Ulysse Nardin Launches The Ocean Race Diver Making History As The First Diver Upcycled From Fishing Nets

Photo Credit: Courtesy of Ulysse Nardin

Last week, Ulysse Nardin made history by releasing the very first diver model largely composed of recycled fishing nets: The Ocean Race Diver. This incredible innovation further serves as a testament to Ulysse Nardin’s commitment to supporting circular design in favor of the ocean, echoing the impactful ethos, “from the ocean, for the ocean.” 

Together with The Ocean Race, a prestigious sailing race around the world, Ulysse Naridn is seeing their  shared dedication to supporting the ocean manifested with The Ocean Race Diver, and they will be the official timekeeper for the open-sea sailing race scheduled to start from Alicante, Spain, on January 15, 2023. With an astounding 5,000 billion pieces of plastic pollution floating at sea with fishnets being at the forefront of the main source of pollution, Ulysse Nardin has pledged to make a difference, starting with The Ocean Dive Racer.

Photo Credit: Courtesy of Ulysse Nardin

The timepiece is a feat in the sustainable luxury market. The strap is made from 100% recycled fishing nets with the closing fully recycled from fishing nets, transformed into reels of yarn by the French company JTTI. Throughout the design, Ulysse Nardin designers added accents of bright green as a reflection nature, from the stitching on the strap to the markers and bezel, including the “double X” signature of the dial, the power reserve indicator at midday, the small seconds hand at 6 o’clock, the Ulysse Nardin logo etched onto the crown, the crown protector, and the individual plate. 

Photo Credit: Courtesy of Ulysse Nardin

The unidirectional bezel is entirely made with Carbonium® (Lavoisier Composites). Carbonium® is made of the same fibers that are used for the fuselage and wings of the latest-generation aircraft. The manufacture of Carbonium® has a 40% lower environmental impact than other carbon composites, since it makes use of the offcuts of aircraft parts. And, the case is designed with two materials: 40% Carbonium® (Lavoisier Composites) and 60% polyamide recycled from fishing nets, Nylo® (FIL&FAB). 

Photo Credit: Courtesy of Ulysse Nardin

FIL&FAB, an esteemed start-up in the field of industrial design and transition that works to recover disused nets in French fishing ports and recycles them in the form of polyamide granules called Nylo®, has played a major role in the creation. “How can we transform some of this plastic into a luxury item? With the help of start-ups such as FIL&FAB, we have successfully managed to fabricate and sell watches derived from recycled fishing nets,” announced Patrick Pruniaux, CEO of Ulysse Nardin. On the case back, the sapphire crystal is embellished The Ocean Race’s logo to emphasize the significance of the partnership. 

Photo Credit: Courtesy of Ulysse Nardin

Impressively, the components of this movement are 95% sourced within a 30 km radius of the Manufacture with half of them coming from recycling channels (recycled steel and brass in particular: 100% of Ulysse Nardin movements make use of recycled brass). The 44mm watch is also water-resistant up to 300 m. 

Beginning in June 2022, The Ocean Race Diver will be sold in an original pack (which is 100% recycled): a water-resistant R-PET pouch slipped into a dry bag recycled from the sea by Helly Hansen, at the price of CHF 10,900.

Photo Credit: Courtesy of Ulysse Nardin