![The Ulysse Nardin Diver [AIR] is the lightest dive watch in the world at 52 grams](https://timeandtidewatches.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Ulysse-Nardin-Diver-Air-1.jpg.webp)
The Ulysse Nardin Diver [AIR] is the lightest dive watch in the world at 52 grams
Zach Blass- Ulysse Nardin presents the lightest dive watch in the world, weighing 52g including the strap.
- The lightweight case is made of recycled titanium, NyloFoil, and CarbonFoil.
- Its new 90-hour automatic UN-374 movement is highly openworked and utilises titanium bridges.
There are two facets of watchmaking that make a watch more luxurious and expensive. The first, and most obvious, is decoration and finish. Anyone without an micromechanics engineering degree can understand rich hand-brushing, bevelling, and other forms of decoration. It’s visual, it’s glistening, it’s glamorous. The other side of the coin is the technology of a movement, the elaborate construction and design of a calibre – less visual, and requiring further understanding of watchmaking. Ulysse Nardin, at least in the modern era, leans heavily into this second, less obvious facet. Now, I’m not suggesting the watches are finished poorly, but the brand’s laurels rest in its mastery of industrial machinery and pioneering of materials like silicon and constructions with carousels and complex escapements – the Freak is the perfect example of this. So, unless you’re willing to geek out and jump down the rabbit hole, it can be tougher to understand why Ulysse Nardin is such a strong watchmaking brand. Today, however, we have a headline that should make this easier. The new Ulysse Nardin Diver [AIR] presented at Watches and Wonders is the world’s lightest dive watch, weighing in at just 52 grams.
At first glance, even those familiar with watches like the Ulysse Nardin Diver Net would not spot what makes this case different. It once again measures 44mm in diameter, basically equal in thickness at 14.7mm, and you have a combination of NyloFoil and CarbonFoil for the case lugs, flanks, and bezel insert – upcycled materials that showcase Ulysse Nardin’s commitment to having cleaner oceans and a cleaner planet. The new case material at play here is 90% recycled titanium that joins NyloFoil (60% recycled fishing nets, 40% upcycled carbon fibres) and CarbonFoil (100% upcycled carbon fibres) in place of steel, which is a heavier material than titanium. To put the weight loss in perspective, at 52 grams, including its fabric strap, the Diver [AIR] weighs less than half as much as the Diver X Skeleton launched in 2021 (105.8 grams).
The case is just the first half of the ultra-lightweight challenge. The next step is the movement, and Ulysse Nardin debuts a new, in-house automatic UN-374 calibre. A clear engineering challenge, Ulysse Nardin’s designers endeavoured to remove more material in the movement while simultaneously making it even stronger. Despite 80% of the inside of the watch being air, and the other 20% of the space occupied being the movement, the 90-hour UN-374 is shock-resistant to 5,000g due to its further reconfigured triangular bridges. This is not that uncommon in the industry, and is consistent with ISO 1413 that simulates a watch falling onto a hardwood floor from a height of one metre – but it’s still impressive given the airiness of the movement. The bridges are now crafted in titanium, a material that is notoriously more difficult to machine, which also decreases the weight of the calibre and the watch. The calibre, which also notably includes an oversized silicon balance wheel, weighs a mere 7 grams. Astounding.
This novelty may not boast tens of complications, merging a perpetual calendar with a tourbillon or minute repeater or anything of the sort. Ulysse Nardin proceeded with a highly complex endeavour that nets something very intricate and difficult to design, yet with a result that has at least a sense of practicality and usefulness. Though it may not be a hype brand, nor a brand known for having numerous unobtanium pieces with unfathomable secondary market premiums, anyone who claims to appreciate the art of watchmaking has to respect Ulysse Nardin’s know-how and efforts. At US$38,000, I would never presume everyone could or should buy the new Diver [AIR], but we can certainly be glad it exists and appreciate the in-house mastery required to create it.
Ulysse Nardin Diver [AIR] pricing and availability
The Ulysse Nardin Diver [AIR] is available now. Price: US$38,000
| Brand | Ulysse Nardin |
| Model | Diver [AIR] |
| Reference | 3743-170-2A/0A |
| Case Dimensions | 44mm (D) x 14.7mm (T) |
| Case Material | Recycled titanium, NyloFoil case flanks and lugs |
| Water Resistance | 200 metres, screw-down crown |
| Crystal(s) | Sapphire front, mineral glass back |
| Dial | Openworked |
| Strap | Orange elastic fabric strap, scratch closing White elastic fabric strap, scratch closing |
| Movement | UN-374, in-house, automatic, silicon escapement |
| Power Reserve | 90 hours |
| Functions | Hours, minutes, seconds |
| Availability | Now |
| Price | US$38,000 |