Ulysse Nardin Chronograph ref. 7536, Matte Black 'Reverse-Panda' Dial

Dealer description — Oliver & Clarke

Ulysse Nardin was founded in 1846 by its namesake, a twenty-three-year-old watchmaker who set up shop in Le Locle, Switzerland. From the very beginning, Nardin was interested in producing high-functioning instruments that could be trusted at sea. That focus on precision soon turned the company into a quiet powerhouse among navigators. The marine chronometer became the brand's calling card, and it proved to be a serious business. Ulysse Nardin's chronometers were adopted by more than fifty navies around the world, and the company collected award after award for accuracy along the way. By the late nineteenth century, the name was synonymous with reliable timekeeping on the open water. With the rising popularity of wrist watches in the early twentieth century, UN adapted to the shift and carried much of what they had previously been known for into their wrist-bound timepieces. The piece that we have here is a chronograph Ref. 7536 dating to circa 1970. You may have noticed that it bears a close resemblance another chronograph from this era: the Rolex Daytona . Because of its striking similarities to the Ref. 6421, these have become known to collectors as 'UN Daytonas.' The similarities are not just limited to looks alone, inside these pieces utilize the same Valjoux 72 manual-winding movement as Daytonas from this era. The case comes in at 38mm in diameter and features very nice lug chamfers, 'pump' pushers, a screw-down caseback, and an externally-mounted black 'tachy' bezel. The black dial within has a matte surface with Ulysse Nardin scrip flanking an applied logo, applied 'faceted' indices, and silver 'concentric' subsidiary registers which lend themselves to that highly desirable contrast that we love about 'reverse-panda' dials. The Tritium plots exhibit a light and uniform patina and are matched within the 'stick' handset. Even in the world of vintage , UN flies under the radar and remain largely overlooked. A shame, because if you dig deep enough into their catalog, there are absolute stunners to be found. This piece offers looks, pedigree, and versatility and theres no saying when another like it may surface on the open market.