New: Ulysse Nardin Diver Norrøna Artic Night

Ulysse Nardin releases a collaboration with Norwegian outdoor sports brand Norrøna to release a new dive watch – the Diver Norrøna Artic Night.

Press Release information with commentary in italics.

New: Ulysse Nardin Diver Norrøna Artic Night

The new Ulysse Nardin Diver Norrøna Artic Night retails for CHF 11,900 / EUR 11,300 / USD 12,600 before taxes. Limited edition of 29 pieces, available now:
– on www.ulysse-nardin.com, www.norrona.com websites
– in Norrøna’s flagship stores in New York, Munich, Oslo and Stockholm 

Commentary

This is an interesting development for Ulysse Nardin. The collaboration with a outdoor sportswear brand, known for sustainable and premium quality is seen as a positive and good partnership in the brand finding its feet again.

The design is based on their Diver series of watches, but without the big X motif, which to us is a BIG plus. The overall look of the watch is rather more traditional. But the watch carries some interesting features. The bezel is made of Carbonium (100%), the case side and case back is in Carbonium (40%) and recycled fishing nets (60%), while the watch container is in recycled stainless steel. These are respectable numbers in the use of recycled materials. Carbonium is made of the same fibers used for the fuselage and wings of aircraft. Its manufacture has a 40% lower environmental impact than carbon composites. And the material used by UN are made from off cuts of aircraft parts, making use of the portions discarded in the manufacture of. The Nylo fishing nets are made from recovered fishing nets and recycled. The stainless steel used in the case is made of 80% recycled automotiblles.

This move to be more environmentally friendly is an interesting step. However, we do note that the watchmaking industry as a whole is a very small industry and thus the environmental impact is very tiny. Efforts made by various maisons to reduce their footprints and make their watches from environmentally sustainable sources has perhaps little impact to the overall health of the planet. However, this is an important marketing position, and gives some sort of psychological relief to clients. However, we also note that every bit counts.

The watch looks rather nice, and it comes as a limited edition of only 29 pieces, a reference to 1929, the year Norrøza was founded, and each piece is accompanied by a very technical, artic jacket, which is made in a 100% recycled fabric.

Release details

The Swiss watchmaker Ulysse Nardin teams up with Norwegian outdoor sportswear brand Norrøna, known for its sustainable and premium outerwear, to launch the new DIVER NORRØNA Arctic Night. Through their collaboration, Norrøna and Ulysse Nardin achieve their shared environmental commitments through the use of alternative and sustainable materials.

To accompany the launch, Ulysse Nardin is proud to announce its partnership with Norwegian polar explorer Børge Ousland and an active member of the Norrøna family. The timepiece is a limited edition of 29 pieces and is sold with a Norrøna arktis Gore-Tex® Pro Jacket Ulysse Nardin Edition.

It is no surprise that both brands decided to connect as they share the same love for nature and the same ambition of shifting to a more “circular model” by using alternative materials in their respective domains. Both brands are on a decisive path to more sustainable creations.

• 1860: Ulysse Nardin, a Swiss watchmaker based in the majestic Jura Mountains, began to sell onboard marine chronometers for explorers, sailors and navigators all over the world, enabling them to navigate their route at sea. Today, five generations later, Ulysse Nardin is an independent manufacture.
• 1929: Jørgen Jørgensen, a Norwegian outdoor enthusiast, began his search for more durable outdoor equipment to perform in Norway ́s harsh and rugged land. Today, four generations later, Norrøna is still a family-owned and run company.Ulysse Nardin unveils the DIVER NORRØNA Arctic Night, a watch that bears both brands’ iconic logo, DNA and sustainability commitments. Only six months after the launch of THE OCEAN RACE DIVER in association with THE OCEAN RACE, the DIVER NORRØNA Arctic Night is a new black iteration of the most sustainable watch in Ulysse Nardin’s portfolio to this day. Inspired by the reflection of Norwegian nature that conjures up images of the Fjords and volcanic rocks, the black, gray and white color palette of this watch invokes the deep, dark, ancestral geologic formations that are the Earth’s oldest, most well-preserved sedimentary rocks.This new joint project symbolizes both companies’ commitment to safeguarding a future for the planet, starting with the poles. Polar sea ice helps regulate Earth’s climate and we know that the warming of polar oceans has powerful implications for organisms living there—and for us. This collaboration is a call to action.

Børge Ousland, Polar Explorer

Norwegian explorer and writer Børge Ousland is a fearless adventurer. The first person to complete solo crossings of both the Arctic and the Antarctic, Børge is curious, confident and courageous. Hauling supply sleds weighing nearly 150 kilograms, he endured limb-freezing temperatures and encounters with polarbears in pursuit of his extreme goals. A former deep-sea diver and Norwegian Navy seal, Børge undertook his first expedition across Greenland in 1986. On subsequent expeditions, he has partnered with French explorer Vincent Colliard and, most recently, Mike Horn.

“Be the change you want to see in the world. If you are part of the problem, you also have to be part of the solution. Since I first set foot on the Polar Ocean in 1990, the ice coverage has declined by more than 60%. I have seen how it has changed. In my lifetime. It’s a totally different landscape, and it is happening due to climate change. But nothing is just bad. Even problems are in one way good. Because it is how we deal with the challenges we meet, that defines who we really are. And maybe, we can use this enormous challenge that climate change truly represents, to bring out the best in us, and reveal what humanity can become.”

Børge Ousland

Norrøna arktis Gore-Tex® Pro Jacket Ulysse Nardin Edition

The development of the Norrøna arktis jacket started in 2005 with the contribution of Børge Ousland. This jacket is the result of Norrøna’s decades of product development experience and Ousland’s expedition experience, to create the perfect equipment for Arctic explorations. For this exclusive edition in partnership with Ulysse Nardin, the jacket has been enriched with the logo of the watchmaker.

The jacket is made in 70D GORE-TEX® PRO fabric with a 100% recycled Nylon face. The fabric chosen by Norrøna, is known for its world class quality: durable and waterproof, optimized breathability and totally wind proof.

The jacket is designed to exceed every polar requirement. Main features include: a special hood that creates an air pillow to protect you from the harshest elements; a customized 3D pullers for easier grip when using mittens ; waist adjustment, which traps air in to provide extra heat around vital organs and the elastic cord in the back, which can be attached to a push button in the front to keep the jacket in place regardless of wind and weather conditions. The hood has a one-pull system that can adjust the circumference and height at once. It has several Velcro® pockets and a fidlock closure on the collar to make it easier to handle with gloves.

Ulysse Nardin Diver Norrøna Artic Night Specifications

Reference: 1183-170LE-2A-ARC/0A

Movement

UN-118 Automatic Manufacture movement
Silicium & DiamonSil escapement technology
260 Components / 50 Jewels
Frequency 4 Hz / Oscillations 28’800 V/H

Features
Hours, minutes, date
Small second hand
Power reserve indicator
60 hours

Case
44 mm
Side case and case-back: 40% Carbonium® and 60%
recycled fishing nets Nylo®
Watch container: Stainless Steel recycled up to 80%
Unidirectional concave rotating bezel, 100% Carbonium®

Dial
Black sandblasted dial
Embossed and satinated double X
White Super-LumiNova® markers and hands

Case back
Smoked sapphire crystal, Norrøna Viking logo

Strap
100% Recycled from fishing nets
Gray stitches
Scratch closing

Water Resistance
300 m