A great watch – but no!
Dear watch friends, I’m only checking in now because, as you might have experienced, the site was down for a few hours. I had the chance to take a close look at the Ulysse Nardin Diver [Air], a watch that fascinates me from a technical standpoint (see als...
Cool watch, but I have to agree that legibility is not it's strong point !
Until I saw the lume shots and got my bearings, I had a hard time finding the hour hand!
I tried it on this Tuesday and my overall impression was that it looks cheap.
Well, at lest it doesn’t have that “wow” factor(for me). I get the technical part, but as Churchill said: “No mater how brilliant the strategy, one should also luck at the results”! Now let’s see the other option ))
Hahahaha
Results more important than strategy - excellent! 👌😁 Yes, and now that you say it: it felt … cheap.
Thanks for the update.
I´m glad the legibility is ok, and I think your pics actually shows it is. It is ,as you say, a very attractive piece from a technical stand point, but if it doesn´t sing to you, then there´s nothing you can do. Looking forward to see your new fling. Enjo...
Thanks very much for your report and photos, Thomas.
It sounds like it was an easy decision so you have obviously done the right thing. I also look forward to your separate report on what you did buy. All the best, Jon
Thanks so much, Jon — really appreciate your kind words.
Yes, in the end, the decision was surprisingly easy. Once I saw the watch again under different light (and perhaps with even more critical eyes than at first time), it just didn’t “click.” And that usually tells me everything I need to know. The follow-up...
Regarding locking/screw-in crowns
Fwiw there was a thread several years ago about the question over the screw-in crown is necessary for good water resistance. I contacted a watchmaker about it — he was using a screw-in crown on one of his models. He told me the water resistance really com...
Excellent contribution, LwC — and I fully agree
The myth that water resistance requires a screw-down crown deserves more nuance. You’re absolutely right — the primary barrier to water ingress is the quality and condition of the gaskets (o-rings) around the crown stem and tube. The screw-down mechanism ...
It makes 0 sense as a "dive" watch.
The watch only seems legible when the lume is brightly glowing. Not what you want when diving. I agree with your decision to pass.
Thanks, dear Michael — you’re spot on.
The legibility really did depend on the lume being fully activated. In lower light, without that glow, I had more the impression of a horological …. sculpture than a functional diving watch. Not what you would need when looking at the dial at 20 meters de...