Teddy Baldassarre
Ulysse Nardin Review: A Complete Guide to the King of Marine Chronomet
Since its founding in 1846, Ulysse Nardin has long been regarded as the standard bearer of nautical timekeeping, a historic watchmaking maison whose very name conjures up romantic images of seagoing adventure and oceanic exploration. However, here in the 21st century, Ulysse Nardin is also known in watch connoisseur circles as one of the most technically innovative and boldly experimental watchmakers on the scene, beginning with the bombshell introduction of the Freak in 2001. How did this intriguing brand achieve both these distinctions and how does it continue to pile up accolades in the modern era? Read on for a complete guide to the history, evolution, and diverse timepiece portfolio of today’s Ulysse Nardin. Foundations in Chronometry Like many inhabitants of Switzerland’s Jura Mountain region in the 18th and 19th centuries, Léonard-Frédéric Nardin took up the trade of watchmaking largely out of economic necessity, to supplement his family’s farming income during the cold, snowbound winter months. He passed that horological savoir faire on to his son, Ulysse, who proved to be an apt pupil and honed his own horological skills further under the tutelage of two of the region’s most talented and revered watchmakers, Frederic-William Dubois and Louis JeanRichard-dit-Bressel. In 1846, at the young age of 23, Ulysse Nardin (above) established his own watchmaking workshop in his hometown of Le Locle, where the eponymous company is still headquartered today. Ulysse ...
