UFO

Rather than look back for its 175th anniversary, Ulysse Nardin has looked forward 175 years and imagined what a marine chronometer made in 2196 might be like. This “unidentified floating object” or UFO pays homage to the early deck watches and prize-winning marine chronometers made by Ulysse Nardin as of 1846. Crafted in collaboration with Maison L’Epée, it confounds all expectations. A functional table clock as much as a spectacular piece of art, beneath its mouth-blown glass dome, the UFO houses an impressive manually-wound movement, assembled from 663 components. It tracks time on three trapezoid-shaped dials, allowing a display of three different time zones. Six extra-large barrels supply sufficient power for one year. A remarkable example of craftsmanship and technical expertise, the UFO also reveals a playful side: when gently nudged, it swings through an amplitude of 120 degrees, recalling the perpetual motion of the tides and waves.