Ulysse Nardin set up his eponymous brand in Le Locle in 1846, some distance away from the seas and oceans that would inspire his creations. Nardin was driven by the desire to produce chronometres both of the marine and pocket variety. His brand won the Prize Medal in the complicated watches and pocket chronometres at the International Exhibition held in London in 1862. The association with seafaring has remained ever since, with the brand often serving as the official supplier to navies around the world.
While Ulysse Nardin floundered in the turmoil of the quartz crisis, it was resurrected in 1983 by Rolf Schnyder, a former executive at Jaeger-LeCoultre. Partnering with watchmaker Ludwig Oechslin, the brand focussed on building its offering around complication and mechanical innovation. However, it also tried to keep alive the tradition of cloisonné, champlevé and grand feu enamelling. The San Marco collection was often the canvas for this, with examples produced in the late 1990s and early 2000s featuring a gallery of depictions of naval history, ships and clippers and heritage architecture. They were almost always produced in limited numbers, owing in part to the exacting nature of cloisonné work.
It involves laying gold wiring to create the outlines of the various elements of the scene being depicted. Powdered enamel of different shades is then added to colour in the areas in between the outlines. The dials are then treated to grand feu, or a high-temperature flame of around 800°C, with the process repeated several times to achieve a perfect, glass-like texture. In this example, the underlying dial wears a shallow, asymmetric gratté texture, to which the enamel is applied. This gives it a particularly lustrous, shimmering appearance.
This reference, of which 25 were made, features a famous scene from the Bombardment of Algiers in 1816 by the navies of Britain and Netherlands with the aim of ending the slave trade there. It portrays the fiery siege of Algerian coastal fortifications by gun boats of the two navies. The sky wears a rich blue shade, skilfully differentiated from the hues used to depict the waves by the shore. The flames rising from the besieged fortification are created in shades ranging from yellow to red with different grades of white being used for the sails, giving the impression of three-dimensional depth.
A chapter of applied gold plots serve as hour markers, while the printed brand mark and applied gold anchor logo are situated at 12 o’clock. At 6 o’clock “Algiers 1816” is printed in gold, as is this piece’s number in the 25-piece series. It features gold, leaf-style hour and minute hands, and a simple seconds’ hand.
The 37mm yellow gold is thin and classical in its countenance. Evenly polished, the rounded bezel meets the rounded midcase. The crown, with its eight scalloped grooves, features a sapphire cabochon inlaid with the Ulysse Nardin mark in gold. The straight lugs feature a stepped detail and are 18mm apart. In between the lugs at 6 o’clock, on the midcase, are the precious metal hallmarks. The watch comes on an alligator strap in a bright, cerulean shade with a signed yellow gold tang buckle.
This example is powered by the COSC-certified, self-winding calibre UN-13, based on the ETA 2592A2. It is decorated with Côtes de Geneve, and features a straight-line lever escapement, monometallic balance, self-compensating flat balance spring and hacking functionality. The view of the calibre is obscured by a solid gold caseback, secured by four screws. It is decorated with a bas-relief of the winged lion of San Marco as well as the brand mark. In addition, it features details such as the precious metal the case is made from as well as the reference number and country of origin.
The watch comes with its outer and wooden inner box and a leather folio. It also has a certificate card and a document detailing it as one of a limited edition. Also accompanying it is its COSC certification from 1997 and service paperwork.
If sold within the United Kingdom, this Ulysse Nardin San Marco will be subject to 20% VAT
