Vendée Globe: a watch in the race
The tenth edition of the Vendée Globe, the single-handed, non-stop, unassisted sailing race, set off from Les Sables d’Olonne, on the Atlantic coast of France, on November 10. Swiss watchmaker Ulysse Nardin, a partner of the event, has launched for the occasion a watch incorporating upcycled and recycled materials.
Swiss watchmaker Ulysse Nardin, whose marine chronometers equipped the world’s navies as far back as the 19th century, is this year’s partner and official timekeeper of the Vendée Globe, the world’s greatest round-the-world yacht race. To mark the occasion, the brand has launched the Diver NET Vendée Globe, a watch created for those with a passion for the high seas, the male and female sailors who take part in the legendary race organised every four years.
The limited edition of 300 pieces highlights the fragility of the oceans and the impact of global warming by incorporating a selection of recycled and upcycled materials, such as steel, carbon fibre, fishing nets and silicon.
From the maritime world
Inspired by the French Atlantic coastline, the Diver NET Vendée Globe is the fruit of a collaboration with Breton partners Lorient CDK Technologies, a monohull yacht builder, and Fil & Fab, a recycling company that recovers used fishing nets and transforms them into polyamide granules.
The watch’s unidirectional rotating bezel is made from CarbonFoil, an upcycled material produced by CDK Technologies from 100% carbon fibre offcuts used in the manufacture of monohull foils.
The sides, lugs and case back of the watch are made of NyloFoil, a hybrid material made up of 40% upcycled carbon fibre from CDK Technologies and 60% Nylo material produced by Fil & Fab from recycled fishing nets. The nets, collected by an independent fisherman before being entrusted to Fil&Fab, come directly from Les Sables d’Olonne, where the race starts.
The Diver NET Vendée Globe is available with a grey fabric strap made from 100% Nylo or in a red version partly made from recycled fishing nets. The sand-blasted grey dial is adorned with a red and blue X, the official colours of the Vendée Globe. The slightly grey-tinted sapphire crystal caseback offers a partial view of the movement’s automatic winding system. It is decorated with a map showing the route of the Vendée Globe.
The model is inspired by the Diver, a diver’s watch that is water-resistant to 300 metres and features a unidirectional rotating bezel for timing dives, luminescent finishes and a clearly visible seconds hand indicating that the watch is operational.
Pictures : Ulysse Nardin
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