Ulysse Nardin Year of the Dragon Enamel Dial Review

GLau shares his serendipitous acquisition of the Ulysse Nardin Year of the Dragon watch, highlighting the superb enamel dial. This article delves into the intricate details of the champlevé enamel craftsmanship and GLau's personal reasons for choosing the rose gold version. His observations and detailed descriptions offer valuable insights into this limited-edition timepiece, making it a compelling read for collectors interested in Ulysse Nardin's artistic dials.

Dear All,

Watch collection sometimes occurs by pure serendipity, as this has recently happened to me with the UN Year of the Dragon reference.  While visiting Singapore during the Christmas holidays, I walked into a watch shop to pass time while waiting for my wife to finish her shopping.  I spotted the white gold version of this watch (which came with a blue leather strap to complement the UN blue portion of the enamel dial).  Although I saw pictures of this watch previously and thought it was nice, viewing it in the metal and seeing the details of the enamel dial really captivated my attention.  At that moment, I knew it was meant to be !!

The salesperson was kind enough to also show me the rose gold version, even though it was already allocated to another client.  At the end, I chose the rose gold and had to fly from Beijing to my AD in Hong Kong to get it (still during the Year of the Dragon).  Key reason for choosing the rose is that the yellow and orange colors on the dragon are dominant over the UN blue and a rose case IMO matches them much better.

Attached is a wrist shot of the “Dragon” under a sunny day when their true colors are really showing off their vibrancy.

Here are some observations, my opinion and data / facts:

1 – The workmanship and details on the dragon are really amazing.  Small scales (like dots) exist on the head, (left) arm, legs and tail.  Each of the larger scales on the body has a “spike” embedded in it.  The whiskers have markings on them.  Fangs are visible from the mouth.  The fiery ball next to the month is like a small dome and provides a strong 3D effect.  Due to the way the champlevé enamel is done, the body of the Dragon is “sunken” into the dial and gives the animal a lot of depth.  The inside part of the mouth shows dark purple / pink color (tongue maybe??).  The triangle fins on the back are filled with yellow enamel with a sandy feel.

2 – Although it is well known that the production was limited to 88 pieces, but both the ADs in Singapore and Hong Kong did not know how many in white and rose gold.  I would guess more rose than white because this reference is targeted mainly to the Asian (Chinese in particular) collectors.  My Hong Kong AD has sold close to 10 of them.

3 – The UN 815 is an ETA based movement.  For me, and probably for others, the key reason for getting this watch is for its enamel dial and not its movement.

4 – IMO, if you or child were / was born in the Year of the Dragon, this watch especially given its artistry, strong visual impact and price point is a worthwhile collection, irrespective whether you are Asian or not. 

Gordon