Ulysse Nardin Launches The Ocean Race Diver Chronograph To Celebrate The Race’s 50th Anniversary

The Ocean Race, previously called the Volvo Ocean Race and originally called the Whitbread Round the World Race, is currently in its fifth leg. This leg takes the five competing teams across the Atlantic from Newport, Rhode Island in the United States to Aarhus in Denmark. And while the race moored in Newport last weekend, Ulysse Nardin took the opportunity to launch its new The Ocean Race Diver Chronograph. This limited edition celebrates the race’s 50th anniversary this year.

As we know from other recent Ulysse Nardin releases, the brand is trying to raise awareness for the oceanic environment. In 2021, there was the new Diver Lemon Shark. The watch was co-developed with OCEARCH, a non-profit organization that helps scientists collect and access previously unavailable data from the ocean. Last year, Ulysse Nardin launched The Ocean Race Diver, with 60% of its case back and sides made from recycled fishing nets. And this year, the official timekeeper of The Ocean Race presents us with The Ocean Race Diver Chronograph. This latest release is all about the sea, adventure, and protecting the oceans. Let’s take a look.

It’s Time to Act

The fact that Ulysse Nardin chose to develop a chronograph this time isn’t a coincidence. After all, this watch is all about racing in the broadest sense of the word. Of course, it’s about The Ocean Race itself, of which the brand is the official timekeeper. But it’s also about the urgency of taking environmental action as Ulysse Nardin is also an active partner of Time to Act. That’s a program that tries to raise awareness of the effects of climate change, plastic pollution, and overfishing on our oceans.

And this year, The Ocean Race is taking part in one of the largest data collection exercises ever performed during a sporting event. Along their 60,000km route, the teams are racing each other through isolated parts of the world that research vessels only rarely visit. And as the teams do so, they are also gathering a lot of information on the impact of climate change and plastic pollution, the two biggest threats to our oceans. All right, now it’s time to take a look at the watch.

Ulysse Nardin The Ocean Race Diver Chronograph

The Ocean Race Diver Chronograph comes in a 44mm DLC-treated titanium case that is water resistant to 300 meters. It houses the automatic manufacture UN-150, a 4Hz chronograph caliber offering 48 hours of power reserve. The movement is visible through a sapphire case back with The Ocean Race’s 50th-anniversary logo tastefully printed above the rotor bearing. While this logo is usually blue, it is black in this case. Don’t worry, though, because there’s still plenty of blue to go around. In fact, this lively and vivid shade of blue is a continuous theme throughout this watch’s design.

Look, for example, at the chronograph’s start/stop pusher and the accents on the Carbonium bezel. Additionally, the chronograph hands are done in the same shade, matching the sub-dial accents and all of the main minute markers. I have to say, the color really pops on the dark gray bezel and against the black sandblasted dial. Looking at the latter, you’ll notice a 30-minute counter at 3 o’clock, a 12-hour counter and date at 6 o’clock, and running seconds at 9 o’clock. The watch comes on a black rubber strap featuring a black ceramic element on one side with The Ocean Race logo engraved.