Handling the Diver Air is one of the most puzzling experiences I’ve had covering the watch industry. Here was a robust 44mm dive watch with anti-shock properties and a depth rating of 200m, and yet it felt like nothing in my hand.
My eyes were telling me this watch should have some considerable heft, but my hand was confirming there was none. It felt like some synapses were misfiring in my brain, and I mean that as a compliment to Ulysse Nardin.
The original Ulysse Nardin Diver Air that was released earlier this year.
The Diver Air prioritizes lightness above aesthetics, and though it isn’t an ugly watch, its monochrome color scheme doesn’t really have a ton of personality.
But a new version of the Diver Air changes that by injecting some fun color into the record-breaking dive watch and making it more desirable than ever.
Nothing but blue skies
The new Diver Air is the result of a collaboration with United Arab Emirates-based retailer Ahmed Seddiqi in celebration of the brand’s 75th anniversary this year. The Middle Eastern mainstay has showcased its influence this year by creating special editions with some impressive brands, including MB&F, Chopard, Hublot, Breitling, Ressence and more.
Now it’s Ulysse Nardin’s turn, and this might be my favorite of Seddiqi’s 75th-Anniversary editions yet. The new Diver Air features electric blue accents throughout, with the minute track, crown guards, seconds hand tip and every five-minute mark on the bezel all now finished in the eye-catching shade.
The new limited-edition watch adds a lot of color to what was previously a black-gray-and-white affair.Ulysse Nardin
Not only that, but according to Seddiqi’s website, the blue pigment comes from Super-LumiNova, meaning all of these elements should glow in the dark. There’s also an electric blue UN anchor logo on the rotor, and the middle of the sapphire caseback features Seddiqi’s 75th anniversary emblem.
The original Diver Air comes with two ultra-lightweight elastic fabric straps, one white and one orange. The Seddiqi version also includes one of these superlight straps — which weighs less than 6 grams — but in electric blue to match the watch. The watch also comes with a white rubber strap with a titanium clasp, marking the first time a rubber strap has been included with the Diver Air.
Even the UN anchor logo on the rotor has received a dash of electric blue.Ulysse Nardin
Outside of those changes, this is the same record-breaking diver as before, with the watch head weighing only 46 grams. This is thanks to a case made from a mix of recycled titanium, carbon fiber and nylon fishing nets, and an in-house ultra-skeletonized movement with its bridges and main plate made of recycled titanium and its balance spring and escapement crafted from silicon.
Pricing and availability
The Ulysse Nardin Diver Air Seddiqi is, unsurprisingly, only available from Ahmed Seddiqi. Not only that, but the watch is limited to just 30 pieces. The price has not been disclosed, but considering the standard Diver Air is priced at $38,000, I would expect this one to cost slightly more than that.
Suffice it to say, I don’t expect to ever meet anyone who actually owns this watch. But that maybe isn’t the most important thing here. With Seddiqi applying some generous yet tasteful bits of color to the Diver Air, and the result looking this good, I’m hoping Ulysse Nardin will eventually follow up with some more colorful versions of its own.
Johnny Brayson is an editor at Gear Patrol mostly covering watches. He enjoys watches that are packed with blink-and-you’ll-miss-’em details and believes nearly every watch could stand to be a tad smaller.
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