Explore Ulysse Nardin’s Erotic Side With These Stunning Milo Manara Timepieces

Tackling, as it does, the plethora of human emotions and impulses, the world of art has always had a flair for the erotic. From the playful to the perverse, the realistic to the fantastical, there’s an entire spectrum of artworks devoted to the subject. Some pieces can be impishly suggestive (take Jean-Honoré Fragonard’s “The Swing”) while others offer a more out-there approach (the relevance of Katsushika Hokusai’s sealife-centric “Dream of the Fisherman’s Wife” will soon become apparent, if it’s not already), but from cave paintings to Renaissance masterpieces, art in all its forms has at some point wrestled with human eroticism. 

This is just as applicable to the world of horology as it is to any other art medium, and legendary watchmaker Ulysse Nardin has long kept this tradition alive — check out the brand’s Hourstriker Erotica Jarretiere timepiece if you need further convincing. Granted, there may not be as many nudes depicted on watch dials as there are on canvases, but for those bold enough to wear them, erotic timepieces make as strong a statement as anything framed on a gallery wall.

Intricacy and Intimacy

Those seeking something a little saucy to strap to their wrist won’t find anything more carefully crafted or provocatively decorated than the timepieces making up Ulysse Nardin’s limited-edition Classico Manara Manufacture and Manara Declic collections. Created in collaboration with the legendary Italian artist and erotic comic book writer Milo Manara, these watches offer a level of technical mastery that cannot be denied. 

Continuing Ulysse Nardin’s deftness for the finest of Swiss watchmaking techniques, these erotic collections are only made possible through the most elite craftsmanship and superb artistry. From the intricacy of the internal mechanisms to the intimacy of their micro-painted dials—each requiring hundreds of hours to complete—only the steadiest hands could deliver the Savoir-Faire necessary to bring these watches to life. 

Classico Manara Manufacture

This limited-edition collection invites you to dive into an ocean of passion. Each design within the 10-strong range is available in either 18ct rose gold or stainless steel—we’ll take one of each, thanks—and every timepiece doubles as a miniature Milo Manara masterpiece and a Ulysse Nardin triumph. 

The range’s intricate dial decorations depict the mermaid Ulyssa and a woman named Nadia as they meet and engage passionately under the watchful eye of a nearby shark. Just as the sailors aboard Odysseus’ ship couldn’t resist the legendary sirens of Homer’s Odyssey, so too does Ulyssa enchant Nadia, taking her into a sensual embrace. 

“I had to think of a theme that brings all these 10 images together and yet leaves each one its autonomy so that it works on its own without the need for the others,” explains Manara. “This is not a linear story, but there is a common thread based on two characters; one is a timeless girl and the other a mermaid.”

Beneath the aquatic scenes, the collection is driven by a self-winding UN-320 Manufacture movement consisting of 227 parts and boasting a 48-hour power reserve, while a classic leather strap provides the perfect finishing touch.

Manara Declic

Moving away from the water setting, this collection of three timepieces—the most recent collaborative effort between Ulysse Nardin and Manara—was created to mark the 40th anniversary of the artist’s famous work, Déclic. 

In an elegant celebration of the occasion, Ulysse Nardin has reproduced a trio of iconic illustrations from Manara’s work, deploying the skills of its finest craftspeople to achieve the seemingly impossible.

Due to the enormous time investment required to reproduce Manara’s illustrations faithfully, every watch in the collection is limited to just 40 pieces. To give you a sense of the intricacy involved, the painted surface on each of these timepieces is just one-tenth the size of the artist’s original watercolours — an astounding achievement. Like the Classico Manara Manufacture collection, each Manara Declic timepiece boasts the stunning UN-320 Manufacture movement and features an elegant leather strap.

Despite the immense labour required to produce a single piece from the collection, Manara insists the effort is worthwhile: “Watchmaking is particularly well suited to this subject, since eroticism is timeless.”

Visit The Hour Glass

If you’d like to learn more about these beautifully risqué watches, enquire about Ulysse Nardin’s Manara Declic and Classico Manara Manufacture collections across The Hour Glass’ boutique network. 

Further, for dedicated collectors of Milo Manara’s erotic masterpiece watches, Ulysse Nardin may offer exclusive Off Catalogue models. These special dials are shown to clients personally selected by the master himself.

You can find The Hour Glass stores in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, and Auckland, as well as the all-new Adelaide boutique, located at Adelaide Central Plaza, 100 Rundle Mall, Adelaide, SA 5000.