The Marine Torpilleur Farfetch

From Ulysse Nardin -

Courtesy of Ulysse Nardin

Here are the pertinents, straight from the source -

Ulysse Nardin has chosen Farfetch.com for its first online launch, and presents a special edition of the blue Marine Torpilleur, exclusively available on the website of the international online luxury retailer. This new piece, with a subtly crafted dial, joins the ranks of the popular Marine Torpilleur that was launched in 2017 and is initially available in two more classic versions: a white dial with black indexes and a blue dial with white indexes. On the FARFETCH MARINE TORPILLEUR, you will find layered pink gold coloring. Sober and elegant, it gives a more refined look to the piece overall, accentuating the contrast with the 42 mm steel case. The pink gold brings out the dial’s shimmering, iconic blue. In the same vein, the pear-shaped hands are no longer rhodiumized, but pink gold colored. The power reserve indicator at 12 o’clock is no longer in vermeil red, but also made of pink gold, as is the case for the date of the Le Locle Manufacture’s creation, 1846. The indexes have a small additional touch: the immaculate white has been discreetly transformed into light gray, to soften the dial’s overall look.

This new FARFETCH MARINE TORPILLEUR, available with a leather, steel or rubber strap, completes a collection which is already a best-seller. This new addition to the permanent collection, only available online, now forms part of the troop of Torpilleurs.

References: 
1183-310/43-RG
 
Movement: 
Caliber UN-118, 13 ¾‘’’ Manufacture Movement 
Oscillator: Patented inertial balance wheel I 10 with silicium hairspring
Power reserve: 60 hours
Winding: Automatic

Functions:
C.O.S.C. chronometer with power reserve indicator at 12 o’clock.
Direct small seconds and large date at 6 o’clock.
Front and back date corrector.

Case:
Stainless steel

Bezel:
Stainless steel

Dial:
Blue with pale gray roman numerals

Crown:
Screw-down

Diameter:
42 mm

Water resistance:
50 m

Crystal:
Sapphire with anti-reflective coating

Back:
Sapphire

Strap:
Leather / stainless steel / rubber with a folding clasp

The Executive Skeleton Tourbillon

From Ulysse Nardin -

Courtesy of Ulysse Nardin

Here are the pertinents -

Reference    1713-139 

Movement 

caliber UN-171 Manufacture
Skeleton, raised rectangular bridge
Escapement wheel and balance spring in silicium 23 jewels, 18’000 V/H 

Power-Reserve 

approx. 170 h

Winding 

manual winding

Functions 

Tourbillion, hours and minutes

Case 

titanium, ceramic bezel

Diameter 

45 mm

Water-resistance 

30 m

Skeleton dial 

oversized Roman numerals and index

Crystal 

antireflective sapphire crystal

Case-back 

sapphire crystal

Strap 

leather strap with carbon structure, with black ceramic buckle 

Recidivism and the Watch Industry

Courtesy of Wikipedia -

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Recidivism

Recidivism (/rᵻˈsɪdᵻvɪzəm/; from recidive and ism, from Latin recidīvus "recurring", from re- "back" and cadō "I fall") is the act of a person repeating an undesirable behavior after they had either experienced negative consequences of that behavior, or had been trained to extinguish that behavior.

Shamelessly Borrowed from the INFOWEB

Because, frankly, Girard-Perregaux simply cannot seem to get out of their own way...

Today word reached the North Shore that a new "Mr. Right Now" has been selected to pilot both Girard-Perregaux and Ulysse Nardin -

Mr. Riguidel will both manage Ulysse Nardin Inc and Tradema of America Inc and oversee all activities of Ulysse Nardin and Girard-Perregaux.   

What is interesting in this little missive is the silent, "unspoken" announcement that JEANRICHARD if not dead, is most certainly "missing in action".  So we will assume that in the absence of a wedding announcement,  Kering has sent JEANRICHARD to a nearby convent, maybe to be seen in the future, then again maybe not. 

So this latest contestant to play "The Price Is Right" has come over from running Piaget in the Latin American market.  Alain Riguidel has been a Richemont man for what seems to be a long time.  And in fairness to him, he has a lot of experience with Richemont in OTHER markets.  But what he still does not seem to have is North American experience.  It is easy to say that sales are the same regardless of the market.  But the game has changed.  Where watch companies used to virtually print money, those days are long, long gone.

Here is hoping that GP & UN get a different result this go-round.  But let's consider something for a moment - this is the third cowboy to ride the bull since 2012, with the last one not even making a full 12 months.  Even Louis van Gaal has enjoyed a longer run.  

The fidgets can be dangerous to a brand, and sometimes deadly to a promising career.  Positive results take time.  If it was as simple as plopping new players into the team, well then Chelsea would be celebrating a championship season this evening instead of Leicester.  Fear of looking foolish is understandable, but when you are so focused on not losing, it becomes increasingly impossible to win.

Having said all of that, we wish Monsieur Riguidel good luck and God's Speed.  Girard-Perregaux and Ulysses Nardin are both overdue for some good luck.