Underwater worlds and their inhabitants are frequent themes in the watch world and also play a role in art, architecture and the media. In this feature from WatchTime’s Special Design Issue 2019, on sale now, we look at watches influenced by the oceans and their endangered flora and fauna.
Ulysse Nardin brings a shark into the concrete canyons of Manhattan and uses this surreal image to create a memorable advertising motif. The architectural firm Snøhetta has built an underwater restaurant off the coast of Norway. The media report daily about the dangers that microplastics pose to the oceans and their inhabitants. Today the underwater world seems to be in the public eye more than ever. As a habitat in jeopardy and a natural wonder that will never fully reveal its mysteries, it may be this interplay of fragility, beauty and the unknown that makes the sea and its occupants such an important theme, not only for scientists, but also for artists, architects and designers. Ulysse Nardin ventures into oceanic worlds with a new advertising campaign (below) and the Freak Vision Coral Bay, which combines platinum, micro painting and self-winding Caliber UB-250 with a flying carrousel (above, $102,000).

The watch world?s affinity for the ocean is by no means new. Brands such as Blancpain, Omega and Rolex have long been renowned for their high-performance divers? watches. These famous brands began collaborating with underwater photographers and athletes decades ago. World recor...