Front view
Dial, hands and bezel as delivered.
Case-back view
Case-back engraving and, where fitted, the sapphire display.
Movement
Calibre with its finishing and decoration.
On the wrist
Worn shot for proportion and strap drape.
Ulysse Nardin · Blast
Ulysse Nardin Blast 40 mm Blue Quartz
Reference 72440OR.87
Reference at a glance
- Brand
- Ulysse Nardin
- Collection
- Blast
- Model
- Ulysse Nardin Blast 40 mm Blue Quartz
- Reference number
- 72440OR.87
- Year / era
- 2018 · 2010s — modern production
- Complication
- Moon phase
- Movement
- In-house automatic, Superlative Chronometer
- Case material
- Quartz TPT
- Dial type
- Blue "Grande Tapisserie"
- Strap / bracelet
- Oyster bracelet
- Water resistance
- 50 m
- Limited-edition status
- Limited edition of 188 pieces
Case, dial & bracelet
- Case dimensions
- 40 mm
- Case thickness
- 9.4 mm
- Case material
- Quartz TPT
- Bezel
- Smooth polished
- Crystal
- Sapphire with internal AR treatment
- Dial
- Blue "Grande Tapisserie"
- Hands
- Mercedes hour hand with Chromalight display
- Indexes
- Printed minute track with applied batons
- Bracelet / strap
- Oyster bracelet
- Clasp / buckle
- Pin buckle in matching case metal
- Water resistance
- 50 m
Movement
- Movement / calibre
- Calibre 27A — In-house automatic, Superlative Chronometer
- Movement type
- Automatic with micro-rotor
- Frequency
- 28,800 vph (4 Hz)
- Power reserve
- 5 days
- Number of jewels
- 40 jewels
- Complications
- Moon phase
- Functions
- Annual calendar, moon phase
- Watchmaker
- Assembled and regulated by a single watchmaker, who signs off the piece before casing.
Production & market
- Production period
- 2018 – 2033
- Limited-edition quantity
- 188 pieces
- Current market information
- Thin secondary-market supply — pricing is set piece by piece at auction.
Designer
Gérald Genta
Gérald Genta (1931–2011) trained as a goldsmith in Geneva and became the most influential watch designer of the 20th century. Working freelance, he sketched the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak overnight in 1970, followed by the Patek Philippe Nautilus, the IWC Ingenieur SL and the Bulgari Bulgari — defining the integrated-bracelet luxury sports watch as a category.
Historical significance
Ulysse Nardin Blast 40 mm Blue Quartz sits within Ulysse Nardin's Blast line, introduced in 2018. It carries the house codes established since 1846 — quartz tpt case, blue "grande tapisserie" dial and in-house automatic, superlative chronometer — and is one of the references collectors use to date the evolution of the collection.
Interesting facts
- The bracelet tapers across its length, which is why the profile looks thinner on the wrist than the specification suggests.
- The case is finished by hand, alternating polished and satin-brushed surfaces in a single pass so the edges stay razor sharp.
- Early production dials show a slightly different minute track, and collectors pay a premium for them.
The House
Ulysse Nardin
Brand facts
- Founding year
- 1846
- Founder
- Ulysse Nardin
- Headquarters
- Switzerland
- Tier
- Luxury
- Major collections
- Freak, Diver, Marine, Blast, Executive Skeleton
- Signature technologies
- Proprietary case-hardening and polishing · Composite and ceramic case materials
- Famous movements
- In-house automatic chronograph · In-house automatic, chronometer certified · In-house automatic, Superlative Chronometer · In-house manual-winding
- Notable watches
- Ulysse Nardin Freak 44 mm Slate Carbon (1957) · Ulysse Nardin Freak 40 mm Blue 18k (1960) · Ulysse Nardin Freak 37 mm Skeletonised Quartz (1989) · Ulysse Nardin Freak 37 mm Silvered 18k (2001)
Brand history
Ulysse Nardin has spent more than 180 years refining a single idea: a watch should outlive its owner. From the earliest workshop pieces to today's Freak, the house has balanced technical ambition with a recognisable design language, and its collections remain among the most closely followed by collectors worldwide.
Ulysse Nardin established Ulysse Nardin in 1846, working from Switzerland at a time when precision was measured by hand. The founder's obsession with finishing and accuracy still defines every Ulysse Nardin calibre produced today.
Historical milestones
1846
Ulysse Nardin founds Ulysse Nardin in Switzerland.
1886
Ulysse Nardin earns its first international recognition for precision timekeeping.
1969
The quartz era forces Ulysse Nardin to redefine mechanical watchmaking.
1990
Ulysse Nardin enters the modern collector market with its signature lines.
2024
Ulysse Nardin continues to produce Freak, Diver, Marine and other icons in limited numbers.