Ulyses Nardin does it again with the latest Hourstriker Phantom, a well designed watch that rings on the hour and half-hour on command, and not only allows you to tell the time, but also to hear it. Ulyses Nardin collaborated with the french firm Devialet which is world acclaimed for innovation and excellence in audio inventions.
Ulysse Nardin Hourstriker Phantom
The Hourstriker Phantom is equipped with a 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 side 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.
Hourstriker Phantom
The Hourstriker Phantom is equipped with the UN-610 automatic manufacture movement. The polished 43 mm titanium case also amplifies the sound and extends its resonance to 85 decibels. The case back of the watch has been perforated with eight openings which allow the sound to be amplified to a great audible level. 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).
Hourstriker Phantom enhanced by a black alligator strap and will be sold as a limited edition of 85 pieces at CHF 72,500 each
