Ulysse Nardin Ulysse Nardin

Founded in 1846 by watchmaker Ulysse Nardin in Le Locle, Switzerland, the brand's trademark is an anchor, reflecting its early success in producing high-precision marine chronometers for navigation, which were in high demand from logistics and military perspectives. Around 1960, the company further refined its technology and expanded its business by producing models with complex mechanisms like minute repeaters and pocket chronometers. In 1965, the company moved its workshop to the Rue de la Jardin, where it still resides today. Even after Ulysse's death in 1976, the company continued its quest for precision, obtaining a patent for an improved chronograph timing wheel mechanism in 1911 and developing a split-second pocket chronograph capable of measuring to within one-tenth of a second in 1935. Another brilliant achievement came in 1975, when the Neuchâtel Observatory broke the previous 50-year record for chronometer performance.

In 83, businessman Rolf W. Schneider acquired the company and became CEO, accelerating the development of new technologies and the expansion of the collection. The Freak, released in 2001 and equipped with a center carousel mechanism that displays the time using the movement itself, was a pioneering model that introduced elements such as silicium, a new escapement, and a design that showcases the movement. Following Schneider's death in 11, the company became part of the Kering Group in 14. In addition to the Freak, the company currently offers the Marine and Diver collections, which carry on the design of the marine chronometer that is the company's origins.