Classico Pride of Baltimore is limited to 30 pieces with a 40mm case in 18 ct rose or white gold.
For 2013, Ulysse Nardin leads its Classico Cloisonné collection with the new Pride of Baltimore, drawing inspiration from the history changing use of Baltimore Clippers during the War of 1812.
In a clever attempt to compensate for the modest size of the US Navy, President James Madison issued Letters of Marquee and Reprisal to private ship owners, enabling them to act as privateers, or legal pirates, of Great Britain’s merchant vessels.
To be a successful privateer, superior sailing performance of a Baltimore Clipper was mandatory, and it was Captain Thomas Boyle of the Chasseur. Returning to Baltimore after the capture of the HMS St. Lawrence, Boyle’s most famous seize, the Niles Weekly Register applauded the victory by naming Chasseur, her captain and crew the “Pride of Baltimore.”
Ulysse Nardin salutes the Pride of Baltimore with a timepiece that unifies superior mechanical watchmaking with the art of enamelling.
Slicing through the sea, the Pride of Baltimore is beautifully depicted in lifelike detail – a result only achievable through superior enameling skill. In the process, opaque, transparent or translucent colors and tones are derived from the proportions in which the elements are mixed in order to get amalgams, the composition of which is often a secret. Remarkably, each segment is divided by a gold wire segment that prevents the liquid powdered enamel to flow into other melting chambers. Over 500mm of fine gold wire is needed to make the cloisons, a practice that requires 50 working hours and 26 processes to complete each cloisonné dial.
The Pride of Baltimore is available in a limited edition of 30 pieces each in 18-karat white or rose gold, and measuring 40 mm in diameter. The self-winding watch is powered by the UN 815 caliber that has been COSC Chronometer certified and has a power reserve of 42 hours, and is water resistant to 50 meters.
