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Ulysse Nardin
Company typeSubsidiary
IndustryWatch manufacturing
Founded1846
FounderUlysse Nardin
HeadquartersLe Locle Switzerland
Area served
Worldwide
Key people
Patrick Pruniaux (CEO)[1]
ProductsWristwatches & Accessories
Websiteulysse-nardin.com


Ulysse Nardin is a Swiss luxury watchmaking company, founded in 1846 in Le Locle, Switzerland[2][3][4][5][6][7][8].

The company became known in the nautical world for its marine chronometers[9][3] and complicated timepieces[5][9][10][11][12] used by over fifty of the world's navies from the end of the 19th century till 1950. According to the last official report of Neuchâtel Observatory in Switzerland, Ulysse Nardin had won numerous awards and honors for its marine chronometers from 1876 to 1975, including 4324 certificates, 2411 prizes and 18 gold medals at International Exhibitions.[7][8][13][14][15]

The company was later taken over and re-invigorated in 1983 by Rolf W. Schnyder who transformed it into a profitable business again.

In 2014, Ulysse Nardin was acquired by Kering[2], and since then has operated as a company of the luxury group.[2][6][3][7][16]

The company today designs and manufactures luxury watches[2], dual time watches, marine chronometers[2], and sells its products around the globe.

The company today continues to design and manufacture a variety of luxury watches[2], dual time watches and marine chronometers[2]. It sells its products through an important network of distributors and several boutiques in around 100 countries.


History

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Ulysse Nardin era: 1846-1983

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Foundation / Early history

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Ulysse Nardin was born in 1823 in Le Locle[14], Switzerland[17][8]. During the long, snowy winters of this period, inhabitants used to produce timekeeping instruments to survive, as they couldn't live from farming alone.

Ulysse Nardin first trained as an apprentice horologist under his father, Léonard-Frédéric Nardin[3][8]. He then worked under the tutelage of Frédéric-William Dubois[14][18] and Louis JeanRichard-dit-Bressel, two Swiss watchmakers who were experts in precision watches.

In 1846, at the age of 23, Ulysse Nardin founded his own company[3] in Le Locle, where its headquarters are still located[14].

Despite Ulysse Nardin growing up in the Jura mountains, he was fascinated by the sea and produced nautical timekeeping instruments[3]. His company became one of the first to manufacture marine chronometers and high-precision seafaring instruments[15][19] for commercial ships and navies throughout the world[20][15]. His pocket and marine chronometers became reference products in civil, military and scientific realms[14][6].

Ulysse Nardin acquired a high-precision astronomical regulator, built by Jacques-Frederic Houriet in 1768, to rate his pocket chronometers. It is now in a museum in Le Locle. Minute repeaters, complicated watches and pocket chronometers carried the reputation of the company[19].

At that time, famous horologists were French and English. Ulysse Nardin went to London to challenge the best pocket chronometers makers. At the 1862 International Exhibition in London, he was awarded the Prize Medal in the category of "complicated watches and pocket chronometers".[8]

Rolf Schnyder and Ludwig Oechslin

The prize was the highest distinction for watchmaking in the United Kingdom In 1876, Ulysse Nardin obtained the first series of certificates from Neuchâtel Observatory for its marine chronometers.[8]

When he died in 1876, his son Paul-David Nardin took the helm.[14][7] The company continued to expand. In 1889, Ulysse Nardin won a Gold Medal at the Paris Universal Exhibition, was awarded two Swiss patents in 1890, won First Prize at the Chicago Universal Exhibition in 1893, and many more.

1900s: navies

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In 1902, the company started to deliver marine chronometers to the US Navy[3]. The brand regularly won Washington Naval Observatory competitions[3] and became the official supplier for the US Navy's torpedo boats.[3][21][22]

The company has since provided timepieces to the navies of the United States, United Kingdom, Russia and Japan.[23] Since the 1870s, over 50 navies and international shipping companies had been equipped with Ulysse Nardin marine chronometers.[3][13]

In 1975, the Neuchâtel Observatory published the last official edition on the performance of chronometers from 1846 to 1975. According to this report, Ulysse Nardin was awarded 4,324 performance certificates for mechanical marine chronometers out of 4,504 submitted (95%).[3]

Rolf Schnyder era: 1983-2014 / Recent development

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1980s: revival of the company

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xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxDue to the quartz crisis, Ulysse Nardin faced significant challenges in late 1970s and early 1980s.[13] In 1983, the company was acquired by businessman Rolf Schnyder who, in conjunction with watchmakers such as Ludwig Oechslin, revived the brand.[7][8][24] Schnyder and Oechslin would aim to produce complication timepieces using modern materials and manufacturing techniques.[25]


Due to the quartz crisis, Ulysse Nardin faced significant challenges in late 1970s and early 1980s.[14].

In 1983, businessman Rolf Schnyder acquired Ulysse Nardin[14] and together with watchmaker Ludwig Oechslin, reinvigorated the brand[3][5][26]. Rolf Schnyder served as its chief executive[27] and transformed the company into a healthy business[28]. In 1985, Rolf Schnyder launched the Astrolabium Galileo Galilei series. The watch was awarded by the Guinness Book of World Records in February 1989.

After Schnyder' sudden death in 2011[5], Chai Schnyder, his wife, took over the company till it was acquired by the Kering group in 2014[9][14].

Kering era: 2014-

[edit]

In July 2014, Ulysse Nardin was acquired by the Kering luxury group,[7][8][29][4][23] which took a 100 % stake in the watch brand.[9][5]

While marine wrist chronometers are still a specialty for the brand, it produces luxury complicated timepieces with high sophistication[23][19] for men and women.[30]

The company sells its products through a network of distributors and several boutiques around the globe, as well as through retailers in Europe, America, Middle East, Asia, Africa, Australia, China and Russia.[2][31][32][33]

Ulysse Nardin is part of the exclusive circle of Swiss watchmaking, the Fondation de la Haute Horlogerie.[3]

Management

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In 2017, the company appointed Patrick Pruniaux, a previous executive of Apple, as its new CEO.[34][35][23]

Innovations

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Ulysse Nardin has introduced several innovations.[6][15] In 1996, Ulysse Nardin released its first marine chronometer wristwatch "Marine Chronometer 1846", and first perpetual calendar "Perpetual Ludwig". These timepieces were designed by Ludwig Oechslin for the 150th anniversary of the brand.

In 2001, the company released the "Laboratory on the wrist" Freak watch. This timepiece has no hands, dial nor winding crown. The movement displays on the dial and forms the minute hand of the watch. This is also the first watch to use silicon in its movement. This use of silicon parts in a mechanical movement was an industry first.[31][3][9]

In 2005, the brand launched the "Freak Diamond Heart" watch, featuring a patented escapement made from synthetic diamonds.

In 2007, the brand released "Innovision 1" watch, featuring 10 innovations. The same year, the company presented a new material, Diamonsil[15], which combines silicium and synthetic diamonds.[36][37] It eliminates friction and removes the need for lubrication of the escapement. The brand also launched the "Freak DiamonSil" watch, using this nanotechnology for the escapement.[37]

In 2012, Ulysse Nardin launched its first automatic caliber, entirely conceived and manufactured in-house: UN-118.[37]

In 2013, Ulysse Nardin released five new in-house calibers: the UN-690, UN-310, UN-170, UN-150 and UN-205.

In 2017, the brand presented ten innovations, gathered within a new Freak watch, named "Innovision 2". One year later, the company launched the "Freak Vision" with three patents out of "Innovision 2" : "Grinder" winding system, constant power escapement and balance wheel in silicium with micro palets.

In 2019, Ulysse Nardin has released three new calibers: UN-230, UN-371 and UN-631.

Production

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Watchmanufacturing Notable inventions and patents The company has an integrated production system.[38] The majority of the work is done in-house, from conception, design, development and crafting[17] through to production. The brand produces its own high-precision components, movements[3][9] and calibers.[15]

In 2011, Ulysse Nardin acquired a Swiss enamaler workshop, Donzé Cadrans[39][15][31], that has provided the brand the opportunity to use enamel in its watch dials.[39][40][19] The company thus creates its own enamel dials. Pieces are heated to a high temperature (1500°F or 850°C) repeatedly, several times, as layers of color are added. This requires hours of work.[41]

Engineers, technical designers, caliber designers and drafting technicians develop new technologies, and design movements.[17] They produce prototypes and tools for the workshops.[17]

Profile turners or specialist setters supervise the production of pieces required for the balance axis, screws, pins and the other minute parts. Decorators engrave plates and bridges with distinctive patterns.[17] Experienced watchmakers then assemble the finished components, working on the movements of in-house calibers.[17]

A separate team of watchmakers, specialized in highly complicated timepieces, works on the movement assemblies and casings of complex mechanisms such as the minute repeater, hourstriker, tourbillon and astronomical timepieces. Quality-control experts carry out checks on everything from aesthetics to a timepiece’s functions or water-resistance.[17]

Some watches have a chronometer movement certified for accuracy by the Contrôle Officiel Suisse des Chronomètres, the official Swiss testing agency[29]. Ulysse Nardin has also its own quality certification, the Ulysse Nardin Certificate, with standards for quality higher than the COSC.[19][17]

The company still occupies its original headquarters in Le Locle,[23] one of the main watch production hubs[4] in northwest Switzerland and has also three manufacturing plants in:[31]

  • La Chaux-de-Fonds: R&D and movement production site
  • Le Locle: Donzé Cadrans site, which belongs to Ulysse Nardin but also produces enamel dials for other companies
  • Sion: Sigatec site, which produces micromecanics components in silicium

Notable models

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Freak

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xxxxxxxxxxxxxxUlysse Nardin introduced the Freak wristwatches in 2001.[7][25] The model contains a revolutionary 7-day carrousel-tourbillon, and has no (true) dial, crown or hands.[42] The movement contains silicon escapement components, and would rotate on itself to indicate time. [8][42] The watch model was named "Watch of the Year" in innovation category in 2002. [7][8]

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxThe current Freak model includes two series: Freak Out and Freak Vision (introduced in 2017).[42][43]

Trilogy of Time

[edit]

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxThe first advancement of the company was the "Trilogy of Time". This collection incorporated three different astrological pieces starting in 1985 with the release of the Astrolabium Galileo Galilei. The Astrolabium displays local and solar time, the orbits and eclipses of the sun and the moon and the positions of several major stars. It was named by the Guinness Book of Records in 1989 as the world's most-functional watch (with 21 distinct functions). Dr. Oechslin then followed the Astrolabium up with two other astronomical watches: in 1988 the Planetarium Copernicus (named after the stargazing theaters called planetariums and of astronomer Copernicus) and in 1992 the Tellurium Johannes Kepler (named after the Latin 'Tellus' meaning Earth, a Tellurian and astronomer Johannes Kepler). The Cloisonné dial of the Tellurium takes fifty-four processes, twelve baking operations and more than fifty hours of work by a skilled craftsmen to transform a draft sketch on a small metal disc into a unique work of art - each and every Tellurium is unique.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxThe first major advancement of the company after quartz crisis was the launch of "Trilogy of Time". This collection incorporated three different astronomical pieces starting in 1985 with the release of the Astrolabium Galileo Galilei, named after Italian astronomer Galileo Galilei.[44] The Astrolabium displays local and solar time, the orbits and eclipses of the sun and the moon and the positions of several major stars. It was named by the Guinness Book of Records in 1989 as the world's most-functional watch (with 21 distinct functions).[7][8]

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxDr. Oechslin then followed the Astrolabium up with two other astronomical watches: in 1988 the Planetarium Copernicus (named after the stargazing theaters called planetariums and of astronomer Copernicus) and in 1992 the Tellurium Johannes Kepler (named after the Latin 'Tellus' meaning Earth, a Tellurian and astronomer Johannes Kepler).[7] The Cloisonné dial of the Tellurium takes fifty-four processes, twelve baking operations and more than fifty hours of work by a skilled craftsmen to transform a draft sketch on a small metal disc into a unique work of art - each and every Tellurium is unique.[45]


  • Planetarium Copernicus
    Planetarium Copernicus
  • Astrolabium Galileo Galilei
    Astrolabium Galileo Galilei
  • Tellurium Johannes Kepler
    Tellurium Johannes Kepler


Notable patrons and owners

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  • xxxxxxxxxxxRandy Johnson, American former baseball player[46]
  • Michael Jordan, American basketball player[47]
  • xxxxxxxxxxxLarry King, American TV host[48]
  • Jeff Bezos, founder, chairman & CEO of Amazon[49][50]
  • Mohamed Salah, Egyptian football player, playing now at FC Liverpool
  • Andy Warhol, American artist
  • Tony Parker, French basketball player
  • Eva Longoria, American actress
  • John Wayne, American actor
  • Henry Fonda, American actor

Sponsorships

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Every two years, the brand participates in Only Watch, a charity auction operated under the patronage of Prince Albert II, where watchmaking companies create timepieces to raise funds for research on neuromuscular diseases[19]. In 2015, for the sixth edition of the Only Watch Charity Auction, the brand released the ”Only Watch Stranger” watch, equipped with a music box. On the hour, the watch plays Queen’s “We are the Champions” thanks to the copyright granted to Ulysse Nardin for its participation to the charity cause association. First introduced in 2013, the Stranger was named after Frank Sinatra’s 1966 song “Strangers in the Night”, that the timepiece reproduced through a musical box mechanism.[51]

Since 2017, Ulysse Nardin has been the official sponsor of Sweden's Artemis Racing team at the America's Cup race[38][52][20]. The brand is also the official sponsor of Monaco Yacht Show[19] and the Miami Yacht Show.

References

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  1. ^ Bues, Jon (18 August 2017). "Patrick Pruniaux appointed CEO of Ulysse Nardin". Hodinkee Business News.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h "Ulysse Nardin SA". Bloomberg. October 15, 2018.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o "Ulysse Nardin". Worldtempus.
  4. ^ a b c "Kering buys watchmaker Ulysse Nardin, posts mixed second quarter". Reuters. July 2014.
  5. ^ a b c d e "Luxury goods conglomerate snaps up Ulysse Nardin". National Jeweler. July 30, 2014.
  6. ^ a b c d "Ulysse Nardin". Watchtime Magazine.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Nardin, Ulysse (2017-07-26). "Relevance of history". Ulysse Nardin. Retrieved 2018-12-24.
  8. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "History - Fondation de la Haute Horlogerie". www.hautehorlogerie.org. Retrieved 2018-12-24.
  9. ^ a b c d e f "Kering Says Ulysse Nardin Acquisition Will Strengthen Jewelry And Watch Business". Forbes. July 30, 2014.
  10. ^ Barber, Timothy (2018-03-24). "From Apple to Switzerland: Patrick Pruniaux, CEO of Ulysse Nardin". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 2019-03-02.
  11. ^ "Ulysse Nardin – Sea dreams – FHH Journal". journal.hautehorlogerie.org. Retrieved 2019-03-02.
  12. ^ Doerr, Elizabeth. "Ulysse Nardin's Marine Torpilleur And Marine Tourbillon Torpedo Toward Value-Consciousness". Forbes. Retrieved 2019-03-02.
  13. ^ a b c "Ulysse Nardin, A Voyage Through Time". Ulysse Nardin. 2017-08-09. Retrieved 2018-12-24.
  14. ^ a b c d e f g h i "CEO of Ulysse Nardin Patrik P. Hoffman, introduces the "Freak"". Aeworld. August 21, 2015.
  15. ^ a b c d e f g "From the movement of the sea to the motion of haute horlogerie". How to Spend It. July 11, 2017.
  16. ^ "Ulysse Nardin | Kering". www.kering.com. Retrieved 2018-12-24.
  17. ^ a b c d e f g h "The people and passion behind Ulysse Nardin". How to Spend It. August 9, 2017.
  18. ^ "Historical background". Watch Museum of le Locle.
  19. ^ a b c d e f g "Loyal support for the prestigious Monaco Yacht Show and Only Watch charity auction". How to Spend It. August 9, 2017.
  20. ^ a b "Ulysse Nardin Unveils Limited Edition Artemis Racing Marine Diver". Forbes. August 28, 2015.
  21. ^ "Ulysse Nardin To Launch Patriotic 'Stars And Stripes' Watch On July 4". Forbes. July 1, 2018.
  22. ^ "Ulysse Nardin's 'Stars & Stripes' Watch Hits Stores Just in Time for July 4". Yahoo. June 20, 2018.
  23. ^ a b c d e "Putting Apple Watch Experience to Work at Ulysse Nardin". The New York Times. January 15, 2018.
  24. ^ "Portrait of Ludwig Oechslin". Ulysse Nardin. 2017-08-09. Retrieved 2018-12-24.
  25. ^ a b May 2, Jack Forster; 2018. "Hands-On: The Ulysse Nardin Freak 'Freak Out' Full Black". HODINKEE. Retrieved 2018-12-24. {{cite web}}: |last2= has numeric name (help)CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  26. ^ Ludwig Oechslin
  27. ^ "Ulysse Nardin, Audemars Piguet Raise Eurozone Prices as Sales Rebound". Watchtime. June 21, 2010.
  28. ^ "The Original Superwatch Gets a Fresh Update". Bloomberg. May 7, 2018.
  29. ^ a b "Watchmakers Bring African Savanna to Life". The New York Times. August 29, 2014.
  30. ^ "Ulysse Nardin SA". Bloomberg.
  31. ^ a b c d "Patrik Hoffmann, CEO Ulysse Nardin". Elite Traveler.
  32. ^ "Ulysse Nardin opens boutique in New York". Elite Traveler.
  33. ^ "Ulysse Nardin to Open Boutique Inside Ritz-Carlton New York". Haute Time. July 10, 2013.
  34. ^ "Ulysse Nardin CEO Patrick Pruniaux Unveils Startling '#FreakMeOut' Campaign". Forbes. June 2018.
  35. ^ Felder, Rachel (2018-01-15). "Putting Apple Watch Experience to Work at Ulysse Nardin". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2018-12-24.
  36. ^ "11 Watch Brands That Make Their Own Metals". Watchtime Magazine. August 2018.
  37. ^ a b c "Precise Future of Silicon Parts Still Being Debated". New York Times. November 2012.
  38. ^ a b "Striking sail". Business Times. July 5, 2017.
  39. ^ a b "Ulysse Nardin Jade Jellyfish Takes The Sting Out Of Setting Your Watch". Forbes. October 26, 2017.
  40. ^ "In Watches, Enamel Comes Back Into Style". The New York Times. March 23, 2017.
  41. ^ "Artisans Spend Hundreds of Hours Working on These $100,000 Watch Dials". Bloomberg. August 22, 2018.
  42. ^ a b c "Freak Collection". Ulysse Nardin. 2017-07-12. Retrieved 2018-12-24.
  43. ^ Team, Trefis. "Morgan Stanley Looks On Course To Post Record Equity Trading Revenues For 2018". Forbes. Retrieved 2018-12-24.
  44. ^ July 20, Jack Forster; 2017. "In-Depth: A Ulysse Nardin Tellurium Johannes Kepler, One Of The Three Original Trilogy Of Time Watches From The 1990s". HODINKEE. Retrieved 2019-02-04. {{cite web}}: |last2= has numeric name (help)CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  45. ^ July 20, Jack Forster; 2017. "In-Depth: A Ulysse Nardin Tellurium Johannes Kepler, One Of The Three Original Trilogy Of Time Watches From The 1990s". HODINKEE. Retrieved 2018-12-24. {{cite web}}: |last2= has numeric name (help)CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  46. ^ Bernardo, Written byMark (2015-06-11). "Star Time: 13 Celebrity-Branded Sports Watches". WatchTime - USA's No.1 Watch Magazine. Retrieved 2018-12-24.
  47. ^ "Watching Celeb Watches - Michael Jordan Sporting Some Rare Pieces". Monochrome Watches. 2014-08-22. Retrieved 2018-12-24.
  48. ^ Living, Haute (2011-04-04). "Larry King Recognized by Ulysse Nardin as He Embarks on Post-Broadcast Career". Haute Living. Retrieved 2018-12-24.
  49. ^ "Jeff Bezos, Style Icon". New York Times.
  50. ^ Chaparro, Frank. "These are the watches worn by the most powerful CEOs in the world". Business Insider. Retrieved 2018-12-24.
  51. ^ "The Strangest Watch At Only Watch 2015". Hautetime.com. September 25, 2015.
  52. ^ "Ulysse Nardin Marine Diver Artemis Racing Launches In Bermuda With A Win". Forbes. October 19, 2015.

Books

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  • "Independent luxury: the four innovation strategies to endure in the consolidation jungle", from Jonas Hoffmann, Laurent Lecamp
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