123023

A mahogany deck box fitted with a brass piano hinge and a simple pressed brass clip-type catch. The box contains a brass drum mounting in the base, shaped to the form of the watch and having a brass screw-down bezel with bevelled glass. The lid contains a grooved label holder for an issue card and a black-painted aluminium label, marked in silver 'MINISTRY OF DEFENCE / HYDROGRAPHIC DEPT. / WATCH CHRONOMETER / Stores Ref. H.S.527-3636 / Serial No. 123023'. The serial number is engraved through the surface to bright metal.

The bottom of the box is covered with dark grey imitation leather. The silver, open-face case has the winding/setting crown inset into a cylindrical pendant, with a hand-setting push piece on the side of the case to the left at '11 o'clock'. The plain silver, rolled-edge bezel has no fitting for a glass. The inside of the screw-down back is stamped with the manufacturer's mark 'ULYSSE NARDIN / LOCLE' in Nardin's emblematic shield, the incuse number '619096', a separate octagonal cameo 'Canard' (Swiss control mark for silver) mark, including the B for Bienne, and with rectangular marks '0.925' and 'FFBA / 2'.

A white enamel dial of 50 mm Æ is signed 'ULYSSE NARDIN / LOCLE SUISSE' above the centre, and with '123023' below. The dial has Roman numerals and small Arabic five-minute figures with fifth-of-second marks round the outside. Polished, blued-steel spade and poker-hands have a counter-balanced, blued-steel centre seconds hand.

The going barrel, barred movement is of matt-gilt brass, and is signed with machine engraving on the barrel bridge 'ULYSSE NARDIN / SWISS'. It is also marked on the main plate, by the escape wheel cock foot '123023' in a rectangular surround. A polished steel index, mounted on the balance cock, acts on a polished steel internal cam for fine rating adjustment. The steel cam disc has a scale engraved on it, the cock is engraved 'F' and 'S' for fast and slow. There is a four-wheel train with a going barrel and a centre seconds drive off the third wheel.

There is a double roller, jewelled and club tooth lever escapement. The impulse roller has a jewelled impulse pin and pallets with red stones. The pallets bank against brass banking pins. The cut bimetallic compensation balance is mounted with 14 brass screws around the rim. The flat spiral, blued-steel balance spring, with over coil, has an index mounted on the upper surface of the balance cock. The train is jewelled to the centre with red pressed-in stones. The balance and escape wheel have polished steel-set end stones.

The instrument is in fine, almost as new condition, with just a few marks on the wooden box.

Object Details

ID: ZAA0263
Collection: Timekeeping
Type: Deck watch
Display location: Not on display
Creator: Ulysse Nardin
Date made: circa 1944
Credit: National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London
Measurements: Overall: 67 x 96 x 124 mm