Ulysse Nardin

I am certain that many visitors to WatchProSite are familiar with gimbal-mounted, boxed marine chonometers, but I have a story to tell that I hope you find interesting.  I acquired the chronometer approximately 20 years ago, and with it a ship's chronometer record issued by the US Naval Observatory, dated in 1943, showing the chronometer's serial number and the results of testing indicating it was fit for duty. Well, I was very pleased to receive the chronometer record and with the chronometer itself, as well as the information that it was used during WW 2.  However, I was disappointed that both the inner and outer boxes were missing a serial number tag that I had seen on all other ship's chronometers. If you look below the lock and key in the first picture showing the inner box, you can even see 2 nail holes that must have held the serial number at some point in time. I went for a few years wondering how I could obtain replacement serial number tags that would be as authentic as the entire package, but then I obtained a copy of the book entitled "The Ship's Chronometer" by Marvin E. Whitney who was involved in the servicing and adjusting of these time keepers at the Naval Observatory during WW 2.  There is a brief passage on p 68 where Whitney states that when the Chronometers were returned for servicing and calibration, the boxes were sent for refinishing that took much less time than adjusting and determining the rate of the chronometer itself, so the Navy issued an order to remove the serial number tags so to simplify the task of re-boxing. Finding this explanation of the missing tags provided further evidence of the chronometer's provenance as a veteran of WW 2, and now I am glad that the tags were not present!

Tim, I believe (hope!) that you are the Tim Jackson of Jackson Square Fine Jewelers fame, as well as for supporting the introduction of products from many, many independent watchmakers.  If I am correct, then you have already seen this UN marine chronometer, as I brought it into Jackson Square upon the occasion of your introduction of the original UN Freak to Silicon Valley when several UN representatives were present. 

I'll close now by thanking all of you for your patience if you read through to this point.  And my special thanks to Tim Jackson for the post that stimulated me to make my first post on WPS. While I have known of WPS for many years, I have been enjoying the excellent posts and photos (such as the recent coverage of Patek moon phase indicators across the years and models) on a daily basis this year, and decided that I should become active. I promise there will be other posts about WRIST watches!!

Best regards,

"My other watch is a..." (UN marine chronometer today!)

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