Ulysse Nardin, watchmaker of the oceans, is proud to announce its partnership with free diver and photographer Fred Buyle. Underwater explorer, Buyle has spent most of the last three decades beneath the surface of the seas capturing images in the watery depths with just a camera, available light and one breath of air.
Fred Buyle is using his underwater photography to change the way we see the seas. Thanks to his bold exploration, we can marvel at the icebergs of Antarctica from an orca’s point of view, swim with sharks, and look up from 60m below the surface at the sun shining through the water.
Without disrupting the fragile marine environment, Buyle uses his artistic background to capture little-seen animals of the deep on film, tagging them for biologists in the process. Able to reach 60m on one lungful of air with his camera, his images are taken with natural light and one breath of air. Belgian-born Buyle is specialized in capturing images of sharks in their natural habitats, without a protective cage, diving freely with iconic species such as hammerheads, tigers and even great white sharks.
To accompany Buyle into the ocean depths, Ulysse Nardin has created the Diver Deep Dive, a robust, functional sports watch, water-resistant to 1000 meters. Powered by the in-house UN-320 caliber it has everything a serious diver needs: a helium escape valve, removable titanium guard, an expandable, adjustable rubber strap and a large bezel with 12-nothed teeth for easy manipulation, even with diving gloves.
Fifteen sharks adorn the dial and one more is stamped on the back – a reminder that man is only a visitor in the ocean’s depths; the seas belong first to the animals. “Three things have fascinated me since I was small kid: bicycles, sailboats and me-chanical watches. The three share one technical aspect, natural energy and a little bit of magic,” said Buyle. Bold, respectful and talented, Fred Buyle has not finished surprising us.
Founded by Mr. Ulysse Nardin in 1846 and a proud member of the global luxury group Kering since November 2014, Ulysse Nardin has written some of the finest chapters in the history of Haute Horlogerie. The company’s earliest renown came from its links to the nautical world: its marine chronometers are among the most reliable ever made, still sought by collectors around the world.
A pioneer of cutting-edge technologies and the innovative use of materials like silicium, the brand is one of the few with the in-house expertise to produce its own high-precision components and movements. This exceptional level of watchmaking excellence has earned Ulysse Nardin membership in the most exclusive circle of Swiss watchmaking, the Fondation de la Haute Horlogerie. Today, from its sites in Le Locle and La Chaux-de-Fonds in Switzerland, the brand’s continuing quest for horological perfection centers around five collections: the Marine, the Diver, the Classic, the Executive and the Freak.
