It may have been a hot second since Watches and Wonders 2025, but don't think the goodies have dried up. I was lucky enough to be out on the icey blue waters of Lake Geneva, but even at full tilt over four days, there are watches I managed to miss.
Perhaps most notably, that includes the Ulysse Nardin Diver Air. This isn't just any old dive watch – it's the lightest mechanical diver ever created – and recently, I got hands-on with it back in the UK.
Very quickly, it becomes easy to see how. Skeletonised watches are nothing too uncommon these days, but the degree to which that happens on this model is truly remarkable. The balance wheel, for example, looks like it's crafted from a single strand of human hair, while the rest of the movement has stripped out anything and everything which isn't absolutely essential.
You'll spot gears and cogs which appear to float in mid air, and the open case-back ensures you see it all clearly, too. I saw this watch side-by-side with a regular skeletonised UN diver, and the difference was stark.
It's not just about removing materials, either. In order to make a watch which is not just light, but competent, the brand had to do some significant work in the materials department.
There's an innovative recycled carbon fibre used in the case, while titanium was the material of choice for the movement. That offers better lightness, without compromising on the strength required.
The result is a watch which weighs just 46g without the strap, but can still be used 200m under water. It can even withstand forces up to 5,000G, which is mind-boggling considering the construction.
All of that innovation doesn't come cheap, though. Priced at £33,420 / $38,000 / AU$62,300, this is a watch which is very aware of its value. Still, if you're on the hunt for the lightest dive watch out there, this really cannot be beaten.
