Deep Blue See: Meet the Beautiful New Diver Atoll 39mm from Ulysse Nardin

With the multitude of news around the latest astounding Freak and Freak X watches from Ulysse Nardin dominating the scene lately, you might find it easy to lose sight of one of the watchmaker’s other pillars: superb dive watches.

Make that superb dive watches with a little extra oomph.

From models aligned with other outdoor outfitters to dive watches that push adornment and color without flouting tool watch DNA to functional wrist tools affiliated with legitimate underwater scientific organizations, not only is there typically a message of environmental concern but also a particularly compelling “x factor” about UN dive watches beyond the expected professional-level performance specs.

One look at the recently released Ulysse Nardin Diver Atoll 39mm, and it is abundantly apparent that one thing making this watch special is its looks. But the story goes even deeper.

Here’s a gemological term to add to your lexicon: stone-cut chrysocolla.
 

Interestingly, this scintillating gemstone, with its swirls of deep blues, black, light aquas, and earthy island browns, bears an uncanny resemblance to an aerial photograph of tropical waters, making it the perfect choice to adorn a dive watch dial. Heck, even its name, “chrysocolla,” sounds like some kind of deep sea creature from Greek myth.

On the new Ulysse Nardin Diver Atoll, each hand-cut “slice” of chrysocolla used for a dial is unique. Moreover, this arresting dial works alongside the gleaming polished and satin-brushed steel case (produced from 80% recycled steel) to tone down the 40 diamonds set between the 15-minute interval numerals in the unidirectional bezel.
 

The result is a decidedly more gender-neutral package overall. Meanwhile, an additional 11 diamonds adorn the dial indices for a total of .92 carats.

The Diver Atoll also comes on either a chic white alligator strap or a textured white rubber strap. However, these straps aren’t some summery afterthought. Their clean tones work exquisitely well with the dial, case, and diamonds, which results in a bejeweled dive watch that is much more stylistically versatile than one would assume at first glance.

With all of this surface appeal, the Ulysse Nardin Diver Atoll also checks the boxes for diving functionality, as it is powered by the UN-816 self-winding movement with edgy silicon components and water-resistant to 300 meters.
 

Meanwhile, while the bezel is gem-set, it is unidirectional, which is the standard approach for diving. Moreover, the diamond hour indices carry an extended hash line stretching toward the center of the dial. These enhance underwater legibility as these hashes clearly reside under the “bubble” of the second hand as it sweeps.
 

In short, this is another dive-friendly feature that happens to look, well, terrific.

Available at select Ulysse Nardin retailers and via the watchmaker’s website, the Diver Atoll is limited to 100 pieces and lists for $15,800. Learn more via the Ulysse Nardin website.

(Images © Ulysse Nardin)