Deep Diving Into Ulysse Nardin’s Diver X Skeleton Black

In the strive towards preserving an “X” legacy, the Ulysse Nardin DIVER X SKELETON has returned sporting an enduringly momentous combination of black and yellow. Ulysse Nardin relaunches 175 new pieces in black Carbonium® with an audacious choice of a flashy yellow rubber strap and a black R-STRAP made of upcycled fishing nets; preceded by the success of the DIVER X SKELETON in blue rapidly sold out upon its release in 2021. Already unveiled last November during the Dubai Watch Week in collaboration with leading watch retailer Seddiqi, the technical marvel is back!

This Diver X collection takes a revolutionary step towards transparency whilst retaining its sporty appeal in a cutting-edge evolution. An explosive coalition of the design of a Diver and the technical prowess of the last collection; the DIVER X SKELETON model is the new protagonist of the Diver collection. It is a volcanic bonding of beauty and brains. The DIVER X SKELETON BLACK is crafted to withstand the potential pressures that exist at depths of 200 meters and is accoutered with a black Carbonium® concave unidirectional rotating bezel and domed sapphire glass.

To give the DIVER X SKELETON model a new lease on life, the engineering team has altogether redesigned the UN-371 movement - visible through the 44 mm case. Primarily designed for the last Skeleton collection, it has been enhanced with the addition of an oscillating weight in the Ulysse Nardin’s emblematic “X”. Moreover, there is a barrel cover placed at 12 o’clock in black Carbonium® - the same as the bezel. Hands of the hours, minutes and seconds, along with the indexes are coated with white or yellow tinted Super-LumiNova®.

The aspiration towards retaining the dial interface of the DIVER X SKELETON in the shape of the “X” was one of the most technical and complex developments ever undertaken by Ulysse Nardin. To give the deception of the hour indexes floating, they had to be secretly connected to the dial. Overlaid layers were used to accentuate the tiered construction of the central “X” in order to attain the impression of depth. Different levels of finish were also employed to conceive a play of light, amplified by the transparency of the skeleton movement.

Coated in black DLC, the case has been sandblasted on the sides with satin lugs. The yellow elements, such as the hour markers and the internal lines of Ulysse Nardin’s signature “X” compel vibrant explosions of color and highlight the model’s sports origins.

Carbonium®: aircraft fuselage on the wrist

On the bezel, Ulysse Nardin has used black Carbonium®, a material originally used on its FREAK X. Carbonium® is an aerospace material: extremely lightweight, one of the most robust and durable materials scientists have developed. The same fibers as those used for the fuselage and wings of contemporary aircraft make up this material. The utilization of “waste” materials in its manufacturing process allows it to have a 40% lower environmental impact than other carbon. This high-performance material is created using a complex process which involves subjecting carbon fibers - which have a diameter of only 7 μm - to high pressure and temperature conditions. The process causes the fibers to form a pattern that is unique to each watch.

The DIVER X SKELETON BLACK, limited to 175 timepieces along with both a yellow rubber strap and a black fabric R-strap made of upcycled polyamide from fishing nets, is priced at 24’500 CHF.