Deck watch no. 121901 by Ulysse Nardin

Catalogue description — Royal Museums Greenwich

A mahogany deck box fitted with two brass hinges and a simple pressed brass clip-type catch. The top is glazed with a circular 'porthole' on the upper surface. The box is lined with green baize in the lid and the lower half is shaped to the form of the watch. The lid is brass-plated and has a folded steel label holder on the inside containing a card marked 'MOEBIUS - 4 YRS + / 55020'. The bottom of the box is covered with green baize. The silver, open-face case has the winding/setting crown inset into a cylindrical pendant, with a hand-setting push piece on the side of the case to the left at '11 o'clock'. The plain silver, rolled-edge bezel has no fitting for a glass. The silver, screw-down back is machine engraved on the back 'H.S. 2'. The inside of the back is stamped with the manufacturer's mark 'ULYSSE NARDIN / LOCLE' in Nardin's emblematic shield, a separate octagonal cameo 'Canard' (Swiss control mark for silver) mark and the 'L' for Locle. The incuse number '611831' is scratched nearby '901', and, within rectangular marks, '0.925' and 'FFBA / 46'. The band is also stamped '831'. A white enamel dial of 50 mm Æ is signed 'ULYSSE NARDIN / LOCLE SUISSE' above the centre, and '121901' below. The dial has Roman numerals, small Arabic five-minute figures and divisions for fifth-of-second marks round the outside. Polished and blued-steel spade and poker-hands have a counter-balanced blued-steel centre seconds hand. The going barrel, barred movement is of matt-gilt brass, and is signed with machine engraving on the barrel bridge 'ULYSSE NARDIN / SWISS'. It is also marked on the main plate, by the escape wheel cock foot: '121901' in a rectangular surround. A polished steel index, mounted on the balance cock, acts on a polished steel internal cam for fine rating adjustment. The steel cam disc has a scale engraved on it and the cock is engraved with 'F' and 'S' for fast and slow. There is a four-wheel train with a going barrel and a centre seconds drive off the third wheel. There is a double roller, jewelled and club tooth lever escapement. The impulse roller has a jewelled impulse pin and pallets with red stones. The pallets bank against brass banking pins. The cut bimetallic compensation balance is mounted with 22 brass screws around the rim. The flat spiral, blued-steel balance spring, with over coil, has an index mounted on the upper surface of the balance cock. The train is jewelled to the centre with red pressed-in stones. The balance and escape wheel have polished steel-set end stones. The instrument is in fine, almost as new condition, with just a few marks on the wooden box.