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Ulysse Nardin San Marco Cloisonne depicts the very first ship of the Baltic fleet, the frigate Shtandart. This is a real collector’s piece and the watch that will delight all fans of sailing and cruising.
This exceptional San Marco model is housed in a round case crafted from 18-karats red gold. Its gorgeous case measures 40mm in diameter and incorporates a screw-in crown with the brand’s logo on its tip. The watch is protected with sapphire crystals and provides water resistance of up to 50 meters (about 165 feet). The watch is a part of the Imperial St. Petersburg Collection.
Underneath the front sapphire glass lies the most interesting part of the watch – its cloisonné enamel dial that shows the frigate Shtandart which was commissioned under the decree of Peter the Great and on the order of the Governor Aleksandr Mshikov, in 1703. The first ship of the Baltic fleet was built at the Olonetsky shipyard near Olonets under the supervision of a Dutch ship builder. Untill the October Revolution in 1917, the frigate Shtandart served to open the new trading route from Russia to the Baltic sea and sailed under the flat of the Imperial Russian Navy.
This exquisite wristwatch is produced in ultra limited quantity of only 30 pieces. Each piece is hand-made by the skilled enamel artist. It took more than 50 hours and 26 baking processes to complete each cloisonné dial. Also, over 500mm of fine gold wire was necessary to assemble the cloisons.
With these timepieces, Ulysse Nardin pays homage to the Imperial Russian Navy. Its dial illustrates the landmarks of Imperial St. Petersburg. The famous Isaac’s cathedral is on the left side of the dial, while the Admirality is situated on its right side. Further, the dial has been encrusted with diamonds totally weighing 4.25 carats. Each segment of the dial is divided by a gold wire that will prevent the liquid powdered enamel to flow into other melting chambers.
The beating heart of the watch is the in-house made caliber UN-13 mechanical movement tested by Contrôle Officiel Suisse des Chronomètres (COSC) which certifies the reliability and accuracy of the timepiece. The self-winding mechanism provides no less than 42 hours of power reserve and has a beating rate of 28,800 vibrations per hour (4 Hz). The 21 jewels movement measures 25.6mm in diameter and 3.6mm in thickness.
Ulysse Nardin San Marco Cloisonne is secured to the wrist with a beautiful blue crocodile leather strap, fitted with a folding buckle. The referent number of this limited edition timepiece is 136-11/SHT and it comes with the retail price of $157,000.