Ulysse Nardin Sparkling Free Wheel Limited Edition

Ulysse Nardin presents Sparkling Free Wheel, a diamond set version of its innovative Tourbillon Free Wheel watch. Incorporating snow-setting technique, this sparkling creation features diamonds everywhere: from the face of the gray gold dial to the horns and even the barrel cover.

The 2’251 pavé stones on the Sparkling Free Wheel are rigorously selected and comprise a total of 5.90 carats. The diamond setting alone takes approximately 120 hours of meticulous work to complete. The stellar quality –all VVS or VS with an F/G rating for purity and color – is visible to the naked eye.

The Free Wheel’s most astonishing features are the dial’s tourbillon bridges and the 7-day power reserve indicator at four o’clock, which are shaped like boomerangs and look like they are miraculously floating in the air. So too do the other components, the hour and minute indicators and the gorgeous gear trains. The sapphire glass box housing these ‘flying’ elements is another standout achievement.

The structure’s complexity and finish – especially the polishing of the box angles – were extremely difficult to achieve, requiring lengthy and painstaking experimentation. The caseback is also sapphire, except there’s less to see inside, as, in a complete reversal of watchmaking convention, all the exquisite components are visible on the dial side.

The mechanical movement powering this spectacular creation is the UN-176, entirely developed in-house at the Ulysse Nardin manufacture in La Chaux-de-Fonds. Its flying tourbillon is the “Ulysse Anchor Escapement”, a pioneering technology that replaces the traditional Swiss lever escapement system and uses Ulysse Nardin’s signature low friction silicium instead of metal or synthetic rubies.

The eight pieces in this Sparkling Free Wheel limited edition are available for 225’000 CHF each.

Technical details

Model: Sparkling Free Wheel
Reference: 1760-176BLE

Movement
Caliber UN-176 Manufacture Movement
Silicium technology
Manual winding
Functions: H/M
Ulysse Nardin flying Anchor tourbillon with constant escapement
Power Reserve indicator at 4 o’clock
Power reserve: 7 days

Dial
Flying components
Diamond snow setting

Case
18 Carat white gold
Diameter: 44mm
Case back: Sapphire crystal
Crystal: Box-domed sapphire glass
Wrist strap: Alligator leather strap
Water resistance: 30m

Price
225’000 CHF