
Wristwatches · Wristwatch
Ulysse Nardin Dress Watch, 1950s
- Maker / attribution
- Ulysse Nardin (maker)
- Date
- 1950s
- Historical period
- Modern Mechanical Horology (1945 – 1969)
- Country of origin
- Switzerland
- Object type
- Wristwatch
- Stock no.
- ULND6652
- Credit line
- Dealer listing, Craft & Tailored (ULND6652)
- Catalogue title (original)
- 1950s Ulysse Nardin Dress Watch (English)
View the source record (dealer listing) ↗ (opens another website in a new tab)Suggest a correction
Record summary
Catalogued by Craft & Tailored (dealer), Los Angeles (stock number ULND6652), this is a wristwatch by Ulysse Nardin, made in Switzerland, dated 1950s. The Atlas places it in the Modern Mechanical Horology period (1945 – 1969) of its Wristwatches collection. The record is illustrated with 6 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 — Craft & Tailored
Ulysse Nardin is perhaps best known for their more avant-garde timepieces of recent years, but the brand has a pedigree of excellent timepieces from the 20th century and before that, which still captivate enthusiasts today. Ulysse Nardin founded the eponymous brand in LeLocle, Switzerland, in 1846. His early work focused on manufacturing marine chronometers—due in part to his love for the open water—before he eventually moved to wristwatches. This ref. 6652/01 is a lovely piece that exudes class and style, from the gilt hour markers and handset, to the multi-finish dial and Calatrava-esque case with slightly rotated lugs. It's something that can be dressed up or down and will look great in just about any situation. SPECS Stock # ULND6652 Brand Ulysse Nardin Style Dress Watch Model N/A Serial 55XXXXX Size Men's Material Stainless Steel Dial White "Aged" Waffle Dial Millimeters 32 Bracelet 2pc Handmade Leather Strap CASE & BRACELET The impressively crisp and handsome Calatrava-style case retains its original dimensions and chamfers with no evidence of previous being previously polished. The smooth stainless steel bezel is in excellent condition, showing minimal signs of use. The case retains its original unsigned crown. The screw-down case back retains its original factory serial number marking, which is still crisp and highly legible. The watch will come supplied on a two-piece handmade leather strap. DIAL & HANDS The original white dial has aged to a creamy patina that adds a warmth to the presentation of the watch and is in overall excellent vintage condition. The center of the dial features a waffle design that offers some variation in its aesthetic. There are multiple gilt elements that add to the watch's classy style, including drilled minute markers on the edge of the dial, dagger hour markers, and the dauphine-style handset, all of which are in incredible condition. ACCESSORIES None. The watch is keeping time, though the service history is unknown. A movement service can be purchased upon request.
Historical context
Modern Mechanical Horology (1945 – 1969)
Tool watches for divers, pilots and astronauts; electric watches anticipate the electronic age.
The classic era of the mechanical wristwatch: dive watches, chronographs for motor racing and space flight, GMT watches for jet travel, slim dress watches, automatic calendars, and the rise of Japanese manufacturers alongside Swiss, American, German and Soviet industries.
Read the period in the timelineMore wristwatches from this periodEarlier: Golden Age of Mechanical Watchmaking
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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