This is the Astrolabium Galileo Galilei, reference 966-22, made in solid 18K rose gold. One of the most daring and beautiful creations Ulysse Nardin ever brought to life.

Designed by Dr Ludwig Oechslin during a time when the brand was finding its voice again, the Astrolabium became the first of the Trilogy of Time - watches that didn’t just tell the time, but told the story of the sky itself.

For its genius, it earned a Guinness World Record as the most complicated wristwatch of its day. A record set not with noise, but with quiet, breathtaking mastery.

The Story Behind It

In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Ulysse Nardin was a small, reborn brand under Rolf Schnyder, not the large industrial manufacturer it would later become.

During this renaissance, Schnyder gave Oechslin the freedom to pursue something few dared to dream of: a series of watches mapping not just time, but celestial time.

Thus, the Trilogy of Time was born: the Astrolabium, Planetarium, and Tellurium.

The Trilogy watches were produced in small numbers, each one hand-assembled by highly trained watchmakers.

Mass production was never part of the plan.

Each dial of the Astrolabium is unique, because it maps real astronomical data - sidereal time, solar time, star charts - requiring a level of alignment and calibration that could only be achieved by hand.

It was this complexity, this artistry, that led the Astrolabium to win the Guinness World Record in 1989.

At the time, there was simply no other wristwatch capable of doing what it did.

As Oechslin once said:

"I wanted the wrist to carry a reflection of the sky, so that time could be understood not just by numbers, but by the movement of the universe itself."

Each Astrolabium was made by hand, one by one. Every dial mapping the heavens, every watch whispering the old songs of the stars.

Amongst them, the few made in rose gold (estimated at no more than 5-10% of the total production) have all but disappeared, tucked away into private collections, lost to the world.

This piece is one of those few - a missing link from a lost chain, found again.

About This Particular Watch

Made in 1990, this Astrolabium carries the spirit of its time - bold, beautiful, and endessly curious. 

It has a three-digit serial number, placing it within the first batch of rose gold Astrolabiums ever created - a quiet hallmark of rarity for those who understand.

Details

• Reference: 966-22 (18K Rose Gold)
• Movement: UN-91, astronomical complication, hand-finished
• Case Size: 41mm
• Case Back: Exhibition sapphire crystal (revealing the beautifully finished astronomical caliber)
• Front Crystal: Sapphire crystal (official Ulysse Nardin replacement, 2024 overhaul)
• Functions:
  • Solar and Sidereal Time
  • Sunrise and Sunset Indications
  • Equation of Time
  • Star Chart (real mapped sky, calibrated to epoch and coordinates)
  • Solar and Lunar Eclipse Prediction
  • Day/Night Indication
  • Calendar (Date and Month)
• Year: 1990 (certified by Ulysse Nardin)
• Service: Fully overhauled and documented by Ulysse Nardin in 2024
• Serial Number: Early three-digit series (first generation rose gold Astrolabiums)

Provenance

Privately held for over 25 years by a single owner, preserved with the care and discretion worthy of such a rare masterpiece.

The dial is still vivid, its golden tracery alive, as if the stars themselves had paused for a moment.

The case proportions are true, with only the lightest, most respectful hand of restoration.

It Comes With:

• The original Ulysse Nardin-signed buckle
• A modern replacement strap
• Certificate of Authenticity issued by Ulysse Nardin
• Full 2024 service documents

The Astrolabium was born when complexity was pursued for love, not fashion.

It wasn’t made to impress. It was made to remind us that time is more than hours - it’s the movement of the Earth, the Sun, the stars.

The 966-22 in rose gold is part of that forgotten constellation, a rare light that once burned brightly and was lost.

Today, true rose gold Trilogy pieces almost never come to market. They stay hidden in collections, passed quietly from one custodian to the next.

Finding one feels less like buying a watch, and more like catching a star that fell through time (just for a little while) before it disappears again.

There is only a single known record of a 966-22 (serial number 001) being offered at auction - but even then, no public confirmation of its sale was ever made.

A reminder of just how rare, and how elusive, these pieces truly are.

However, private discussions may be considered upon serious enquiry.

The serial number, Certificate of Authenticity, 2024 overhaul service receipt, and additional high-resolution photographs are available discreetly to qualified collectors.

For private enquiries: [Email address suppressed for privacy]

Additional details available by private request.

Offered by a private collector passionate about rare horological masterpieces.

This piece is available for discerning collectors who appreciate the silent dialogue between time, craftsmanship, and the stars.

“All constellations scatter with time - but once in a while, one returns.”

Sources & References

• Interview with Dr. Ludwig Oechslin - A Blog to Watch

  https://www.ablogtowatch.com/interview-ludwig-oechslin-watchmaker-historian-inventor-academic/

  (Oechslin discusses his philosophy of celestial timekeeping and the Trilogy project.)

• Trilogy History Overview - Hodinkee

  https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/a-ulysse-nardin-tellurium-johannes-kepler-one-of-the-three-original-trilogy-of-time-watches-from-the

  (Description of the Trilogy's creation and its handmade astronomical complications.)

• The Trilogy of Time by Ulysse Nardin - Coronet

  https://coron.et/new-1minute-reads/the-trilogy-of-time-by-ulysse-nardin

  (Concise background on the Trilogy's significance and innovation.)

• Deep Dive on Ulysse Nardin Astrolabium - Italian Watch Spotter

  https://italianwatchspotter.com/ulysse-nardin-astrolabium/?lang=en

  (Detailed focus on the Astrolabium Galileo Galilei’s design, functions, and importance.)