This Impressive Dive Watch Was Created to Conquer the ‘Everest of the Seas’

It also happens to be one of the most ocean-friendly watches ever made.

a closeup of a ulysse nardin Diver NET Vendée Globe dive watch

Published November 7, 2024

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Updated November 7, 2024

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You’ve no doubt heard of watches that have tackled Mount Everest — the Rolex Explorer’s entire mythos, accurate or not, is based on that exact feat. But how about a watch created to take on the “Everest of the Seas“?

If you haven’t heard of the Everest of the Seas, here’s the deal. Rather than an underwater mountain, the moniker refers to an extreme yacht race called the Vendée Globe.

It’s a grueling solo sailing race around the world where yachtsmen and women take off from France on a three-month-long, 24,000-nautical mile course that sees them circle Antarctica before returning to where they started. Only 200 sailors have ever competed in the race, with just over half able to finish.

a map of the Vendée Globe boat race around the world — The three-month route of the extreme “Everest of the Seas” boat race.

Due to its extreme and difficult nature — the Vendée Globe is the world’s largest nonstop unassisted sailing race — the taxing event has historically been compared to scaling the world’s highest peak. And, just like Everest, the “Everest of the Seas” has its own special tool watch dedicated to aiding any adventurer who tries to conquer it, thanks to Ulysse Nardin.

Of the Ocean, for the Ocean

This is the second time Ulysse Nardin has sponsored the Vendée Globe, having first done so during the 2020/21 race. This event’s tie-in watch is a special edition of UN’s Diver NET, an already extreme dive watch boasting 300m of water resistance, an in-house automatic movement, and a carbon case and dive bezel.

a ulysse nardin Diver NET Vendée Globe dive watch — Virtually every component of the Diver NET Vendée Globe is made from recycled or upcycled materials.

For this special edition, Ulysse Nardin did more than just slap on the Vendée Globe’s logo and colors (though it did that, too). The new diver is actually the most sustainable watch UN has ever made — with much of it made from marine-related recycled materials — making it a powerful symbol for one to associate with the race’s three-month journey on the world’s heavily polluted oceans.

The watch’s strap is crafted from Nylo recycled fishing nets. The same nets were also combined with upcycled carbon fiber to craft NyloFoil, a nylon-carbon composite that was used for the case flanks, lugs and caseback. All the nets used in creating the strap and case were sourced from Les Sables d’Olonne, the French site where the Vendée Globe race begins and ends.

a ulysse nardin Diver NET Vendée Globe dive watch seen from the back — The caseback shows a rough map of the route taken by the Vendée Globe sailors.

Instead of using Carbonium for the bezel, UN’s proprietary carbon-fiber composite made from aircraft production scraps, the brand went in a more nautical direction with the similar CarbonFoil material. In place of aircraft scraps, this upcycled carbon composite is made entirely from excess carbon fiber used in the production of monohull raceboats like those used in the Vendée Globe.

The steel core of the watch’s case, which contains the movement, is crafted from 95 percent recycled steel waste. Speaking of the in-house Cal. UN-118 automatic movement, even it features recycled parts. The calibre’s silicon escapement, a Ulysse Nardin signature, has been produced from an upcycled silicon wafer for the first time ever.

a ulysse nardin Diver NET Vendée Globe dive watch on a blue wavy surface — You’re looking at the most sustainable watch ever made by Ulysse Nardin.

Pricing and Availability

The commitment to sustainability is quite impressive here. From using waste from the boats’ hulls for the bezel to actually sourcing fishing nets from the race site to even going so far as to upcycle silicon for the movement, UN put in a lot of effort in making this watch not only sustainable but also the perfect tie-in for a high-profile ocean-set event such as the Vendée Globe.

Of course, the watch is also an extremely capable diver built to withstand the rigors of the lengthy race. It’s lightweight at only 100g, boasts sapphire crystals front and back, has 300m of water resistance, and features Super-LumiNova on all hands and every bezel marking — even the red ones. The dial also features a power reserve indicator and a date window as additional complications.

As expected, all of this certainly does not come cheap. This is a luxury dive watch with an impressive in-house movement and an extensive production process involving many custom-made materials. As such, it’s pricey at $14,200. It’s also rare, with just 300 examples being produced. So if you want to get one on your wrist for any future extreme sailing trips before they’re all gone, you can request allocation at Ulysse Nardin’s website.