Ulysse Nardin or IWC?

[Bruin20]

Which brand would you choose?

I view these brands as 2 sides of the same coin.

Both have their history in a specific sector. IWC is the pilot watch. UN is the marine watch.

Both make classic dress pieces while also have haute horology at the top end.

Which do you prefer and whats your favorite model from each brand?

I find the UN marine torpilleur very under rated as a dressy casual watch. Feel the same about the portugieser from IWC.

[fmc000]

Originally Posted by Bruin20

Which brand would you choose?

I view these brands as 2 sides of the same coin.

Both have their history in a specific sector. IWC is the pilot watch. UN is the marine watch.

Both make classic dress pieces while also have haute horology at the top end.

Which do you prefer and whats your favorite model from each brand?

I find the UN marine torpilleur very under rated as a dressy casual watch. Feel the same about the portugieser from IWC.

Technically speaking, UN is top notch; I prefer IWC aesthetics, though. Hard choice.

[AK797]

I had a UN Marine Blue Surf and it was very nicely detailed and crafted, even the rubber strap was quite unique, and was great value for money. The IWC sports watches leave me a little cold I have to say, I prefer their dressier pieces like the Portuguese and FA Jones.

[ts3]

Overall I prefer IWC's design language although it has been inconsistent in parts of their product range, especially the Aquatimers.

I got an IWC Mark XV around 20 years ago which remains my beater today. UN got onto my radar more recently but then I am better at flying than sailing.

I love the 5441 Portugieser but at 42mm it looks a little silly on my small wrists which has kept me from pulling the trigger. Also like the IWC / Porsche Design Ocean 2000 which is nominally the same size as the 5441 at 42mm but wears much smaller given the wide bezel and black dial.

[Talbel]

Originally Posted by fmc000

Technically speaking, UN is top notch; I prefer IWC aesthetics, though. Hard choice.

This.. I have a UN 1183-126 Marine Chronometer and a blue IWC Yacht Club. There is no doubt about the quality of either watch, but find myself wearing the IWC much more frequently to the point that I am considering letting the UN go. Don't get me wrong, its a great watch, I just find the IWC more aesthetically pleasing for me personally. Honestly, it comes down to which one speaks to you. From a quality standpoint, you can't go wrong with either one.

[barneb10]

Iwc

[Slider817]

I don’t buy brands, I buy a specific model. Overall, I do prefer the aesthetic of more IWC models, although I like quite a few UNs as well.

[dbfagan]

IWC. My favorite is the Mark XII on a bracelet. Also, like and have owned the first Big Pilot 5002 and the Portuguese, 5001, with the white dial and blued hands

[yessir69]

IWC all day.

The 40mm Ingy Automatic is a good all arounder.

The new version of the Port Chrono Classic (42mm with date) is good, but is a little big for my taste.

Some of their new releases look great, but I haven't seen them in person.

[dan.t]

I do also prefer IWC by a lot.

[p_mcgee]

IWC unless you are a Russian oligarch

[Russell996]

Ulysse Nardin by a mile, they are simply the more adventurous and avant garde manufacturer and the level of firsts they have introduced surpasses all but a top few. They do however make a few pieces that cater to a niche market which I would personally avoid.

Amazing pieces includes:
Astrolabium (Guinness World record for most complicated wrist watch)
Planetarium
Tellurium (Guinness World record holder again)
Perpetual Ludwig - first perpetual operated through single crown
Freak - first production wristwatch to use silicon
Sonata
Many minute repeaters, some with automatons
Moonstruck
Regatta
Etc etc

Nothing to dislike about IWC, but simply very formulaic in comparison.

As always, buy what you like.

[Joed631]

Both great brands but I would go with UN. In my experience they have great quality and reliability.

[slcbbrown]

Un

[Bruin20]

Went and tried on several IWC and UN models. Really liked almost everything I tried on from UN in the Marine collection, but couldn't shake the feeling that the watch was weirdly proportioned and would not age well. I buy to own forever (have never sold a watch and never will) so figuring out if something will look good in the long term is important.

Tried on the pilots and portugiesers from IWC. The date window on the smaller pilots is just in the completely wrong place on all the models except the spitfire which I found too small and fauxtina is a fad. Waiting on the 40mm portugieser now. Ultra clean dial and hands, looks very close to the original and will look good forever from what I can tell.

[Tools]

This is the one that I like to wear from time-to-time.

UN Dual-Time.jpg

[denmanproject]

IWC

The Portugese line is timeless

[eddie_b]

I've owned an AMG Ingenieur, Aquatimer Chronograph and Pilot. Liked them all! I think the new Ingeniuer looks horrible. Visually speaking, IWC is much better.

I had a UN Maxi Marine 263-33 and thought it was well made and it felt solid. I tried on some of their newer models and the large ones felt nice but too big for my small wrist. Some of their lower end stuff I tried on felt super cheap and I wouldn't even want to pay $2,000 for it.

I should also mention I owned and wore each of those watches for about a year, exception being the Pilot since it's a bit too big for me. Having said that, both models you mentioned are nice but I still think the IWC wins for me.