Ulysse Nardin

The Ulysse Nardin house has been created in 1845 at Le Locle in Switzerland, by Ulysse Nardin, who is only 23 at the time.

The house specializes in the production of watches.

Ulysse has first entered the business near his father, Léonard-Frédéric, then under the leadership of William Dubois. He improved at the contact of a master specialist of the navy chronometers as well as of astronomical watches. The founder specialized in this branch and has thus developed a indisputable know-how in the field of timepieces with complications.

The brand will impose itself in the field of the marine transport and will supply the navy of about fifty nations. The functionalities as well as the high degree of precision of the realizations of the company leads to the fact that it will be distinguished by « The Prize Medal » in 1862 during the international exhibition of London. This prize rewards in particular the pocket chronometers and places the company within the circle of the leaders of this category.

1865 sees the establishment of the company in the premises of number 3, rue du Jardin in Locle. The house has then been taken over by the Nardin son, called Paul David, in 1876, upon the death of the founder. Under his direction, the Nardin company continues its adventure. The year 1878, which is that of universal exhibition of Paris, rewards once more the company with a gold medal in the field of pocket and navy chronometers. The house has received the same prize in 1893 during the universal exhibition of Chicago. In 1935, Ulysse Nardin launches a pocket chronometer whose extreme precision echoed in the field of the sport timing. From 1889 to 1964, the company has won 18 gold medals as well as eight grand prizes during different international exhibitions. After the second world war, the company specialized in the high precision watches with automatic winding as well as the ultra-flat models.

However, the Ulysse Nardin company has gone at the end of the 70s through a dark period due to the crisis.