Astronomical watches are part of Ulysse Nardin‘s identity, and Dr Ludwig Oechslin, like no other, shaped this chapter of the manufacture’s history. Shortly after entrepreneur Rolf Schnyder acquired the brand in 1983, he challenged the Swiss astronomer, mathematician and watchmaker to create a wristwatch capable of displaying the movements of celestial bodies. The result was the groundbreaking Astrolabium Galileo Galilei of 1985, followed by the Planetarium Copernicus and Tellurium Johannes Kepler, the legendary Trilogy of Time that established Ulysse Nardin as one of the foremost creators of astronomical wristwatches.
Seventeen years after completing that trilogy, Oechslin introduced the Moonstruck, a more intuitive interpretation of astronomical timekeeping that focused on the relationships among the Earth, the Sun, and the Moon. In 2022, Ulysse Nardin reimagined the Moonstruck inside the Blast case, and now the manufacture returns with a new version in rose gold with black DLC-coated titanium.
Like its predecessors, the new Blast Moonstruck presents a geocentric view of the heavens, showing the apparent movements of the Sun and Moon as observed from Earth. At its centre is a three-dimensional representation of the Northern Hemisphere, engraved on the underside of a domed sapphire crystal that appears suspended above the dial. Beneath it, an aventurine base evokes a star-filled sky.
The watch brings together five interconnected astronomical indications. Orbiting around the Earth are representations of the Sun and Moon, whose relative positions simultaneously display an exceptionally precise moon phase, the days of the lunar month, tidal coefficients and the apparent positions of both celestial bodies around the globe. The illuminated portion of the Moon always faces the Sun, faithfully reproducing the actual geometry of the Earth-Moon-Sun system. The moon phase is quite precise, requiring correction by just one day every 40.3 years.
The Sun is mounted on a rotating 24-hour worldtimer disc displaying the principal time zones. Working together with the fixed city ring and a two-tone day/night indication, it allows the wearer to read the time around the world while visualising the Sun’s apparent movement over 24 hours. The changing relationship between the Sun and Moon also determines the display of the tidal coefficient, a nod to Ulysse Nardin’s long-standing expertise in marine chronometers and navigation.
The movement incorporates Ulysse Nardin’s patented worldtime mechanism; local time is to be adjusted forward or backwards in one-hour increments via pushers on the left side of the case. These corrections leave the minutes hand and all astronomical calculations undisturbed, making the watch particularly convenient for travellers. The case measures 45mm in diameter and combines a satin-finished and polished 18k rose gold upper part with a black DLC-treated titanium middle case and bezel. The sapphire glass box creates the space required for the suspended globe while offering uninterrupted views of the display.
The watch is powered by the automatic manufacture calibre UN-106. Comprising 338 components, the movement operates at 28,800 vibrations/hour and delivers a 50-hour power reserve. It also incorporates a silicon escapement and silicon hairspring, technologies pioneered by Ulysse Nardin with the Freak in 2001 and now a hallmark of the manufacture’s technical expertise. Visible through the sapphire caseback, the movement is fitted with a rose gold oscillating weight.
This Blast Moonstruck is worn on a black alligator leather strap, closed with a folding clasp in black DLC-treated titanium and rose gold. Produced in a limited edition of only 20 pieces, the new Ulysse Nardin Blast Moonstruck is priced at EUR 102,600 or CHF 94,300. For more details, please visit www.ulysse-nardin.com.
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