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 chronometers of both marine and pocket varieties. His brand won the Prize Medal for their complicated watches and pocket chronometers 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 focused 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 the 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. The underlying dial has a shallow, asymmetric gratté texture, to which the enamel is applied. This gives it a particularly lustrous, shimmering appearance. A varying number of layers of enamel have been applied to different parts to create shades of the same hue, producing a very pleasing and natural appearance. The light blue of the sky meets the darker blue of the snow-capped peaks of Cime de l’est, Forteresse, and Dent Jaune of the Dents du Midi range. The same effect is applied to the flora surrounding the castle to the effect of the three-dimensionality of the scenery. The mediaeval castle itself, which was built across the Savoy, Bernese, and Vaudois periods on a small promontory on the eastern tip of Lake Geneva, is depicted with impressive detail, with its towers and its many staggered rooftops finished finely. The cerulean expanse of Lake Geneva spreads out beyond the shores of Chillon Island.
This reference, of which 10 were made, features a chapter of applied plots serving as hour markers, while the printed brand mark and applied anchor logo are situated at 12 o’clock. At 6 o'clock, “Chillon Castle” is printed in a silvery shade, as is this piece’s number in the 10-piece series. It features platinum, leaf-style hours and minutes hands and a simple seconds’ hand.
The 37mm platinum case is thin and classical. Evenly polished, the rounded bezel meets the rounded midcase. The crown, with its eight scalloped grooves, features the Ulysse Nardin mark. 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 a calfskin strap in a vibrant shade of blue, affixed with a platinum-signed pin 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, a monometallic balance, a self-compensating flat balance spring, and hacking functionality. The view of the calibre is obscured by a platinum 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 inner boxes. While other examples in the San Marco range have been produced in limited numbers, the Chillon Castle represents one of the smallest series even within this set.
If sold within the United Kingdom, this Ulysse Nardin San Macro will be subject to 20% VAT.
