As you can probably guess, the brand owes its name to its founder Ulysse Nardin, who was born in 1823 in Le Locle, Switzerland. He initially trained in the art of watchmaking under his father, Leonard-Frederic Nardin, and later perfected his skills with two other masters, Frederic William Dubois and Louis JeanRichard-dit-Bressel. He established his own manufacture at the tender age of 23 in the distant year of 1846 and managed it single-handedly until his death in 1876, when control passed into the hands of his 21-year-old son, Paul-David Nardin.
From those distant years to the present day, Ulysse Nardin has flourished, crafting some of the finest and most complex movements in the industry. A series of famous achievements and timepieces followed, with which the brand increasingly established itself as one of the major players in the watchmaking industry. Every self-respecting collector either has or at some stage of their hobby plans to have at least one representative of this manufacture in their collection.
The Marine Torpilleur is a slightly different version of the incredible marine chronometers that were made for decades, and is undoubtedly a timepiece that continues the tradition and impeccably upholds its glorious heritage.
The specific model was first introduced in 2016 and is current in the brand's model range, and this particular example is in the most "maritime"—at least in my opinion—combination with a blue dial with applied Roman numerals and a practical three-link bracelet (those of us who have had to buy a strap for a Ulysse Nardin will especially appreciate the fact that the bracelet will free them from this recurring expense). This timepiece does not have a distinctly modern feel, which most of today's manufacturers aim for in their contemporary models, but is rather sport-elegant and discreetly aristocratic.
The double anti-reflective coating is so effective that at certain angles, it creates the impression that you can touch the dial and the hands with nothing to stop you. Ulysse Nardin makes no compromises with the case back of this model – on this model it is transparent, the model and serial numbers are engraved on its frame, and through the rear crystal, one is given the opportunity to enjoy the watch's movement, on the finishing of which Ulysse Nardin has put in a great deal of effort. In fact, the movement deserves special attention as this is the first movement entirely crafted by the manufacture in a long time, first introduced in 2012 – with many patents, materials developed specially for Ulysse Nardin (DIAMonSIL), 50 jewels, a 60-hour power reserve, and a unique finish that can be enjoyed through the transparent case back – even the rotor alone deserves a separate topic, but let's not bore you any further.
