It isn’t something I could claim to have considered deeply in the past, but upon seeing the new Ulysse Nardin Blast Amoureuxpeintre, I found myself lamenting how seldom it is to see any brand (especially a major one) attack an ambitious concept with such a deft hand.

For some watch collectors, high-concept collaborations resulting in challenging products will never hit the mark. Not everyone loves watchmaking because it can be seen as a perfect fusion between art and science. Not everyone connects with their timepieces through complex narratives or mind-bending justifications. It’s absolutely fine if what you’re looking for is a solid, everyday dive watch with excellent specifications, that falls within your budget. But if you’re not, if you’re looking for something decidedly different, curious, and bold, the Ulysse Nardin Blast [Amoureuxpeintre] might be for you.

The funny thing about this watch is that my heart understood it before my eyes. As woolly as that may sound, it is 100% true. I remember opening the press pack and looking at an image of that beguiling frosted sapphire dial and having two immediate reactions.

Firstly, I felt drawn to it. It sparked something almost primal, maybe even spiritual in me. It is mysterious. It is spectral. Bizarrely, it transported me to a place and time that had at least a sense of corporality. The soft shade of brown evokes a misty bogland mere minutes past the break of dawn. And all that occurred within a second of seeing a piece with no words or explanation necessary.

During that second, my eyes had a chance to catch up with my heart and communicate what I was seeing to my brain, which had a strikingly different reaction.

Confusion.

I wasn’t confused by what I was seeing, per se. I knew it was a watch. Over the years, I’ve seen one or two before. In fact, that sureness might have had something to do with my befuddlement. While I was positive I was studying a watch, I was also 99% convinced it was something entirely new without being radically different from any other watch at all.

I suppose, at its core, that’s what every collaboration hopes to achieve: don’t go crazy, don’t be grotesque; produce something measured but enticing. A slight tweak. Spotting the gaps between existing concepts and burrowing in there. It sounds simple which likely betrays how devilishly difficult it is to do well. But here, Ulysse Nardin and its Kyrgyzstan-born creative partner, have nailed the brief. It’s a quiet watch with a powerful message and it lands squarely where it should with maximum impact thanks to its aggressively understated nature.

Amoureuxpeintre’s philosophy centers around the idea that simple forms invite deeper inquiry. While it may not be immediately instructive, the philosophy makes perfect sense in practice. It relies heavily on the refined execution of an idea that poses a question. Crucially, the question itself should not be too expansive or provocative. Rather than attempting to reinvent the wheel, Cherepanov is much more concerned with reinterpreting existing concepts ever so slightly with the goal of providing us with something that is simultaneously novel and known.

I suppose, at its core, that’s what every collaboration hopes to achieve: don’t go crazy, don’t be grotesque; produce something measured but enticing.

In this instance, the Ulysse Nardin Blast [Amoureuxpeintre] plays with the dial and the movement display. Normally, models in the Blast series reveal the movement brazenly. It is, in effect, the dial. There is wonder and excitement in the core collection, but less subtlety than we see here. By concealing the movement (on both sides) with a frosted sapphire, the entire character of the watch changes. In truth, it barely looks like a Blast model at all (to its credit), and is mostly identifiable as such by its “triple” lugs.

But that is really where the similarities end. Even the 42 mm titanium case (water resistant to 50 m has been reworked to have softer, more flowing lines. As such, the entire idea of what constitutes a Blast model has submitted itself wholeheartedly to the effective execution of this concept. Paired with an off-black gray Alcantara strap textured and coated with anthracite PVD, the Ulysse Nardin Blast [Amoureuxpeintre] flies under the radar aesthetically but emanates such an odd and intriguing personality that it seems unlikely to be missed.

As I intimated earlier, this is a watch that somehow is felt more than it is seen. Although that sounds preposterously grand, the proof is in the pudding. It shouldn’t be as good as it is, but here we are.

Only 29 pieces of the Ulysse Nardin Blast [Amoureuxpeintre] will be made and it will cost USD 32,700 excluding VAT.

Tech Specs: Ulysse Nardin Blast [Amoureuxpeintre]

Movement: Manual-winding Manufacture skeleton calibre UN-371; 96-hour power reserve
Functions: Hours and minutes
Case: 42mm; anthracite PVD sandblasted titanium; water-resistant to 50m
Dial: Frosted sapphire skeleton dial
Strap: Gray alcantara strap with anthracite PVD sandblasted titanium tang buckle
Availability: Limited to 29 pieces
Price: CHF 31,000 (incl. VAT); USD 32,700 (excl. VAT)