Ulysse Nardin Freak

Technology is driving the world at unfathomable speed. It has also steered the course of the Ulysse Nardin watch manufacture for close to two centuries. Innovation after innovation, the company has been taking the profession into the future as it brings a high-tech approach to the age-old art of Fine Watchmaking. Established in 1846 by a 23-year-old Ulysse Nardin, the brand carries on both the name and the enterprising spirit of its founder. Having trained as a watchmaker and specialist in complications, Ulysse Nardin had his sights set on greatness. He chose his birthplace of Le Locle, in the Swiss Jura, the home of the watch industry, to set up his business. The young Ulysse quickly spotted the rising demand for pocket and marine chronometers that could measure time with absolute precision. He made them his speciality, and was soon supplying international shipping companies with the reliable deck instruments they needed to safely ply the open seas. From the very beginning, Ulysse Nardin's timepieces were remarkable for their innovation and prize-winning precision. They contributed to greater efficiency in trade and would chart the course of the company's future. Over the decades, Ulysse Nardin was awarded over 4,300 distinctions, including 18 gold medals. In 1983, the brand reached a new point in its history when Rolf W. Schnyder took over the company and joined with Ludwig Oechslin to form a partnership that would be crowned with success. Renowned for its revolutionary concepts, such as the Freak and the Perpetual Calendar, the company also led research into new materials, in particular silicon. This position at the forefront of technology and innovation goes as far back as the company itself, and has given Ulysse Nardin its singular status in Swiss watchmaking.