ULYSSE NARDIN
Their “Genre Espagne” Pocket Watches
Ulysse Nardin: The Heritage of a Watchmaking Dynasty, from Precision to Innovation
The Origins of the Nardin Dynasty
The Nardins are a family from Haute-Saône in France, who came to Les Brenets in 1774 and were naturalized as citizens of Neuchâtel in 1786. Master Jean-Léonard Nardin is the first to be mentioned: these “people of stout pride and furious resolution” did not fear adventure. A builder by profession, he was deeply influenced by the surrounding watchmaking environment. However, occupied with the construction of bread ovens, cisterns, and dams, he could not dedicate himself to watchmaking. In contrast, his son, Léonard-Frédéric Nardin (1792–1859), established in Le Locle, completed a watchmaking apprenticeship and became an artist renowned for his repeater mechanisms. He thus founded the Nardin watchmaking dynasty, combining quality and precision. His son, Ulysse Nardin (1823–1876), heir to this passion, was formed by the finest local watchmaker, William Dubois. In 1846, Ulysse founded the firm bearing his name, which is universally known today. Originally, it was a simple trading house (comptoir) where precision watches and complex pieces were finished, contributing greatly to its renown.
The Consolidation of a Tradition
The founder’s son, Paul-David Nardin (1855–1920), perpetuated an ancient Le Locle tradition: the manufacturing of marine chronometers, following in the footsteps of J.-F. Houriet, Jurgensen, Favre-Bulle, Sylvain Mairet, Louis Richard, and Henry Grandjean, themselves inspired by the Neuchâtel natives Ferdinand Berthoud and Abraham-Louis Breguet. However, loyalty was not limited to employers: collaborators such as the Rosat family (Henri Rosat the elder, Henri Rosat the younger, Auguste Rosat, Pierre Béguin) distinguished themselves as precision adjusters, appearing regularly alongside the Nardins on the prize lists of chronometric competitions.
Today, the Nardin firm occupies a unique place in Switzerland: specialized in precious instruments for navigators, whose precision has improved over the years thanks to the work, intelligence, and quest for perfection of the constructors and adjusters.
Innovations and Key Collaborations
Paul-David Nardin played a crucial role in the introduction of the Guillaume integral balance wheel, which is now universally used in all chronometers where precision is required. His collaboration with the scientist Charles-Édouard Guillaume was particularly fruitful, encouraged by his training under Jules Grossmann, who instilled in him a deep respect for scientific research. He also transformed the patriarchal workshop into a modern manufacture, integrating a technical office, a laboratory, and precision instruments.
The Nardin firm did not merely improve horological products; it also contributed to the scientific development of the Swiss watchmaking industry. Henri Rosat served for many years as the federal inspector of watchmaking schools and an ardent defender of the Horological Research Laboratory (Laboratoire de recherches horlogères), while Gaston Nardin acted as its active president at a time when this institution was still viewed with suspicion.
Ulysse Nardin Pocket Watch No. 4624. Quarter Repeater, 53 mm, circa 1870, 18k yellow gold hunting-case (savonnette) featuring a “bassine et filets” design with a fluted band, its cover and case back entirely engraved with floral and foliage motifs. Hinged gold dust cover with a guilloché border, engraved with technical details, alongside an inner counter-dust cover with a hinged, gold-rimmed glass. Silvered “genre Espagne” dial. The center of the composition features small gilded motifs of varied hues and textures, printed in micro-relief to form a floral decoration highlighted against a finely engraved and burin-stippled silver background. The hour circle is composed of Roman numerals traced in lampblack, with the spaces between the figures adorned with burin-engraved motifs. Small concave stamped pearls arranged along the dial’s periphery mark the minutes. The outer edge is decorated with a floral garland of varied textured gilded elements in micro-relief, complementing the central motif. The small-seconds sub-dial, featuring hand-painted numerals, displays a starburst guilloché pattern centered on the subsidiary seconds axis. Blued steel “Stuart pear” hands complete this piece. Rhodium-plated 19-ligne movement with 23 jewels. Pendant winding system and time-setting operated via a push-piece on the case band at 4 o’clock. Equipped with a wolf’s-tooth winding train ensuring smooth and robust power transmission. Straight-line lever escapement, cut bimonthly compensation balance, blued steel Breguet balance spring, index regulator, and a gong repeater mechanism activated by a slide on the case band.
The Role of the Adjuster
A well-constructed watch does not guarantee optimal performance: precision adjustment is necessary, which is the work of the adjuster (régleur). For a firm participating in chronometric competitions (Neuchâtel, Geneva, Teddington, Hamburg, Washington) and universal exhibitions, the adjuster was an essential collaborator. Among the most prominent of the Ulysse Nardin firm are: Henri Rosat the elder, Paul-David Nardin, Henri Rosat the younger, Henri Gerber, Ernest Nardin, Auguste Rosat, and Louis Augsburger.
The success of the Nardin firm was the result of the combined efforts of directors, technicians, adjusters, and workers of both genders. The founders knew how to give it an almost familial character, recognizing that the worker is not a machine: their health, motivation, and sense of belonging were priorities. This vision, rooted in religious values, made the Nardins pioneers in the social domain. Paul-David, for example, tackled the problem of alcoholism, introduced the English week (a five-day workweek), and created an autonomous pension fund for employees and workers.
Paul-David Nardin: Innovation and Heritage
Born in Le Locle on November 3, 1855, Paul-David inherited the talent of his father, Ulysse Nardin, one of the finest craftsmen of precision timepieces. Alongside Henri Rosat the elder, his expert visitor, they produced remarkable pieces in their small family trading house (comptoir), specializing in marine chronometry. While other watchmakers such as Frédéric-Louis Favre, Sylvain Mairet, Louis-Jean Richard, and Henry Grandjean created unique pieces, Ulysse Nardin foresaw the possibility of a true marine chronometer industry, and it was Paul-David who turned it into reality.
At the age of 20, Paul-David was already adjusting chronometers for Sylvain Mairet, winning first prizes at the observatory competitions of Neuchâtel and Hamburg. Following his father’s untimely death, he took over the management of the company with remarkable success. In 1877, he partnered with Henri Rosat the younger, with whom he maintained a 44-year collaboration marked by innovation and friendship.
Technical Advancements
Paul-David Nardin was not content to merely reproduce existing models; he constantly sought to perfect horology. In 1885, he simplified the recording chronometer, generalizing its use in the scientific field. Drawing upon Phillips‘ theory of terminal curves (learned from Grossmann), he adjusted isochronism without deforming the curves, thanks to fine guide pins that limited the play of the balance spring blade. Later, a device devised by Henri Rosat made it possible to precisely adjust this essential condition.
In 1899, upon the discovery of Charles-Édouard Guillaume‘s integral compensation balance (steel-nickel and brass), Paul-David adopted it immediately, describing it as the greatest advancement achieved in chronometry. This invention resolved a historical problem: the correction of secondary error. In 1900, a Nardin chronometer, No. 65, equipped with this balance, was presented at the Paris Chronometry Congress during the Exposition Universelle, reducing the secondary error from -1.9s to -0.3s and earning the admiration of the scientific community.
Expansion and Recognition
Under his leadership, the production of marine chronometers assumed considerable importance, acquiring a universal reputation. Paul-David also explored small-format marine chronometry, which was rapidly adopted by admiralties and scientists. Deck chronometers (with or without electrical recording) became essential tools for navigators and researchers.
To meet growing demand, he expanded his team and transformed the manufacturing of simple watches and chronographs, multiplying the capacity of his workshops. The Nardin brand united harmonious design with technical robustness. Among his key collaborators were his well-trained sons, alongside Georges Rahm, a commercial representative who expanded the brand across Europe and beyond.
Trials and Precision
In 1868, Ulysse Nardin participated in the Neuchâtel Observatory competition with two lever chronometers featuring flat balance springs with Philips terminal curves and no fusee, whose rate variations were so minimal that the observatory director, Dr. Ad. Hirsch, described them as:
“True timekeepers that would render service even to astronomers and navigators.”
The typical marine chronometer, housed in a mahogany box and maintained horizontally by a Cardan suspension, measured 95 mm in diameter (movement) and 60 mm in height. Its adjustment—centered on the balance and temperature compensation after fitting the balance spring—was the most delicate step to meet the demands of admiralties. To prove their precision, these instruments were subjected to rigorous temperature trials at the Neuchâtel Observatory for 63 days (alternating between 36°C, 4°C, and returning to 36°C), evaluating:
The mean daily rate variations.
The thermal coefficient.
The proportionality deviation.
The rate recovery.
Ulysse Nardin: A Dynasty Crowned with Awards and Precision
The Ulysse Nardin firm accumulated an impressive collection of distinctions over the decades: as early as 1846, its marine chronometers won gold medals and precision certificates at the Neuchâtel Observatory competitions, while in 1862, it was awarded the Prize Medal at the London International Exhibition for its complicated watches and pocket chronometers. In 1876, it obtained the Unique Prize of Honor with gold medal at the Geneva International Adjustment Competition, an exceptional tribute for its marine and pocket chronometers. In 1889 and 1900, it won the Grand Prix in Paris, and in 1893, it was premiated at the Chicago Universal Exposition.
Awards and Accolades
His creations accumulated 201 prizes at the Neuchâtel and Geneva Observatories for the best chronometer rates, in addition to 4,324 certificates, 2,411 special prizes, and 18 gold medals obtained up to 1975. These awards stand as a testament to his unmatched excellence in chronometry.
Heritage and Continuity
Paul-David surrounded his firm with an elite team. His management staff, much like his workshops trained according to his principles, maintained its renown. His sons and collaborators such as Georges Rahm ensured the continuity of his work, extending its influence on a global scale.
The Nardin firm demonstrated that art and precision could serve marine chronometry, benefiting not only admiralties but also scientific institutes requiring time measured with an authenticity certified by the observatories. As a Geneva newspaper emphasized in 1790:
“Without a good observatory, the watchmaker is in the absolute impossibility of studying, comparing, and exactly adjusting the rate of his watches and chronometers.”
Modern Era and Renaissance
Over the past century, Ulysse Nardin has continued to push the boundaries of horology: after coming close to bankruptcy in 1978 and being acquired by Ogival of Le Locle in 1979, the brand was successfully revived by Rolf W. Schnyder in 1983, alongside a group of investors including the renowned horologist and scientist Dr. Ludwig Oechslin, marking the beginning of a new golden era. Under his leadership, the manufacture innovated with iconic models such as the Freak (2001), the first timekeeper without a crown or traditional hands, and pioneered the use of silicon components through its partnership with Sigatec (founded in 2006). Since 2014, integrated into the Kering group, and under the leadership of Patrick Pruniaux starting in 2017, Ulysse Nardin has expanded its Freak collection with models like the Freak X, Freak ONE, and Freak S, while preserving its artisanal heritage and innovative spirit. Since 2022, the brand has belonged to the Sowind Group SA following a management buyout.
Charles-Antoine LeCoultre
Their “Genre Espagne” Pocket Watches
From Mechanical Genius to the Foundations of a High Manufacture
Youth and Training (1803–1829)
Charles-Antoine LeCoultre (1803–1881) began very young by making handmade lace, an industry that has since disappeared from the region; he then began crafting knives for his schoolmates, which later led him, alongside his father Jacques, to manufacture the first LeCoultre razors—instruments that, thanks to their special tempering, now enjoy an almost universal reputation.
From 1819 to 1825, Antoine worked alongside his father on the pins and combs (claviers) of musical boxes intended for his uncles in Geneva, as well as on his own account. In 1825, he also collaborated on the manufacture of musical boxes directed by his uncles, and he had a special talent for successfully executing the combs he undertook.
Although his parents were not watchmakers, his natural aptitudes drew him in that direction, and in 1827, he manufactured the first pinion cut from solid steel and produced the first cutter capable of giving the leaves of pinions a regular shape—an operation that was previously performed by hand in a very imperfect manner.
In August 1828, he left the Vallée for Geneva, with the intention of learning the watchmaker’s trade (registered in the foreign registry in Geneva on August 7, 1828). At the watchmaking school in Geneva, he took courses in drawing, mathematics, physics, and chemistry, and took a keen interest in gear trains and escapements. He entered the workshop of his uncle François LeCoultre, where he worked alongside his cousin Adolphe Nicole of London. Antoine had his residence permit in Geneva renewed five times.
Return to the Vallée and Early Career (1829–1841)
Antoine LeCoultre is the founder of the great LeCoultre enterprise in Le Sentier. A man of genius, passionate about mechanics, inventive, and persevering.
Upon returning to the Vallée in 1829, his watchmaking work blended with the manufacture of knives, razors, as well as watchmaking tasks such as planting, finishing, and balance gilding.
In 1830, he had to form a partnership with his father, likely for cash-flow reasons: the company name became “Jacques David LeCoultre et Fils“. In 1831, he married Julie Zélie Golay, and then in 1833, following differing views on workshop equipment, the partnership with his father was dissolved. Antoine then moved to the first floor of the old LeCoultre house to manufacture pinions, with the razors remaining on the ground floor.
In addition to pinions, his production evolved toward other watch components, with the objective of supplying ebauches (blancs). He diversified further by developing, in 1837, an officer’s spyglass for measuring distances. In 1837, along with his brother Ulysse, they inherited land from their uncle Henri Joseph. Two years later, Antoine constructed a building to house his workshop (the house built by Antoine LeCoultre at La Golisse).
For many years, he was a supplier of pinions to the leading French manufacturers of marine chronometers; but this branch of watchmaking was not yet the supreme goal of his industrial ambition, and although it had earned him high awards at several Universal Expositions, he handed it over to his brother and set to work on achieving the supply of mechanically executed ebauches.
Partnership with Ulysse and Innovations (1842–1849)
From 1842 to 1849, he worked under the business name “Antoine LeCoultre et Frère“. As their business was thriving, Antoine was able to dedicate himself to perfecting his tooling. In 1844, he built with his own hands the “millionometer“, the world’s first instrument capable of measuring a thousandth of a millimeter, or a micron.
A tireless researcher, endowed with extraordinary perseverance and never discouraged, he always found new ways to work faster and better. Although he had not undertaken specialized studies, he possessed truly remarkable aptitudes for mechanics; after spending long nights inventing a machine or a new tool, he would execute it with his own hands. His efforts were crowned with success, and, by 1847, he was already supplying movements with a keyless winding system of his invention—a system that, after undergoing a few modifications, remains highly popular today.
Separation from Ulysse and Industrial Development (1849–1865)
Following his separation from his brother Ulysse, and after mastering the manufacture of razors, music box combs, pinions, and other components, he developed a wide range of calibers supplied as ebauches (blancs). At the London Universal Exhibition in 1851, he achieved recognition with a gold medal. These distinctions were followed, among others, by a bronze medal in Paris in 1867, two gold medals—one at the Paris Universal Exhibition in 1889, the other at the Swiss National Exhibition in Geneva in 1896—as well as a position as a jury member, hors concours, in Paris in 1900.
Since 1850, he had established business relations with a certain Jean Gallay in Geneva. In 1853, the latter married Antoine‘s daughter and signed a partnership contract: Jean Gallay as seller, Antoine as manufacturer. Ten months after this association, Antoine had more than a third of his balance sheet tied up in Geneva. Family disputes ensued, ending in court. The consigned merchandise in Geneva was returned in poor condition, causing Antoine to lose a great deal of money.
Completely devastated, Antoine was supported by his son Élie, who, despite being only 16 years old, succeeded in preventing his father from filing for bankruptcy. With the help of his brother-in-law Gaspar Golay, he gradually paid off his creditors and reimbursed the promissory notes signed by Jean Gallay. A reading of the inventories reveals that he even lodged and fed the workers of his enterprise! At 57 years of age, Antoine LeCoultre found himself obliged to pledge all his assets, down to his own gold watch, to avoid disgrace.
Under his leadership, and thanks to the tooling he built, the manufacture of keyless stem-winding systems took on such considerable importance in his establishment that he had to enlarge his workshops and purchase a steam engine in 1865.
Expansion and Modernization (1866–1881)
Driven into a corner on all sides, on the advice of his nephew David Borloz, Antoine meets with the director of the Vallorbe forges. The latter proposes creating a joint-stock company and suggests taking his nephew Auguste Borgeaud as a partner for the commercial side. Ultimately, a limited partnership composed of 6 other shareholders is created: “LeCoultre Borgeaud & Cie“.
Starting in 1866, it is decided to bring together under one roof all the stages of watch manufacturing, from initial cutting to engraving and final enameling. During the early years, sales progress, which increases the need for working capital, and profits barely suffice to cover interest.
In 1870, the first mechanically manufactured repeater and chronograph calibers; in 1871, a new winding mechanism. Following a crisis triggered by Borgeaud, Élie elaborates the project to repatriate the machinery to the Vallée. In record time, they fit out the farmhouse adjacent to the factory by piercing 70 windows, equipping the workshops with a 3 or 4 HP steam engine and its transmissions.
Retirement of Antoine and Succession (1877–1881)
In 1877, Auguste Borgeaud, whose health was compromised following a horseback riding accident, left his partners to return to Geneva. Antoine, the owner of the buildings, retired at 74 years of age. His three sons, Benjamin, Élie, and Paul, inherited a fine production apparatus that would enable them, through the creation of new calibers, to weather the crisis.
Heritage, End of Life, and Social Contribution (1881–1899)
On April 26, 1881, Antoine LeCoultre passed away at the age of 78 years and 10 days. In 1883, long before the electrification of towns, the manufacture adopted electric lighting in its workshops. Between 1877 and 1887, sales rose from 160,000 to 354,000 francs, and debts were reduced from 323,000 to 190,000 francs.
In 1890, the manufacture produced 156 calibers (125 simple calibers and 31 of the most complicated calibers) and employed some 500 workers.
In 1897, Élie‘s son, Jacques-David III LeCoultre, entered the factory as a simple worker. In 1899, Jacques-David‘s entry marked a new milestone.
Political Role and Social Contribution
Charles-Antoine LeCoultre also played a significant role as a statesman: from 1852 to 1858, he served on the Grand Council; and for approximately forty years, he was a member of the Municipal Council of Le Chenit.
The prosperity of the Vallée owes much to the initiative of this industrious pioneer. By early on providing flawless pinions to the region’s watchmakers, he largely contributed to establishing the superiority of their products; furthermore, many of the small mechanical devices invented by him passed into the hands of the workers of the Vallée, granting them a marked advantage over workers relying on traditional methods.
L’alliance historique avec Jaeger et l’héritage intemporel de Jaeger-LeCoultre
En 1903, la rencontre entre la manufacture LeCoultre et le Parisien Edmond Jaeger, spécialiste des mouvements ultraplats, marqua un tournant décisif. Jaeger, impressionné par la précision des calibres de LeCoultre, proposa une collaboration pour allier l’expertise suisse en mécanique de haute précision à l’innovation française. Ainsi naquit Jaeger-LeCoultre, une union qui propulsa la marque au sommet de l’horlogerie de luxe.
Cette alliance permit le développement de complications horlogères révolutionnaires, comme le calibre 145 en 1907, alors le mouvement le plus plat du monde, et posa les bases d’icônes intemporelles telles que la Reverso en 1931, montre à boîtier réversible devenue symbole d’élégance et de robustesse.
Aujourd’hui, Jaeger-LeCoultre, intégrée au groupe Richemont, perpétue cet héritage d’excellence. Son atelier historique du Sentier, au cœur de la vallée de Joux, abrite toujours plus de 180 métiers sous un même toit, de la conception à l’assemblage final. Avec plus de 1 200 calibres créés depuis sa fondation, la manufacture reste un pilier de l’industrie, alliant tradition et innovation dans chaque pièce, tout en honorant la quête inlassable de précision et de perfection initiée par Antoine LeCoultre.
