High jewelry timepieces have evolved into interestingly complicated watches, and Pearl is no exception. Transparent and fluid in design, one can see the inner workings and adornments perfected by freely penetrating light.
Its face, bridges, bezel, horns and crown are covered with a thin layer of mother-of-pearl. At the heart of the timepiece, is the in-house developed Skeleton Tourbillon Caliber UN-170 Manufacture – with its infinite maze of individual movements, parts and skeletonized bridges.
In skeletonizing, the structure of components is reduced to a bare minimum. It is this reduction that allows light to pass through, thus giving a watch the appearance of weightlessness. The entire movement seems to float on air.
The bridges are embellished with mother-of-pearl inlay – some are set with diamonds and others are presented only with diamonds. Brilliant rubies on the bridges are used as pivots to reduce friction, enhancing its fluidity in both form and function. The barrel at 12 o’clock boasts a mother-of-pearl inlay adorned with a printed shell pattern. Similarly, its tourbillon cage is decorated with a shell motif; yet in this instance, it’s machined into the cage’s mother-of-pearl bridge.
Placed within and visible from the back is the heart of the timepiece – its tourbillon. Comprised of a silicium balance spring, anchor and escapement wheel, its tourbillon guarantees superior accuracy, durability, longevity and lower maintenance. A revolutionary material in watchmaking, silicium was first implemented into Ulysse Nardin watches in 2001 and remains one of the manufacture’s most technologically advanced and preferred substances.
Oversized with a 44 mm case and water resistant to 30 meters, the Pearl offers a seven-day power reserve. This limited edition marries high jewelry with Haute Horlogerie and will only be produced in 8 pieces.
