SpotlightUlysse Nardin Deploy The Adventure-Ready Diver Net OPS And Diver X Skeleton OPS Timepieces In Their Mission Towards Sustainability
Expanding their khaki green OPS capsule of environment-friendly timepieces, Ulysse Nardin present the Diver Net OPS and Diver X Skeleton OPS watches made from sustainable and recycled materials, and designed for adventure
May We Recommend
With their long legacy of marine exploration, Ulysse Nardin’s journey is closely linked with the fate of the world’s oceans. Sustainability, then, is a core value for the brand, and innovation with materials lies at the forefront of this mission. Following the release of their Diver Net Azure and Diver X Skeleton Azure timepieces in 2023, this year, Ulysse Nardin release their Diver Net OPS and Diver Skeleton X OPS timepieces. Made with sustainable materials for which the brand have collaborated with other organisations that share their environmental goals, the Diver Net OPS and Diver Skeleton X OPS reiterate Ulysse Nardin’s technical ingenuity. These new additions join the brand’s OPS (or ‘operations’) capsule, which features two Freak timepieces, also released in 2023—the Freak One OPS and Freak X OPS.
Ulysse Nardin Diver Net OPS
First released in 2020 as a concept timepiece, the Ulysse Nardin Diver Net made a strong statement about sustainability in the luxury watch industry. Made primarily from recycled steel, the 44mm case features a Carbonium bezel that uses scrap from the aerospace industry, with a 40 percent lower environmental impact than other carbon composites. The other innovative material used is Nylo, which is crafted from upcycled fishing nets. While the marbling of the Carbonium bezel highlighted the grainy finish of the black dial with azure highlights on the Diver Net Azure timepiece, on the Diver Net OPS, this streaked effect, paired with a khaki dial and strap gives the watch a distinct camouflage aesthetic. In turn, this ‘camo’ effect enhances the boldness of the highly functional dive watch, with a water resistance rating of 300m.
On the sand-blasted dial, embossed with an ‘X’, a small seconds sub-dial at six o’clock is offset by an indicator at 12 o’clock, which displays the movement’s 60-hour power reserve. A circular date window sits unobtrusively at six o’clock, not disrupting the overall balance of the dial. Bold indexes are generously filled with a beige Super-LumiNova that glows green in dim lighting, as are the winged timekeeping hands. Hidden behind the dial but visible through the open caseback is the reliable UN-118 calibre, with a silicon balance spring that offers enhanced anti-magnetism, and an escapement wheel and anchor in the brand’s patented DiamonSil.
Ulysse Nardin Diver X Skeleton OPS
Like the Diver X Skeleton Azure timepiece, the Diver X Skeleton OPS is also powered by the UN-372 calibre, designed to display an oversized oscillator and silicon escapement through the satin-finished X-shaped bridge on the open-worked dial. Its 44mm sand-blasted and satin-finished titanium case is coated in black DLC, and features a Carbonium unidirectional-rotating bezel. On this Diver X Skeleton OPS timepiece, Carbonium makes another appearance in the form of the barrel cover, visible through the open ‘X’ bridge at 12 o’clock on the dial. Black baton indexes and hands are filled with lume and make for easy time telling at a glance. Sapphire crystal is used for the glass and caseback, the latter protecting the movement within. The Diver X Skeleton OPS is water-resistant up to 200m.
Extending their sustainability efforts to the watch’s accessories, both timepieces are paired with matching khaki green fabric straps that are crafted from upcycled fishing nets, or khaki rubber straps. The Ulysse Nardin Diver Net OPS and Diver X Skeleton OPS are highly functional, adventure-ready dive watches that make a strong statement about how luxury needn’t harm our oceans.