The development of the Ulysse Nardin Diver [AIR] watch is a remarkable journey in the pursuit of lightweight design and technical innovation.

In 2019, the Ulysse Nardin Diver 44mm was introduced, weighing a solid 120.5g, a typical weight for a rugged dive watch. Then came the Diver X Skeleton in 2021, which trimmed 15g, bringing the weight down to 105.8g. This weight reduction was impressive, especially considering the amount of empty space inside the skeletonised calibre. However, the Diver [AIR] takes this to a whole new level.

The Diver [AIR] sheds an astonishing 68.6g, making it incredibly light at just 52g (including the strap) and under 46g without it. To achieve this, Ulysse Nardin had to completely rethink the calibre. Building on the Diver X Skeleton’s UN-372 movement, they created the new UN-374 calibre, which had to be redesigned to not only reduce weight but also maintain the watch’s strength, durability, and performance.

The key to this breakthrough was removing material from the movement in a way that didn’t weaken its structure. Ulysse Nardin’s designers used slender, triangular-shaped bridges—an engineering concept known for its strength and rigidity—to ensure the movement remained robust despite its skeletonised form. This technique reflects Ulysse Nardin’s expertise developed over decades of making skeletonised watches.

The result is a watch with 80% empty space and just 20% material in its movement. Despite this, the highly skeletonised UN-374 calibre is strong enough to withstand an impact of up to 5,000g. It has been rigorously tested for durability, not just in the lab but in real-world conditions as well, proving that the Diver [AIR] is both lightweight and tough enough to live up to Ulysse Nardin’s legacy.