A LIMITED EDITION OF 85 PIECES FOR DEVIALET
Devialet, a French company that makes high definition audio speakers, has teamed with Ulysse Nardin to create a limited edition of striking watches: an enhanced audible experience worn on the wrist.
Doing things in half-measures is not a part of Ulysse Nardin or Devialet’s DNA. Since the inception of both brands, each has been driven by their desire to showcase their work to the world. For one, high-flying timepieces, for the other, new revolutionary sound systems, both thanks to their patented technologies. By combining the strengths of their two Research and Development departments, the two brands have come together to create a unique sound experience in the form of one exceptional watch: the Hourstriker Phantom. The acoustic performance and sound quality make it an unparalleled striking watch in the watchmaking industry.
“Our main goal was to create a high-performance striking watch” explains Patrick Pruniaux, CEO of Ulysse Nardin. “Moreover, it was fate: Emmanuel Nardin, one of Devialet’s founders who co-developed the Hourstriker Phantom model is in fact a descendant of the Ulysse Nardin family. You simply couldn’t make it up. ”
Devialet offers some of the most advanced “made in France” sound systems in the world, for those music fans in search of the perfect listening experience, thanks to Devialet’s more than 160 patented technologies. Their flagship product, The Phantom, a new generation of high-definition connected speakers, is capable of creating sound up to 108 dB SPL (the Gold Phantom model being the most powerful in the collection). It is the size of a motorcycle helmet and generates unrivaled quality of sound for an intense and revolutionary emotional experience. Phantom now puts its name to Ulysse Nardin’s new striking mechanism.
Hand in hand, Devialet engineers, experts in distortion phenomena, collaborated with Ulysse Nardin’s watchmakers specialized in sound to redefine each step in the audio signal chain sent from Ulysse Nardin’s striking mechanisms to deliver the best performance ever recorded on a striking watch, 85 dB to 100mm.
With a classic striking mechanism, a hammer hits a timbre generating sound frequencies, when emitted, tells the time on command. However, in the Hourstriker Phantom, the heel of the timbre is fixed by a system of torsion arms that change the direction of the action forces induced by the timbre’s vibrations.
In a classic system, the forces produced are essentially in the watch’s movement, which generates a small amount of air that is then displaced by the various components of the watch. With the Hourstriker Phantom, the action forces created by the timbre thus find their way outside of the watch itself. These forces are vigorously transferred using a transmission arm to a thin membrane, which is found on the bottom of the watch. As the membrane has a large surface area, a large amount of air is displaced, which results in a high sound level. One could compare this to a loudspeaker and its cone and membrane.
“This new Hourstriker Phantom is the very essence of Devialet expertise expressed through a timepiece: a refined object with an optimized compactness/performance ratio and unbridled power. If Devialet products are looking to give the listener the impression that the artist is right in front of them, then this new Ulysse Nardin striking watch gives the sensation of a real musical instrument”, concludes Patrick Pruniaux.
Technical Specifications:
The case, in polished titanium, measures 43mm. It has an AR-coated sapphire crystal and it is water resistant to 30 meters. The caseback is perforated with eight openings under its membrane that allows the sound to travel.
Movement is the Swiss automatic Ulysse Nardin in-house caliber UN-610 with 30 jewels, 28,800 vph and a power reserve of 42 hours. Striking mechanism: Rings on the hour and half-hour. Optimized sound up to 85 dB.
It has a anthracite dial inspired by Chladni’s figures, formed by the materialization of vibratory waves, a nod to the Devialet Phantom’s protective net placed over the tweeter. Hidden under this sculpted lace-like net, tinted glass obscures the watch’s movement for an ultra-contemporary look. The rose gold colored hands point towards the Arabic numeral indeces, all tilted outwards, in single file and in a clockwise direction, just like a navy compass. At three o’clock, a small rose gold chip disappears and reappears depending on whether you want to activate or deactivate the striking mechanism (ON/OFF button).
It comes on a black alligator leather strap with a titanium folding clasp.
At 72.500 Swiss Francs, the Hourstriker Phantom is the most affordable striking watch on the market.
