Customize Consent Preferences

We use cookies to help you navigate efficiently and perform certain functions. You will find detailed information about all cookies under each consent category below.

The cookies that are categorized as "Necessary" are stored on your browser as they are essential for enabling the basic functionalities of the site. ... 

Always Active

Necessary cookies are required to enable the basic features of this site, such as providing secure log-in or adjusting your consent preferences. These cookies do not store any personally identifiable data.

No cookies to display.

Functional cookies help perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collecting feedback, and other third-party features.

No cookies to display.

Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics such as the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.

No cookies to display.

Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.

No cookies to display.

Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with customized advertisements based on the pages you visited previously and to analyze the effectiveness of the ad campaigns.

No cookies to display.

Throwback Thursday: Ulysse Nardin Minute Repeater

Throwback Thursday: Ulysse Nardin Minute Repeater

Martin Green
By Martin Green July 29, 2021

Ulysse Nardin is a brand that has not only a rich heritage but also a very diverse one. The brand was founded in 1846 in Le Locle, Switzerland, and quickly made a name for itself with its high precision chronometers. While Ulysse Nardin has always thrived in mechanical excellence, they have presented their watches in a wide variety of different styles. Whether it is restrained or progressive, the brand’s most outstanding achievement is most likely that they have all made it their own. Their DNA is undeniably present in all creations, including this exceptional minute repeater from 1950.

UN Minute repeater front

Its style is very understated, reminiscent of the San Marco collection of a later date. The three-part case oozes excellence, with clean, seemingly simple lines that give this 36mm watch a lot of character. Because the majority of space is dedicated to the dial, the watch wears larger than one would expect based on its diameter. The dial is another way in which Ulysse Nardin demonstrates its capability to make a big difference with small details. The gloss finish of the dial stands out by the slightly recessed subdial for the seconds, which features a circular guilloche motif. The hour markers add more depth to the dial, with those at three and nine o’clock shaped like small pyramids. The top of the dial offers a strong focal point with an Arabic 12 in gold, placed above the modest printing of Ulysse Nardin’s name and location of their manufacture. The brand placed the minute markers are at the same level as the dial, combining practicality with beauty.

UN minute repeaterPhoto Credit: Phillips

This watch is so discrete that one would almost forget that it houses one of the most coveted complications in watchmaking: a minute repeater. Just a discrete slide on the side of the case is evidence of this. When activated, the manual wound caliber sounds the correct time on two gongs, folded around the movement. It is this understated sense of style that makes this Ulysse Nardin such a very special watch and part of the great legacy of the brand. This particular timepiece was auctioned in 2018 by Phillips and fetched CHF 93,750