Introducing: The Ulysse Nardin Blast[Amoureuxpeintre]

Today, we have news of a limited-edition release from Ulysse Nardin — the Blast[Amoureuxpeintre]. This is an interesting take on the brand’s Blast, combining UN’s creative spirit with the artistic focus of an increasingly popular designer.

Ulysse Nardin is well known for its distinct watches, which often feature skeletonized dials, highly complicated movements, or both. The brand may be historic, but stylistically, the bulk of the collection is anything but. With the new Blast[Amoureuxpeintre], Ulysse Nardin has partnered with Vsevolod Sever Cherepanov, a designer who has worked for Nike and 1017 Alyx 9SM and created several brands. His designs are often monochromatic, and he tries to express meaning via simplicity. Today’s piece follows that ethos.

The Ulysse Nardin Blast [Amoureuxpeintre]

The current Blast lineup consists of watches with different diameters and case materials. Most, however, feature a skeleton dial showing off the X-shaped bridges and inner workings. The Blast[Amoureuxpeintre] shows hints of this, but it’s a highly different execution. The watch uses a 42mm anthracite PVD titanium sandblasted case and bezel. It is topped by a sapphire crystal. While the watch has an air of sportiness, it has topside intent with a 50m water resistance rating and a gray Alcantara strap.

A frosted sapphire dial and crystal

In addition to the dark case, Cherepanov’s style comes into force with the dial. Instead of an open-worked design, the Blast[Amoureuxpeintre] has a frosted gray sapphire dial that hints at the movement. The only other details are the capitalized black letters and an angled dark gray rehaut with indicators for the hours. Skeletonized dagger hands are partially filled with gray Super-LumiNova. Note that the watch does not display running seconds. All told, the Blast[Amoureuxpeintre] presents a modern, clean look that I like far more than I thought.

The hand-winding UN-371

The Blast[Amoureuxpeintre] uses the in-house UN-371 caliber. This hand-winding movement has 96 hours of power reserve and a frequency of 21,600vph. It is a thoroughly modern design with a silicon balance wheel, escapement wheel, anchor, and balance spring. To maintain design cohesion, the screw-in case back has a frosted sapphire display. Like the front, the outline of the movement bridges and components are visible.

Available, pricing, and final thoughts on the Ulysse Nardin Blast[Amoureuxpeintre]

Ulysse Nardin is making just 29 examples of the Blast[Amoureuxpeintre]. The individual number is displayed on a small applied plaque on the case side. Watches from the brand are not inexpensive, and this piece follows suit with a price of €33,100 (including VAT). Then again, with such a small number available and the tie to an artist, the watch should prove popular. As mentioned, I like the design and am sure the minimalist but high-quality details are impressive in person. What are your thoughts about this latest release? Let us know in the comments.

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