One of the most talked about watches at Baselworld 2016 is the new Ulysse Nardin Grand Deck Marine Tourbillon timepiece, which is essentially a sailboat for the wrist.
The watch face of the Grand Deck Marine Tourbillon mimics the parts and pieces of a classic racing yacht, with a wood deck, winches, lines, and even a mainsail boom. The actual dial is made out of inlaid wood in a color and curved grain line that is supposed to look like the deck of a classic yacht. The hours scroll by in a dial in the middle of this super-small deck.
Yet, the miniature winches aren’t just for show. In fact, they literally function as the mechanics to move the blue aluminum boom-like minute hand that moves across the translucent blue crystal minutes scale stretching across the watch face.
The lines used in the winches are thinner than a human hair, with a diameter of 0.0357 mm, and are made of Dyneema, which is actually a fiber used in a ship’s rigging that is even stronger than steel.
The new Ulysse Nardin is powered by a manual-wound, 469-component Caliber UN-630 and will be limited to 18 editions in white gold and another 18 watches in rose gold with a price tag of $280,000.