Ulysse Nardin’s Blast Free Wheel Maillechort is a masterclass in contemporary yet timeless watchmaking
Tom Austin- Ulysse Nardin has unveiled perhaps its most fascinating watch yet, the Blast Free Wheel Maillechort, featuring a unique combination of hidden and exposed movement architecture.
- The watch features Ulysse Nardin’s award-winning flying tourbillon with the Ulysse Anchor Constant Escapement, one of the world’s first made from silicon.
- The incredible 45mm white gold multi-faceted case is sculpted using lasers, allowing for unusual geometric shapes never seen before, and a wide-angle view of the stunning maillechort dial.
When a brand has a motto of “No Boundaries”, it’s easy to think that’s just some marketing spiel, conjured up by marketing executives to evoke a sense of mystique and to sell a few different coloured dials on the exact same watch. However, in the case of Ulysse Nardin, their brand statement of “No Boundaries” should be taken very literally. For almost 180 years, the brand has forged ahead with innovations in watchmaking technology and movement architecture – from producing the most accurate marine chronometers in the world during the late 19th century by implementing the use of palladium hairsprings, to pioneering the use of silicon in watchmaking with 2001’s groundbreaking Freak.
Ulysse Nardin’s latest creation, the Blast Free Wheel Maillechort, is a continuation of that ethos, bringing together unconventional design with exceptionally complex manufacturing to produce something unique and striking. Like several UN pieces, it’s a limited edition of just 50 watches, and similar to previous iterations of the Blast Free Wheel, it’s a highly technical watch that represents Ulysse Nardin’s manufacturing mastery.
The multi-faceted 45mm case is sculpted from 18-carat white gold and uses laser technology to finish areas that otherwise would be impossible to reach. With a 30-meter water resistance rating, it’s no tool watch, but that’s no surprise; it’s clear that this watch is more of a visual spectacle than anything else, with a large glassbox sapphire crystal protruding into the flanks of the case, allowing you to see the dial and movement from additional angles. And while it’s a large watch, at 12.4mm thick including the crystal, it’s surprisingly well-proportioned, mainly due to the case itself only measuring 8.75mm thick. From the front, its unique triple-lug design is striking, and the bezel-less design exposes a ring around the dial, which offers an almost clean and minimalist look. Almost. This is by no means a minimalist watch.
As the name suggests, the dial plate is made from maillechort, more commonly known as nickel silver. Maillechort doesn’t actually contain any silver whatsoever: it’s an alloy composed of copper, nickel and zinc. It’s a material that’s been in use in watchmaking for over a century, and takes on a particularly distinctive patina over time, eventually turning an almost brownish bronze colour. More lasers were deployed on the dial to achieve that subtle textured finish, which continues to the rear of the watch, with a maillechort plate visible through the sapphire case back. That means this UN will age in a distinct, graceful way.
It makes sense to look at both the dial and the stunning UN-176 movement together in this case, as in typical Ulysse Nardin fashion, they both intertwine. Surprisingly, the dial is relatively conventional in that it features traditional lumed central hour and minute hands. However, the rest of the dial is free of any other conventional markers or readouts, and all the attention is focused on the movement. Well, half of it at least, because UN has opted to keep certain elements hidden under the dial, to give the effect that elements such as the flying tourbillon escapement and barrel are floating, unsuspended, alongside the planetary reduction wheel and other ancillary wheels relating to winding and the power reserve.
There are, in fact, two barrels, with the second hidden underneath the visible one at the top. The two together provide a 7-day power reserve, which is displayed on another floating indicator at four o’clock. That’s another feature that’s more than just a simple hand on a dial; it’s comprised of an indicator that remains static, while three circular bars rotate underneath to display the amount of power stored in the mainsprings.
Ulysse Nardin’s GPHG award-winning flying tourbillon sits proudly at six o’clock. The complex Anchor Constant Escapement comprises 45 components, and, as it’s from UN, the escapement wheel, anchor & balance ring are naturally crafted from silicon. As with any tourbillon, its design is intricate, and thanks to the integrated construction of the hairspring and escapement wheel, and the blade springs, each beat is perfectly regulated, regardless of the remaining power reserve.
The Blast Free Wheel Maillechort comes equipped with a blue velvet effect rubber strap, finished with an 18-carat white gold deployant buckle. Thankfully, the almost brutalist-looking watch is relatively neutral in colour, and seeing that it’s compatible with all other Blast Tourbillon straps, there are plenty of options to choose from in Ulysse Nardin’s catalogue, such as white rubber or grey Alcantara, all of which would look excellent on the Maillechort.
Ulysse Nardin Blast Free Wheel Maillechort price and availability
The Ulysse Nardin Blast Free Wheel Maillechort is available now from Ulysse Nardin boutiques and is limited to 50 pieces. Price: US$126,600
| Brand | Ulysse Nardin |
| Model | Blast Free Wheel Maillechort |
| Reference | 1760-401LE-4A-MAIL/3A |
| Case Dimensions | 45mm (D) x 12.4mm (T) |
| Case Material | 18-carat white gold |
| Water Resistance | 30 meters |
| Crystal(s) | Box-domed sapphire front and flat sapphire caseback |
| Dial | Maillechort |
| Strap | Blue velvet-effect rubber with white gold deployant clasp |
| Movement | UN-176, in-house, manual-winding |
| Power Reserve | 168 hours (7 days) |
| Functions | Hours, minutes, power reserve, flying tourbillon |
| Availability | Limited edition of 50 pieces |
| Price | US$126,600 |