A hundred and seventy-one years of history must make for a heck of a book of records, to draw inspiration from. For Ulysse Nardin, 1964 is just a good halfway into that book. But if the new Diver Le Locle is anything to go by, it goes to show that no matter what time or era a simple, good piece of design was conceived in, it will still garner the same adoration each time and time again that it is revived.
The Diver Le Locle was first produced by Ulysse Nardin in 1964. With large luminescent hour markers, prominent, broadsword shaped hour and minute hands and, of course, the unidirectional rotating bezel; it had every detail in place to make for a great tool watch.
As it makes its comeback in 2017, there are just three aspects that have been adjusted. First, the seconds sub-dial, which in the original was a central running seconds hand. Second is the date window. The original did have a date window, but it didn’t have the cyclops loupe that we see in the present-day version. The third is the case size. The 1964 version was a 38mm piece, whereas the new one sits at 42.2mm.
But beyond the obvious few updates, what is resolutely modern about the Diver Le Locle is the movement inside of it. The UN-320 manufacture movement, which in true twenty-first century Ulysse Nardin expertise, bears a silicon escapement and hairspring.
The 42.2mm stainless steel case that houses the movement is said to be water resistant down to a 100m meters. Slightly odd if you think about other watches in Ulysse Nardin’s Diver collection, all of which go well beyond the 100m depth rating. But let’s be frank here, neither you nor best buddy is going to be taking this any deeper than the bathtub any time soon.
All in all, if you’re out for a vintage styled dive watch to wear from under the shirt cuff to the pool side bar without having it look like look something your ancestors would’ve worn, then the Diver Le Locle will do you right.
Technical Specifications: Diver Le Locle (Ref. 3203-950)
Movement
Self-winding caliber UN-320; hours, minutes and date with small running seconds sub-dial; 48-hour power reserve
Case
42.2mm stainless steel case; unidirectional fluted dive bezel with aluminum insert; screw-down crown; water resistant to 100m
Strap
Sailcloth strap with pin buckle
