines perpetual calendar and GMT
Three years later, in 1999, Ulysse Nardin combined its perpetual calendar movement with another complication by Dr. Ludwig Oechslin, a GMT (dual time) complication that used a pair of pushers to move the 12-hour hand to either direction. Move in one direction for one hour. This is the debut of the Ulysse Nardin GMT +/- Perpetual series, where the +/- takes its name from the two pushers, the “+” pusher that moves the hour hand forward and the “-” pusher that moves the hour hand backward.
The combination of a practical perpetual calendar complication and a user-friendly dual time complication makes the Ulysse Nardin GMT+ – Perpetual one of the most travel-friendly mechanical luxury watches ever made.
Ulysse Nardin GMT +/- Perpetual Ref. 329-80
Ulysse Nardin GMT +/- Perpetual Ref. Limited edition of 500 pieces. The 329-80 is an extremely luxurious iteration of this model, made almost entirely of platinum. The watch is housed in a 40mm platinum case with a winding crown and GMT pusher. Additionally, the chunky link bracelet is also made of platinum.
Another philosophy of Dr. Ludwig Oechslin that permeates the Ulysse Nardin GMT+ – Perpetual watch is the dial layout, which replaces the traditional auxiliary dials for all calendar indications with more legible windows. There is an oversized dual date window at 1 o'clock, followed by month, year and day windows in clockwise order. There is a traditional 12-hour hand in the center to indicate local time, and an arrow-tipped 24-hour hand pointing toward the 24-hour scale on the periphery of the dial to indicate the second time zone. Interestingly, if you look closely at the 24-hour scale, you'll see that noon is at the top and midnight is at the bottom. Dr. Ludwig Oechslin stated that he chose this unconventional layout because the sun is at its highest point at noon, so the 24-hour hand points upward to reflect this. The silver dial is subtly decorated with Ulysse Nardin’s famous guilloche wave pattern.
The sapphire crystal caseback reveals the automatic Caliber UN-32 movement inside, with a solid gold rotor and 34 jewels. This movement provides the watch with a 48-hour power reserve, and limited-edition Ulysse Nardin GMT +/- Perpetual models of the movement, such as this one, have further been certified as official chronometers by COSC (Swiss Official Chronometer Testing Body).
The Ulysse Nardin GMT +/- Perpetual Ref. 11 watch is housed in platinum and equipped with a beautiful mechanical movement and a clear and easy-to-read dial. The 329-80 is a great timepiece inside and out. For the frequent traveler, few watches offer the practicality of a GMT +/- Perpetual, while for those who appreciate haute horlogerie, Ulysse Nardin is one of the most respected brands in the field.
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