A friend of mine called Alan recently travelled to Europe on an extended family vacation. He said the trip was absolutely fantastic and got to experience many interesting destinations. One of the highlights he mentioned was a trip to Venice, which is a truly magical city. Even though it has become a tourist hotspot there are still many hidden gems. As a watch fanatic, Alan is always on the search for new pieces for his collection. On this occasion, he visited a high-end boutique, which specialised in Panerai timepieces. After being treated to fine chocolates he was confronted with the price of $10,000. For a luxury watch, this isn’t particularly high as collectors will pay large sums for rare models.
In the world of horology, Ulysse Nardin is certainly synonymous with the word luxury. The company was acquired by Kering, who also own labels like Gucci, Yves Saint Laurent, Balenciaga, Alexander McQueen, Bottega Veneta, Boucheron, Brioni, and Pomellato. From September 2017 Patrick Pruniaux joined the group as Chief Executive Officer of Ulysse Nardin. Under his guidance, the brand has released some amazing timepieces including the Executive Tourbillon Free Wheel.
Over the last few months, I have featured some exquisite timepieces in excess of $100,000 (Bovet, Louis Moinet, MB & F, Urwerk). The Executive Tourbillon Free Wheel retails slightly under that threshold at a price of $99,000. Obviously, this is well beyond most peoples budgets and goes back to the question about the relevance of such novelties in today’s world. However, if you are a collector and desire exquisite luxurious products then the Executive Tourbillon Free Wheel certainly fits the bill. This is a magnificent looking timepiece, which showcases the finest Swiss craftsmanship.
Aesthetically the deconstructed façade of the Executive Tourbillon Free Wheel definitely appeals to my tastes. Time is displayed in conventional two hand format, that is orbited by an array of mechanical wheels and an exposed tourbillon. The dial has a perforated industrial mesh appearance that makes a bold statement. This entire splendour is encapsulated in a distinctive 44mm 18-karat and domed sapphire crystal gold case. Powering the watch is a sophisticated hand-winding movement (Caliber UN-176) with a power reserve of 170-hours.
