Ulysse Nardin SA is a Swiss luxury watchmaking company founded in 1846 in Le Locle, Switzerland.
Ulysse Nardin is the Pioneering Manufacture inspired by the sea and delivering innovative timepieces to free spirits
The company became known in the nautical world for manufacturing highly accurate marine chronometers and complicated timepieces used by over 50 of the world’s Navies from the end of the 19th century until 1950. Ulysse Nardin garnered its reputation for accuracy as early as 1862 achieving the Prize Medal for pocket chronometers at the International Exhibition in London and by the mid 1970’s had accumulated over 4,300 certificates and ten gold medals for the accurate performance of its marine chronometers. It is a heritage that the brand continues to draw on in terms of its inspiration, and we have seen many variations of collections that pay homage to its archives, as well as ones, such as the Freak, from 2001 which challenged the conventions of watchmaking by adapting the carousel to a 60-minute rotation so the movement platform could double as a minute hand, with the mainspring drum geared to act as an hour hand. It also introduced the use of silicon to watch movements for the first time ever. Met with some industry scepticism at the time this material is now commonplace in many manufacturers’ collections. Ulysse Nardin is committed to achieving the 17 United Nations guidelines on Sustainable Development by 2030. Because of the brand’s connection with the oceans, they have a particular interest in developing scientific knowledge concerning the shark preservation and upcycling to reduce marine plastic pollution, and work with organisations to recycle fishing nets and bottles into watch straps and components such as bezels. They also support The Ocean Race, an around the world yacht race that aims to inspire and educate people on the plight of the seas. We included Ulysse Nardin in our ‘Divers’ campaign among other prestigious luxury watch brands and we always see a great response across our digital marketing channels when we promote the brand. At Watches and Wonders, we were delighted to interview their CMO, Françoise Bezzola, about its new collections launched at the fair, including their iconic Freak collection. Ulysse Nardin has also featured throughout our Calibre editorial platform with watch journalists, such as Watches International editor, Stephen Watson, contributing to cover the brand. The brand was also included in our ambitious and hugely successful multi-channel Watches of Switzerland US “Anytime. Anywhere.” campaign.
Our Partnership
The Ulysse Nardin Skeleton X limited edition was a US exclusive edition debuting at Mayors and Watches of Switzerland showrooms. The Executive Skeleton X featured a 42 mm titanium case with an 18k rose gold bezel. The timepiece is powered by the Calibre UN-371 and has an impressive four-day power reserve.
Supporting One More Wave
As part of the exciting launch, we were proud to support One More Wave, a non-profit organisation founded by surfing Navy SEALs with a passion to help those in need. For selected Ulysse Nardin watch purchases, the first 20 customers received a complimentary gift with purchase. The custom-made surfboard was not only a fantastic gift to receive, but also helped support One More Wave and their objective to help wounded or disabled veterans with surf therapy and to get them back in the water by providing customised surfing equipment and assistance.
