Ulysse Nardin unveiled its Skeleton X collection in 2019, and its latest members, added this year, are aptly named the Skeleton X Sparkling, as both new models feature an array of diamonds on both their bezels and openworked dials. The first, in white titanium, has a mother-of-pearl decoration on the barrel and comes on a white alligator strap, while the second, a black 4N rose-gold variation that opts for a black PVD brass barrel cover, is on a black alligator strap. In addition to sharing the core Skeleton X design, both timepieces are adorned with 149 diamonds.

The 42-mm, titanium or rose-gold case echoes the style seen in previous Skeleton X models with the telltale tri-lug integration between the case and strap; rounded, elongated crown guards; and alternating satin and polished finishing throughout. Its push/pull signed crown sits alertly on its right side between the guards, signed with Ulysse Nardin?s “alternative” logo and assisting the watch in maintain a 50-m water resistance. Distinguishing these models from their predecessors, of course, are their namesake “sparkling” elements, the added diamonds, of which the bezel hosts 80.
Underneath the sapphire glass secured by the bezel is the skeletonized dial with a large “X” motif across its middle that also comprises four of its hour indices. From the outer edge, we find a solid ring, sans the addition of minute markers, instead punctuated at each hour with a different...