Randy Johnson Designs a Watch? VIDEO REVIEW: Ok, this one came out of left field, but the result is compelling. Randy Johnson, 300 game-winner and baseball all-time great, and Ulysse Nardin of Le Locle, Switzerland, issued this Big Unit Chronograph Limited Edition in 2012. With a design guided by Randy Johnson’s personal tastes in luxury watches, the result is shockingly good. Granted, baseball and chronographs don’t seem as natural a match as chronographs and motor sports or Olympic track events, but the Ulysse Nardin Big Unit Chronograph succeeds because of how subtly the MLB references are rendered. At the dial’s center, a baseball forms the counterweight to the Ulysse Nardin chronograph seconds hand; the sundial at 6 o’clock features a compact reference to Randy’s famous nickname, and the unidirectional dive bezel features Johnson’s signature #51 in place of the usual 50 minute calibration. And that’s it. The remainder of the design focuses on high-impact visuals without resorting to the kind of blinding bright-work that blights many athlete-inspired limited editions. Rich rose gold is used on the dial and bezel as an accent; this is effective “jewelry” blackened mass and a case study in the right way to employ gold on a sports watch. Ulysse Nardin and Johnson painted the corner with this one. The entire case, bezel shoulders, pushers, crown, and bezel inserts are coated in a durable layer of textured matte black rubber. Its effect on the skin is to remove the shock of donning a cold watch, and the visuals really deliver. Ulysse Nardin’s Big Unit Chronograph features ceramic links that articulate the straps beyond the lugs, and a titanium double-deployant clasp with trigger release completes the package. Randy Johnson’s 100mph fastball and bulldog approach to pitching were anything but subtle. Perhaps he’s making up for lost time. A noted amateur photographer in private life, Johnson’s eye for detail seems to have borne fruit in his collaboration with Ulysse Nardin. This Randy Johnson-inspired Ulysse Nardin Big Unit Chronograph limited edition comes with all boxes, papers, and accessories. And you will want these accessories. The entertaining boxed set is baseball-themed, and each of the 100 units of this limited edition is provided with a genuine Major League Baseball game ball signed by the Big Unit himself.
Posted on: Thu, 01 Jan 2015 00:27:10 +0000