Ulysse Nardin was only 23 years old in 1846 when he settled in Le Locle to develop his own chronometers and complex pocket watches, bringing with him a wealth of experience gained while working on marine chronometers and astronomical watches.

At that period, when sailors navigated by means of a sextant, with the sun and the horizon to guide them, they had only one precise reference on board: their marine chronometer. The faultless precision of the instrument was a necessity. At the Equator, a single second difference corresponds to an error of 463 meters.

Riding the waves

From 1876 onward, Ulysse Nardin regularly submitted marine chronometers to the Neuchâtel and Geneva Observatories where they underwent stringent tests. The results confirmed the pre-eminence of the Le Locle firm in one of the most demanding specialties in the art of watchmaking.

Today satellites have replaced the traditional deck marine chronometer and the sextant as navigation instruments. Nonetheless, Ulysse Nardin marine chronometers are still prized by enthusiasts and collectors.

Read more about the marine chronometers in the company background.