Worn & Wound
Ulysse Nardin Really Knows How to Name a Watch. Exhibit A: the Blast Blue & Gold
Something I don’t think we discuss often enough are watch names. For people like me who are irredeemably bad at remembering obscure reference numbers, watch names are key. Some brands struggle with this, refusing to come up with interesting or imaginative names for their watches, but tagging them only by whatever slightly unique feature they possess. Other brands let the enthusiast do the work for them. I’m thinking of Seiko here. They don’t actually make a watch called the Sumo, or the Tuna, or the Arnie, but these names and many more have become a universally recognized shorthand. And then there are brands that absolutely nail their watch names. I’d like to submit that Ulysse Nardin is at the top of the heap here. Consider a few of these bangers: Freak, Lemon Shark, Classico Manara, Blast A little of everything here. We’ve got Italian, we’ve got ocean vibes, we’ve got suggestions of color, and best of all, we have short and punchy. Nobody is forgetting about the Freak (especially after watching our recent breakdown of the mechanics), and Blast? I mean, come on. What could a watch named the Blast possibly look like? The Blast watches are defined at least in part by their unique three pronged lug arrangement, which essentially makes each and every one an integrated creation. These are large, sometimes ostentatious sports watches that come on straps, frequently feature tourbillons, and have what I think you’d generally describe as a contemporary aest...
