| |
Know
the truth behind the mechanical watch: That it's alive only because
of the human touch. This is the raison d'etre of Ulysse Nardin's
business: creating watches of enduring value which are likely to
last much beyond our times. Complimented with an assurance from
Rolf W Schnyder, CEO of Ulysse Nardin, that "the manufacture (factory)
will be here to take care of your watch for as long as you own it
- and even beyond", the cognoscenti grab its creations while they're
still hot. Historically, Ulysse Nardin was best known for being
a manufacturer of marine chronometers, but today it has transformed
itself into a highly innovative watchmaker producing complicated
mechanical watches. Before the advent of quartz timepieces, merchant
and military ships relied on highly accurate mechanical timepieces
known as marine chronometers.
The
Ulysse Nardin collection is in the proud tradition of quality and
mechanical innovation. Its consistent excellence had also been recognized
by the award of 18 international gold medals and 4,300 first prizes
in chronometric excellence.
Like
other great Swiss brands, the 1970s were not kind to Ulysse Nardin
and the firm fell on hard times. In 1983 Ulysse Nardin was acquired
by businessman Rolf Schynder who along with watchmaker Dr Ludwig
Oechslin re-launched the brand as an innovative company on the leading
edge of watch design. "At the time I took over, the Swiss watch
industry was in the doldrums. Mechanical watches were being made
only in India and China. It has grown over the years. At the time
I took over, we had 35 people at Ulysse Nardin. Now we have 2,220
people," says Schnyder.
|
