Ulysse Nardin Marine Torpilleur 1183-310-3/43 is one of the most versatile and beautiful watches in my opinion. Design, wearability, complications, perfect time keeping, heritage…you name it. It has it all, and in this review I will tell you why I think it’s a perfect watch that often is overlooked by watch enthusiasts.
Ulysse Nardin is a brand that keeps ticking (I know, I know, I’m bad at jokes) since 1846 and they craft truly amazing pieces like UR-Freak a collaboration with Urwerk. They are not your average brand, I don’t really see a lot of people wearing their watches, and this makes me love them even more. More about their History in a future article, which can be read here.
So let’s start, why do I love this watch so much?
Ulysse Nardin Marine Torpilleur : Design and Aesthetics
One of the shining parts of the Marine Torpilleur model is the design. Everything is perfectly aligned, even the “logo” (which is not present on this watch by the way, not on the dial at least) which is in the center of the dial, probably to make room for the power reserve sub dial, but still, it looks natural.
The case: Elegant, rugged and sturdy
It’s very hard to describe a watch that has it all when it comes to design and versatility. It’s rugged, but elegant, how those two came together in the same sentence? Well, it came and I cannot think of another watch that gives me the same feeling. It’s either rugged or elegant, right?
Not in this case. The case measures 42 mm and it is made from stainless steel and it’s like the hull of a well crafted ship (you will read a lot of jokes about the Ships, water and so on, sorry about that) polished to shine, brushed for texture and it’s just the right amount and size to command attention without overwhelming your wrist .
On the left part of the case, you have a plate with the number of the watch, in this case 7027, which means it was the watch number 7027 produced by Ulysse Nardin. This makes the watch even more elegant. The plate has 2 screws which hold the plate tight.
On the right side we have the screw down crown and for the first time we can see the logo of Ulysse Nardin Marine Torpilleur.
The case back is open and you can see the…I want to say beautiful – but nothing special, it’s rather ugly movement. It doesn’t matter to me, I don’t look at the movement. Actually it’s the first time I’ve seen it.
It has Circular Cotes de Geneve, circular graining (perlage), diamond angling on bevels, Rhodium plated components and a nice touch of blue on the screws. Still, nothing spectacular, not great, not terrible. But ugly, definitely ugly.
The Dial of Ulysse Nardin Marine Torpilleur is a truly masterpiece
Not because it’s extraordinarily beautiful, but because of how it’s made. I told this many times on TickingTales, but I appreciate the watches with enamel dial. I know how hard it is to make them, I know it takes time and each flaw means that they need to start again with all the process of making the dial.
I saw this live when I was visiting the Ulysse Nardin factory and Donze Cadrans, which is owned by the UN if I’m not mistaken.
The watch, and especially the Dial is inspired from a big watch that they used to make for ships, you can see the photos I took in their museum.
The dial we have on Ulysse Nardin Marine Torpilleur 1183-310-3/43 is blue, but you can find it in other colors as well, like white or black. The blue I think it’s the most versatile and goes well with everything.
The color is deep, dark, like the ocean, and the roman numerals are white , with no lume. The roman numerals are another touch that reminds us of the old-school marine chronometers.
You have a small seconds sub-dial and a date window at 6 o’clock paired with a smaller sub-dial on the 12 o’clock position that shows the power reserve.
The dial is clean, legible and provides a lot of information without being crowded . Even the center Ulysse Nardin logo, with Le Locle and Suisse writings seems to integrate naturally.
The hands of the watch are polished, shiny and love their form.
Overall, even though the dial is vintage inspired, somehow to me looks contemporary.
The Strap and Bracelet Of Ulysse Nardin Marine Torpilleur
Now here comes the fun part. The strap is amazing, the model I have is from rubber, with Titanium folding clasp. It also has metal insertion, I’m not sure if it’s Titanium or Stainless steel, but it looks really good.
The only thing that I don’t like is the fact that they added that insertion only on one side. It would have looked amazing if they had done it on both sides like on other models.
An easy solution I found is to buy an extra rubber strap and add the part with the metal insertion and I can have it both ways.
You must be careful when you set your rubber strap because you have to cut it , and it’s not going back if you are cutting too much from the rubber. That is the only negative aspect of it.
For me it is very comfortable to wear, I don’t have any problems with this rubber strap. Also, it doesn’t have quick adjustment, but you don’t really need it in this case.
I like how the logo and Ulysse Nardin branding is introduced on the metal insertion which is also present on the clasp.
Titanium is good, I couldn’t find which grade it is, but I have some scratches on the clasp. So probably grade 2?
Ulysse Nardin Marine Torpilleur is a monster when it comes to straps. On a rubber strap it’s sporty, even elegant. But if you want to class it up you can add a leather strap and it looks perfect. Do you like material straps? Works with that as well with no problem. Do you like mesh straps? No worries!
The point is, no matter what strap you put on this watch, it will look good. Like Barney from How I Met Your Mother, you can’t take a bad picture of that guy!
Even Ulysse Nardin sells this watch with different strap options. My suggestion? Go with the rubber one, it works perfectly on each outfit. And if you want another strap it’s easier to switch.
Marine Torpilleur is a chameleon when it comes to straps.
Build Quality and Durability of Ulysse Nardin Marine Torpilleur
Picture yourself on a yacht, sun setting down, drinking a glass of wine, suddenly you want to take a bath in the Mediterranean Sea…you can do that but first you have to take down your watch, because it has 50 meters of water resistance!
Which is crazy low for a watch that has Marine in his name. A watch that from the first time was created, it was with Marine, water, sea, oceans in mind. I don’t understand how they thought that 50 meters were enough.
And if you think about it, the heritage of the Marine chronometer, which inspired this watch, dates to the mid 19th century, when the company supplied precision instruments to naval forces worldwide.
Torpilleur’s name referenced torpedo boats that were fast naval vessels which required reliable timekeeping instruments.
Everything screams at least 300 meters of water resistance!
In total, the watch weighs 100 grams, mine is 98 after I cut some rubber off. It is well built, i dont see any scratches on the case, I do see scratches on the folding clasp, but that is the most exposed area to scratches. The quality is there, it looks durable and I haven’t seen a scratch on the sapphire glass.
The Heart of The Ship: Movement and Functionality
Ulysse Nardin makes their movements in-house. In this case, the movement is UN-118 ( I love that they keep it simple with naming) an automatic movement with 50 jewels, 28.800 vibrations per hour and a power reserve of 60 hours. It is a COSC certified Chronometer, it has around 231-260 parts ( sources vary), thickness of 6.45 mm and a diameter of 31 mm.
It is a good movement and the only watch that keeps the same time as the Ulysse Nardin Marine Torpilleur is Omega Seamaster Professional. Also, when the watch is on winder, it keeps almost perfect time for me, same as Omega. Longines and Bel Canto, can’t keep up in winder.
DIAMonSIL Technology
This is what makes this watch special, a cutting edge technology which combines silicon and synthetic diamond which makes it very resistant and needs no lubrication.
It is paired with anti-magnetic silicium hairsprings and a custom oscillator with four correction screws. This movement was built for accuracy in a world where we have a lot of electronic interference.
Price and Value for Money
The watch is priced around 10.000 Euro/Dollars and I think it’s worth their money. Ulysse Nardin didn’t sponsor me, or send me this watch, I bought it with my own money and what I write here I truly believe. It’s got great movement, amazing quality materials, I love the rubber strap, the history of the watch, almost everything.
Forgot to mention, it doesn’t have Lume, but I don’t care about that. It’s a watch that is just different from the other watches and it is a joy to wear it. I don’t know if it holds value and I don’t really care. If I buy a watch, I will own it forever. And I plan that with Ulysse Nardin Marine Torpilleur as well.
To me the price and value for money is there. For some of you might not. We should wear what we like, I’m here just presenting facts and experiences with this watch.
Pros and Cons for Ulysse Nardin Marine Torpilleur
Pros
- In-House Caliber Un-118 with DIAMonSIL technology
- Enamel Dial
- Really comfortable to wear-at least on rubber strap
- Versatile watch
- 5 years waranty
CONS
- Only 50 meters water resistance -common Ulysse Nardin
- Doesn’t have LUME
- Price might be to high for casual buyers
Box And Packaging
I have said in the Omega Seamaster Review that the package from Omega is my new standard. And it’s safe to say that Ulysse Nardin Marine Torpilleur doesn’t get close to that standard. In fact, it is worse than Longines packages. One box, which I assume is wood with a glossy blue top. The wood color is gray-ish.
The inside is basic, the watch pillow is meh, I have seen better watch pillows on Temu. The inside box that holds the watch pillow is made from cardboard with some kind of textile material on top. It feels good when you touch it, but also cheap. The rest of the box has the same material inside.
Basic and ugly. At 10.000 Euros/Dollars I would expect more from the box. Good thing we don’t wear the boxes. 1 star from me.
I almost forgot about the warranty. The watch comes with 2 years standard warranty, but if you register your watch after the purchase ( you have 1 year to do it) you will get extra 3 years. So 5 years in total.
Let’s wrap it up. Would I buy it again? Yes, if I lose this one, I will buy another one. I know it’s not a watch for anyone, especially not for those that know only Rolex. But Marine Torpilleur is something different, very versatile, beautiful enamel dial, great movement, great history. It ticks all the boxes, minus the box it came with.
If you want something different, go for it! You can find it on official website
| Specification | Details |
|---|---|
| Reference | 1183-310-3/43 |
| Collection | Marine Torpilleur |
| Case Material | Stainless Steel 316L |
| Case Diameter | 42mm |
| Case Thickness | ~12mm |
| Water Resistance | 50m (5 ATM) |
| Crystal | Sapphire with AR coating |
| Case Back | Exhibition sapphire (numbered) |
| Dial Color | Blue Grand Feu enamel |
| Hour Markers | Roman numerals |
| Movement | Caliber UN-118 (in-house) |
| Movement Type | Automatic with manual winding |
| Certification | COSC Chronometer |
| Jewels | 50 |
| Frequency | 28,800 vph (4 Hz) |
| Power Reserve | 60 hours |
| Escapement | DIAMonSIL (silicon + diamond) |
| Hairspring | Silicon |
| Functions | Hours, minutes, small seconds at 6, date at 6, power reserve indicator |
| Strap | Rubber with steel elements |
| Buckle | Stainless steel folding clasp |
| Lug Width | 22mm |
| Warranty | 2 years (extendable to 5 years) |
| Price Range | 10.000 Euro/Dollars |
FAQ
Is this a limited edition watch?
No, the reference 1183-310-3/43 is part of Ulysse Nardin’s standard production line. However, each watch is individually numbered on the case back, making every piece unique.
What is DIAMonSIL?
DIAMonSIL is a revolutionary material that combines silicon with synthetic diamond. It’s used in the escapement and provides exceptional hardness, lightness, and operates without lubrication. This technology is exclusive to Ulysse Nardin and represents a significant advancement in watchmaking.
What is the UN-118 movement?
The UN-118 is Ulysse Nardin’s in-house automatic movement featuring:
- 50 jewels and 231 parts
- 60-hour power reserve
- 28,800 vph frequency
- COSC Chronometer certification
- DIAMonSIL escapement
- Silicon hairspring
- Bidirectional date correction
Should I buy new or pre-owned?
New: You get the full warranty (extendable to 5 years), latest condition, and complete documentation. Retail pricing is $8,245-9,700.
Pre-owned: Significant savings but shorter or no warranty. Ensure you buy from reputable dealers and verify authenticity. Look for complete sets with box and papers.
Is this a good investment?
Like most luxury watches, the Marine Torpilleur experiences depreciation from retail to secondary market. However, the advanced technology, in-house movement, and Ulysse Nardin’s heritage provide good value retention compared to many competitors. Buy it to enjoy wearing it, not as a financial investment.
