Ulysse Nardin presents a world first: “Stranger”

Ulysse Nardin has a long tradition of watches with a musical soul such as its groundbreaking “Genghis Khan“ und “Alexander the Great Westminster Tourbillon“ minute repeaters. With this latest development of a mechanical self-winding musical watch, Ulysse Nardin has gone one step further, incorporating silicium technology for the escapement and anchor of its UN-690 movement manufactured in-house. To set the time, the crown function is activated by a pusher instead of pulling the crown out in the traditional way. This masterpiece of the watchmaking art represents a major step forward which enables the owner of this timekeeper to adjust the time with exceptional ease. This “Stranger” in a limited edition plays the melody “Strangers in the night”, that unforgettable song which was Frank Sinatra’s greatest hit back in 1966.

An exclusive musical watch on the wrist

The newly developed “Stranger” combines high tech with an artistic-musical component: “Stranger” emulates a classical music box, but is worn on the wrist and the action of its mechanism can be admired through a sapphire crystal. Development of this masterpiece of the watchmaking art took more than five years. “Stranger” is a fusion of music and time, aesthetics and function; it was inspired by Ulysse Nardin’s Partner, the musician (Yello) and conceptual artist Dieter Meier, who became a shareholder in the enterprise of his friend, Rolf Schnyder, in 1983.

The melody “Strangers in the Night” can be heard hourly or on call by actuating a pusher. Several different functions can be set by means of the integral pusher crown including winding, advancing or retarding the date and correcting the time. To do so, the crown is simply turned forwards or backwards. The on/off pusher which enables the musical mechanism to be activated or deactivated is located at 10 o’clock. This enables the melody to be programmed to play on the hour or not at all. “Stranger” is being made in a limited numbered edition of 99 pieces in rose gold.

World premiere in Zurich

“Stranger” was introduced to the press and friends of Ulysse Nardin in Zurich on 13 March 2013. Sandra Studer, the well-known presenter, talked about “Function and aesthetics of the wrist watch” with Dieter Meier, the “Godfather of Techno-Music“ and Prof. Dr. Ludwig Oechslin, the mastermind behind the development of new technologies for mechanical time measurement. Star trumpeter Till Brönner provided the musical accompaniment for the presentation, including his own interpretation of “Strangers in the night”.