Ulysse Nardin

The 70’s saw a fair amount of development of hi-beat 36000bph movements and whilst some were in-house manufacture there were also a few watch houses, including Ulysse Nardin, that used ETA movements as a base.

In the case of the UN 36000 Chronometers, the cal. ETA 2826 was modified & the finished movement was designated cal. NB 11 QU. It features 25 jewels, a screwless Glucydur balance, a self-compensating flat hairspring, Incabloc shock resistance, and fine regulator adjustment by eccentric screw. Apparently, only 1,000 of these movements were produced, although they were placed in a wide variety of case types and styles.

This beauty from 1979 measures 36.5mm, with a screw back that features a relief of the classic UN logo. On the gorgeous sunburst dial, the logo is printed (some models had an applied logo) but the markers are applied and the stark design of both markers and hands contrasts really nicely with very clean look. The crystal benefits from an inverted magnifier, which works perfectly.

Enjoy!