Long time no sea

International watch brand launches exclusive collection, boasting ‘sailor precision’ to satiate Pakistani...


Saadia Qamar March 09, 2015
The watch features a ship’s deck chronometer, which provides time accuracy. PHOTO: PUBLICITY

KARACHI: International brand Ulysse Nardin recently stored an exclusive collection for those on the watch for watches. Titled ‘The Freak’, the collection was launched at Collectibles store at Dolmen Mall, Clifton, on Saturday.

“We saw the market in Pakistan and found out that watchmakers really appreciate our work, so we introduced ‘The Freak’, which is exclusively designed for Pakistan, with the initial limited edition comprising only 30 pieces for watch-lovers,” said Patrik P Hoffman, CEO of Ulysse Nardin.

‘The Freak’ is the latest among a series of collections the brand has launched after venturing into the country almost a decade ago. “We’ve been here for almost eight years, but four years back, we intensified our approach after Pakistani consumers loved our collection,” Hoffman said. Two years ago, the brand launched the ‘El-toro’ collection, which featured 50 select pieces, exclusively for Pakistan.

Boasting ‘sailor precision’, the watches are both aesthetically-pleasing and resilient. “If the watch is not functioning properly and you have missed out on a few seconds on a sea voyage, you will get lost. Keeping that in mind, the watch is handy for Navy personnel,” explains Hoffman. Ulysse Nardin’s logo is a boat’s anchor. The watches are mainly available in cobalt blue, emblematic of the sea. The watch features a ship’s deck chronometer, which provides time accuracy, ensures Hoffmann.



Rameez Sattar, CEO of Sonraj Group, which looks after Collectibles store, stated, “Ulysse Nardin offers traditional watches but they are definite art pieces. They are crafted in a way that one wants to own a piece. Nobody does it like them.” The brand has previously launched the ‘Changez Khan’, ‘Alexander, the Great’ and, more recently, the ‘Hannibal’ collections.

Based in Switzerland, the watch-making company was launched in 1846 and named after its very first owner. Ulysse Nardin was the son of a French watchmaker, who travelled widely and settled in Switzerland. Initially, in Le Locle, Rue du Jardin, Switzerland, he started the company with his brother. Interestingly, Hoffmann reveals, “Although the brothers started the company together, both of them eventually ended up becoming arch-competitors. So strong was the competition that they created a wall in one room, to separate themselves from one another.”

Published in The Express Tribune, March 10th, 2015.

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