“Beneath the howl of the oceans and the crashing waves on the sea, the water is silent and infused with sunlight. I dive towards the abyss, my abyss, to find my true self. Intimately connected to the elements, luck is not a factor for me. I am ready to face any unknown obstacles - whether light or shadow - before resurfacing to my life. I wear a talisman on my wrist; I am Ulysses.” – Alessia Zecchini, free-diving champion and first female “Ulysse”
 

This month the Swiss Manufacture has unveiled a sexy, young and sportive series of diving watches exclusively for women, rejuvenating its LADY DIVER collection twelve years after the launch of its first feminine diving watch. With more than a touch of elegance, this series is the new sensuous and bold feminine identity of Ulysse Nardin. The current of Xploration is clearly flowing in a resolutely female direction with four extraordinary new LADY DIVER models, already creating a tempest in the world of watch connoisseurs.
 

These refined diving watches, strong and tasteful, share many qualities with Alessia Zecchini, a 27-year old Italian-born free-diver and multiple champion record-holder. Alessia, who just joined the armada of Ulysse Nardin’s “modern Ulysses”, is an extraordinary young woman who has found her rightful place in the UN family of intrepid and fearless Xplorers. To embody the spirit of the ocean, the force we carry within ourselves and the spirit of Ulysses, Ulysse Nardin is delighted to welcome champion free-diver Alessia as the first female in this unique family of adventurers.
 

With long, dark hair flowing in the water behind her, Alessia embarks on her ocean odyssey with astonishing beauty and grace; her fit, sun-kissed body diving below the stormy surface she searches for inner peace and calm. Testing her own limits as well as those of nature, she is alone in her wetsuit, deep blue eyes searching the waters around her on her quest to discover herself. Concentrating on her own breathing, she delves the depths of the untamed seas, every submerged second lasting an eternity. When she has reached her goal, she emerges back towards the light, a pearl of sea water sliding down her strong back, up towards sky, air and sunshine.
 

Born in Rome in 1992, Alessia began free diving when she was just thirteen. At 16 she took her first formal course in apnea diving at the Apnea Blu Mare Society but, according to federal rules, had to wait until she was 18 before officially entering into competition.

She is the current world record holder in Constant Weight Apnea (CWA) an astonishing 113 meters (“the deepest woman in the world”) and Confédération Mondiale des Activités Subaquatiques (CMAS) world record holder in Dynamic Apnea having reached 250 meters. She has won 16 Gold Medals in the World Championships and holds twenty-five world records in almost all the disciplines of freediving. A “talisman” Ulysse Nardin LADY DIVER on her wrist, Alessia plunges to the depths beneath the waves, Xploring the wonders of the ocean like the modern-day Ulysses she is.
 

Françoise Bezzola, Chief Marketing Officer at Ulysse Nardin explains: “At Ulysse Nardin, the feminine story is still a blank page waiting to be written. As this model is a young and dynamic design, we chose a young woman to personify our vision. Although she is a master diver, she is not a mermaid but a true “Ulysses”. A fearless athlete, she embodies force and determination. In 2020, being beautiful is not enough. Alessia Zecchini is a multiple-layered woman who has done us the honor of being the first female in our family of male explorers.”
 

With a silhouette re-sculpted to 39mm, thinner and discreet, the new LADY DIVER has been created in three iconic colors: deep blue, intense black and mother-of-pearl. A special model in light gray – the LADY DIVER “Great White” - will be made in a limited edition of just 300 pieces. The first three will be stamped with a wind rose on the back while the Great White features a sensual drawing of a female apnea diver on the case back.
 

As with its masculine counterpart, the LADY DIVER has a domed glass and a concave unidirectional bezel. The diamond hour markers shatter all conventional diving watch design by bringing a unique touch to a traditionally sportive look of a diving watch; their brilliance recalls the sparkling surface of the sea. For women who want a brighter shine, the new LADY DIVER series comes with the option of a 40-diamond bezel, each one a generous 1,7 mm in diameter (0.92 Carats). The UN-816 silicium technology movement is the beating heart of each one of these models, keeping expert track of the hours, minutes, seconds and date.
 

“We are honored to have Alessia Zecchini as the first female explorer to join our family of Ulysses”, says Ulysse Nardin CEO Patrick Pruniaux. “We have chosen to launch the new line of LADY DIVER watches simultaneously with Alessia’s arrival. Her spirit of adventure and willingness to take the risks necessary to test her own limits is emblematic of our vision at Ulysse Nardin.”
 

In a limited edition of just 300 pieces, the LADY DIVER Great White is none other than the female counterpart to the men’s Diver Great White. Powered by the UN-816 silicium technology movement. With a case back bearing the stamp of a female apnea diver and a fully integrated rubber bracelet textured to represent ocean waves or mermaid’s scales. Its face is gray and sparkles with 11 diamonds hour-markers.