Wristwatches · Wristwatch
18ct yellow gold Ulysee Nardin, diamond set bracelet watch with lapis lazuli dial, 1970s
- Maker / attribution
- Ulysee Nardin (maker)
- Date
- 1970s
- Historical period
- Quartz Revolution (1969 – 1990)
- Country of origin
- Unrecorded in source
- Object type
- Wristwatch
- Materials / technique
- yellow gold
- Dimensions
- Case 12 mm
- Stock no.
- G1110
- Credit line
- Dealer listing, Somlo Antiques (G1110)
- Catalogue title (original)
- 18ct yellow gold Ulysee Nardin, diamond set bracelet watch with lapis lazuli dial. Made 1970's (English)
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Record summary
Catalogued by Somlo Antiques (dealer), London (stock number G1110), this is a wristwatch by Ulysee Nardin, dated 1970s. The Atlas places it in the Quartz Revolution period (1969 – 1990) of its Wristwatches collection. Materials and techniques recorded by the source: yellow gold. Recorded dimensions: Case 12 mm. The record is illustrated with 4 photographs.
Assembled from the source record's structured fields. Dates and attributions are given as the source states them; where a field is missing the Atlas leaves it blank rather than estimating.
Catalogue description
Dealer description — Somlo Antiques
The company was founded in 1846 by the 23-year-old Ulysse Nardin in Le Cloche, Switzerland. Ulysse Nardin trained as a watchmaker and in particular in specialist in complications. At a young age the young Ulysse quickly spotted the rising demand for pocket and marine chronometers that could measure time with absolute precision. His reputation was unsurpassed and he has written some of the finest chapters in the history of Haute Horlogerie. Hence the company became known in the nautical world for manufacturing highly accurate marine chronometers and complicated timepieces used by over fifty of the world's navies from the end of the 19th century till 1950. According to the last official report of the Neuchâtel Observatory in Switzerland, Ulysse Nardin had won numerous awards and honours for its marine chronometers from 1846 to 1975, including 4324 certificates, 2411 special prizes and 18 gold medals at international exhibitions. The brand also became famous for producing bespoke jewellery timepieces for many of their famous clientele. Brand: Ulysee Nardin Made: 1970's Model: Bracelet watch Reference: N/A Calibre : N/A Movement: Manual Material: 18ct yellow gold Features/complications: Marquise shaped diamond set bezel Dial: Lapis lazuli dial with gold mirror polished baton hands Case dimensions: 18 x 12mm Bracelet/strap: Integrated 18ct yellow gold chevron link bracelet, length approximately 1 75mm Accessories: N/A SKU: 1110
Historical context
Quartz Revolution (1969 – 1990)
Seiko's Astron begins mass quartz timekeeping; traditional industries contract sharply.
Quartz and digital watches transformed the market after 1969. Swiss employment collapsed, Japanese and Hong Kong production soared, and the Swatch (1983) helped the Swiss industry recover; mechanical watches survived as luxury goods.
Read the period in the timelineMore wristwatches from this periodEarlier: Modern Mechanical Horology
Atlas type guide
Wristwatches
Bracelet watches were worn by women from the early nineteenth century — Breguet made one for Caroline Murat, Queen of Naples, in 1810–12 — but the wristwatch only became a man's instrument with military use and aviation in the early twentieth century. Between the World Wars it overtook the pocket watch; the 1920s and 1930s brought rectangular Art Deco cases, water-resistant cases and the first automatic winding systems.
After 1945 the wristwatch became a carrier of identity — dress watches, sports and dive watches, chronographs, calendars — produced by Swiss, American, Japanese, German, Soviet and Chinese industries. The quartz revolution after 1969 and the mechanical renaissance since the 1990s, including the rise of independent watchmakers, complete the story.
What to look for
- The reference number (between the lugs or inside the case back) and serial number, the starting point for dating.
- The calibre: its maker and number are often stamped under the dial or on the bridge.
- Originality of dial, hands and crown — refinished ('redial') dials are common.
- Case material marks: 18K/750, 14K/585, stainless steel, gold-filled, plated.
Dating clues
- Wire-lug cases: before c. 1925.
- Water-resistant screw-down cases: from 1926.
- Quartz movements: from 1969; sapphire crystals widespread after c. 1980.
General guidance written by the Atlas editors about this kind of object. It is not a statement about this particular piece; for that, rely on the source record above and on physical examination.
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