Modelled on antique marine chronometers that sit in gimballed boxes, the Marine wristwatch is synonymous with Ulysse Nardin, which incidentally introduced a remake of the 1990s original earlier this year. The new Marine Torpilleur adopts the same look, but in a simplified format with a suitably reduced price.

Torpilleur is French for torpedo boat, a smaller, lighter warship conceived to battle larger, slower vessels. Similarly the Marine Torpilleur is thinner and streamlined (and presumably meant to fight more expensive watches). So while it shares the same look, the Marine Torpilleur skips the enamel dial found on the pricier versions of the watch, and also has a simpler case construction with lugs attached by screws.

A 1930s Ulysse Nardin deck watch

Rated to 50m with a screw-down crown, the case is 42mm in diameter with sapphire crystals on both sides. The rear crystal shows off the UN-118, the workhorse in-house automatic that has a diamond-coated silicon escapement as well as a silicon hairspring. It shows the power reserve at 12 o’clock, with the sub-seconds and date at six.

Two dials versions are available: white lacquer with Roman numerals that’s most similar to vintage marine chronometers, as well as a dark metallic blue. The case is available in steel or 18k rose gold. And for those who want a real life feel of the it, the good folk at Monochrome Watches have shot the watch.

Price and availability  

The Marine Torpilleur is already available at Ulysse Nardin retailers and boutiques. In steel it costs US$6900 or S$10,700 on strap and US$7900 on the bracelet. And in 18k rose gold it’s US$17,900 or S$27,600.

For comparison, the enamel dial Vintage Collection Marine chronometer costs 40% more than the basic steel Torpilleur, while the Marine with an annual calendar is almost double.