A charming astronomical watch by Ludwig Oechslin with a modern black case from the Blast collection.

February 1 marks the arrival of the Lunar New Year, a holiday celebrated in China and other countries in Asia and Southeast Asia. Ulysse Nardin also wanted to commemorate the occasion by releasing a new version of the Moonstruck Worldtimer in a more modern, lighter case in the Blast collection. Representing the Moon’s rotation and the Sun’s apparent movement on a global scale as observed from Earth, Blast Moonstruck provides world time, dual time, and a highly accurate graphical representation of the Moon’s ebb and flow and its effect on tides.

Time waits for no one
During Rolf Schynder’s tenure as Ulysse Nardin’s CEO (1983-2011), the brand developed a trilogy of astronomical or celestial watches with master watchmaker Ludwig Oechslin from 1985, and in 2009 launched the Moonstruck, a watch with Sophisticated display of global tides. Given the brand’s strong ties to nautical chronometers, the concept of a global tide table is ambitious, yet meaningful, and goes beyond the limitations of most tide tables that only provide information on specific geographic locations. The result is the beautiful Moonstruck watch featuring a geocentric, hand-drawn view of the Earth from the North Pole, with two rotating discs on the periphery depicting the sun and moon.

In 2017, Ulysse Nardin launched the Moonstruck Worldtimer, still two celestial bodies revolving around the Earth, but also displaying time and tide graphs for 24 cities on the flange, the result of the combined effect of the moon’s and Earth’s gravity. Sun.

The new Blast Moonstruck is the UN’s newest celestial odyssey, a direct descendant of the Oechslin trilogy, recreating the sun’s visible trajectory, lunar cycles, and global time. Mechanical development can be complicated, as Oechslin explains, but the reason for developing astronomical watches is simple: “Because everything that has a regular cycle can be reproduced mechanically and therefore can be read on a dial. Encapsulating time is the art of the watchmaker .”

Black explosion-proof case
Unlike earlier versions with heavy platinum or rose gold cases, the 45mm Ulysse Nardin Blast Moonstruck replica now features a contemporary Blast line of black ceramic and black DLC-treated titanium cases. The sleek combination of black titanium and ceramic shrinks the size of the bold geometric case, while the lack of a bezel means there’s plenty of viewing space for a myriad of functions. An elegant black and rose gold palette adds a satisfying touch of luxury.

Although we all adhere to the Copernicus heliocentric theory and know that the Earth and other planets orbit the sun, this watch depicts the movement of the sun and moon very much like the way we see these celestial bodies from Earth. As in previous versions, the northern hemisphere, as seen from the North Pole, is centered on the dial. Sapphire crystal with micro-engraved lands, 18K rose gold ring with 31 days of the month, domed sapphire crystal allows you to see the hour and minute hands and a gleaming black made of aventurine glass night sky. Like the small triangular hands of the date, the tapered hour and minute hands are filled with luminous material.

To reproduce the movements of the sun and the moon, Ulysse Nardin uses two elliptical structures, one corresponding to the moon (located on a sapphire disc) close to the earth. The depiction of the moon within the circular aperture is realistic, with craters, and is conveyed by a disk in the same ecliptic plane as Earth. Thanks to an ingenious gear train, the moon phase indicator makes one full revolution a day to follow the path of the sun, the source of the moon’s brightness. The gear train also allows the moon to make one revolution around the dial in 29 days, 12 hours, 41 minutes, 9.3 seconds, representing a lunar month (the black ring surrounding the lunar aperture has two gilded tracks from 1 to 14 to represent the days of the lunar month). ). As a UN press release explains, “A lunar month, also known as the conjunction rotation, has an astronomical duration of 29 days, 12 hours, 44 minutes, 2.9 seconds”.

The moon contained in the aperture recedes on its orbit every 24 hours to occupy a new position relative to the sun. Depending on the moon’s cycle of gain and loss, different parts of the aperture appear, darkening or brightening according to the lunar calendar. This highly accurate moon phase indicator requires an all-day adjustment every 40 years. Ulysse Nardin replica

highs and lows
While the latest interpretation of Moonstruck doesn’t depict a graphic map of tides like earlier versions, any competent sailor will know that the different phases of the moon correspond to different tidal conditions. A new moon, when the moon is between the Earth and the sun, corresponds to a high tidal coefficient (spring tide). When the sun and moon are in a vertical position on the dial (sun at 6 o’clock and moon at 3 o’clock), the moon is in the waxing phase and has a low tide coefficient (​​neap tide). When the sun and moon face each other, the moon is full, and the tidal coefficient is high (spring tide). Finally, when the sun is perpendicular to the moon (the sun is at 6 o’clock and the moon is on the left side of the dial), the moon is waning and the tides are low (neap tide).

world and dual time
The two-tone ring on the dial is made of black and rose gold with a 24-hour scale that connects to the oval orbit of the sun. Bronze ore, a rare and precious mineral belonging to the pyroxene family, represents the golden sun and is dotted with black patches. As the sun makes one revolution every 24 hours, it slides over 24 reference cities printed on the outermost fixed flange, which is adjacent to the ring that depicts the 24-hour day/night indicator. The watch also features a dual-time mechanism that lets you change the main display in full-hour jumps via two buttons located on the left side of the case. replica watches for sale

UN-106
Inside the case is an automatic movement developed and manufactured in-house, Caliber UN-106. A pioneer in the development of silicon technology, first introduced in the Freak watch in 2001 (another Oechslin creation), it features a silicon escapement and hairspring, and a skeletonized rose gold oscillating weight. The UN-106, consisting of 335 parts, beats at 4 Hz and has a 50-hour power reserve. At the push of a button at 8 and 10, the wearer of the Ulysse Nardin Blast Moonstruck Worldtimer can quickly move the time forward or backward an hour, a handy feature when traveling.

Ulysse Nardin Blast Moonstruck Limited production (number not provided). Can be ordered with a black alligator, velvet or rubber strap with a black DLC titanium and rose gold folding clasp.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS – ULYSSE NARDIN BLAST MOONSTRUCK
Case: Diameter 45mm – Black ceramic and black DLC titanium – Sapphire crystal and case back – 30m water resistance – Two buttons on the left side of the case advance the main display in one hour increments
Dial: Domed sapphire crystal representing Earth from the North Pole, engraved with land – moon phases and days of the lunar month – orbiting the sun – world time and dual time, 24 hour day and night scale – 24 reference cities printed on flange – moon Tidal coefficient phase for measurement – Date ring around the central area of ​​the dome – Triangular hands for date and hour and minute hands, treated with luminous material
Movement: UN-106 manufacture automatic movement – 335 components – 42 jewels – 4Hz/28,800vph – 50 hour power reserve – silicon escapement and spring – rose gold rotor
Strap: Choice of black alligator, velvet or rubber – black DLC titanium and rose gold folding clasp
Reference: 1063 400 2A/3A