Ulysse Nardin Watches

Founded in 1846, Ulysse Nardin was named after its founder, Ulysse Nardin, an accomplished watchmaker. Nardin first trained in horology under his father, Leonard-Frederic Nardin, and perfected his skills under the tutelage of Frederic William Dubois and Louis JeanRichard-dit-Bressel, two master watchmakers whose fame extended beyond the mountains of Neuchatel, Switzerland.

In 1983, Ulysse Nardin was purchased by Rolf W. Schnyder, its current President. At about the same time, Schnyder also discovered Dr. Ludwig Oechslin, a scientist, inventor, historian and watch-maker extraordinaire. In a unique relationship of professional cooperation and personal friendship, Schnyder and Oechslin created timepieces that had never before existed.

The Ulysse Nardin collection is in the proud tradition of quality and mechanical innovation. Its consistent excellence had also been recognized by the award of 18 international gold medals and 4,300 first prizes in chronometric excellence.

In its over 150 years of history, Ulysse Nardin had been widely respected as a specialist in marine chronometers. Among the most reliable and accurate ever made, Ulysse Nardin’s marine chronometers are still sought by collectors around the world, and have seen service with the navies of some 50 countries.

Today, Ulysse Nardin continues to develop and produce specialized timepieces of the highest technical level in limited editions. Using the company’s patented inventions, these often include complications offered by no other watchmaker, such as the renowned Trilogy of Astrolabium, Planetarium and Tellurium; the Jaquemart Minute Repeater and the Hour Striker San Marco.

Ulysse Nardin was also responsible for the revival of the craft of cloisonné watches in the 1980s, when this art was thought to be extinct.

History of Marine Chronograph

The traditional birthplace of prestige watchmaking, the Swiss mountain region of the Canton of Neuchâtel had no particular relation to the vast open seas…

Ulysse Nardin was only 23 years old in 1846 when he settled in Le Locle to develop his own chronometers and complex pocket watches, bringing with him a wealth of experience gained while working with Fréderic-William Dubois, a specialist in making
marine chronometers and astronomical watches.

Brigs, frigates, schooners and clippers have written important chapters in the history of world shipping and the development of international trade.

Ulysse Nardin, an astute businessman, saw the opportunity and moved into manufacturing marine chronometers.

A tribute to the originals: The Marine Chronometer 1846

At that period, when sailors navigated by means of a sextant, with the sun and the horizon to guide them, they had only one precise reference on board: their marine chronometers.

This time-keeping instrument, with its 2 or 8 days power reserve marked the half-seconds and made it possible to determine the exact longitude while a ship was at sea. The faultless precision of the instrument was a necessity. At the Equator, a single second difference corresponds to an error of 463 meters.

Riding the waves

From 1876 onward, Ulysse Nardin regularly submitted marine chronometers to the Neuchâtel and Geneva Observatories where they underwent stringent tests: 9 test runs of 7 days each at temperatures of 36, 28, 20, 12 and 4 degrees, then again 12, 20, 28 and 36 degrees. The “to and fro” was aimed at proving the exemplary precision of the timekeepers under extreme conditions. The results confirmed the pre-eminence of the Le Locle firm in one of the most demanding specialties in the art of watchmaking.

Ulysse Nardin’s achievements in the development of the marine chronometer were honoured with the highest distinctions throughout the world. The firm gained over 4300 First prizes and 18 gold medals at world fairs and international exhibitions. Its marine chronometers equipped over 50 navies on all five continents.

...and we still service them.

Today satellites have replaced the marine chronometer and the sextant as navigation instruments. Nonetheless, Ulysse Nardin marine chronometers are still prized by enthusiasts and collectors.