News 
To seal its commitment to sustainable luxury and the conservation of the marine environment, watchmaker Ulysse Nardin is manufacturing its first strap made from recycled fishing nets to raise awareness of swimmer and venturer Ben Lecomte’s warning with regard to ocean pollution.
The brand is proud to welcome Ben as the newest ambassador to the family of “Ulysses”.
Every year, nine million tons of plastic are discharged into the sea. Ben Lecomte is a witness on the front line of this invasion. “I’ve seen the impact that plastic has on the marine environment which affects the smallest to the largest organisms,” Ben said.
In 1998, Ben was the first person to swim across the Atlantic without a board, a feat undertaken to raise money for cancer research. Twenty years later, in 2018, he attempted to cross the Pacific. However, after having completed more than 1,500 nautical miles and six months at sea, Ben decided to retreat to land due to a problem with the boat assisting him. The adventure was over, and he was left feeling horrified. After 165 days of unforgettable moments with whales, dolphins, albatrosses, the splendor of marine life and the power of the elements, what struck Ben was the amount of plastic he encountered at sea on a daily basis. “I was fascinated by this sight that was both magnificent and repulsive. It became clear that the sporting challenge would no longer be a goal for me. The mission of raising awareness about pollution had become much more important.”
In 2019, he set off again for an extraordinary swim into the Pacific plastic vortex. This expanse of waste, discovered in 1997 by the yachtsman Charles Moore, is an area of swirling ocean currents where human trash accumulates.
When swimming in the heart of the vortex, Ben came across three pieces of plastic per minute, including objects of our everyday lives, mostly bottle tops, and fishing tackle. “The nets are mostly tangled in a ball, held together with ropes that have clearly been tossed overboard.” Every year these discarded nets kill nearly 100,000 whales, dolphins, sea lions, seals and turtles.
During this Vortex Swim mission, Ben Lecomte swam over 300 nautical miles to sound the alarm about the more than 300 million tonnes of plastic produced every year. Ben believes that plastic pollution needs to be reduced at its source.
In response to Ben’s message, Ulysse Nardin has selected an innovative polyamide yarn fully recycled from fishing nets to weave its new wrist strap, compatible with Diver 44mm, Diver 42mm, Diver Chronograph, Marine Torpilleur and Freak X watches. This strap, of which Ben Lecomte is the proud ambassador, is the watchmaker’s first 100% waterproof fabric.
November 12, 2020