Marcus Hanke
[PuristSPro Moderator]
11515
Designing a new movement is one thing, putting it into large-scale production another ...
Remember how long Omega needed until being able to release watches with their welf-produced Hour Vision calibers, and behind them is a bit more economic potential than behind UN.
Until now, UN focussed on the production of its unique and complicated pieces, where rather small production numbers are needed. Even then, the production buildings had to undergo consistent expansions and rebuildings, while keeping up the regular construction and service work in these very same buildings.
For the new UN-118 movement, the facilities are subjected to yet another, this time even more radical reconstruction. The production numbers planned for this movement are considerably higher, so even with UN's small output - small compared with the "big players" in the business - of some 25,000 watches per year, a movement production in this scale is going to revolutionise Ulysse Nardin. never before in its history, including the "old" UN of the 1930s to 60s, the company did produce so many movements in their own premises.
For the UN-118. the company cannot even purchase wheel sets of industrial standard, as other companies did to use them in their new in-house movements (IWC, for example), so they have to either order them according to their material and geometric specifications, or make them themselves.
So, please, do not be impatient. the new watches with own movements will come. But then don't be surprised if they will be more expensive than the current ones ...
Regards,
Marcus
New in Basel 2011: Black Sea
I like it, but...
