Ulysse Nardin

Tales from the crypt: In-depth review of the Ulysse Nardin GMT Perpetual

 

Simply the Best?


Ulysse Nardin GMT Perpetual
in-depth review

by Marcus Hanke


(COMMENT: I wrote this review in 2004 and originally published it in three parts - download times were not as quick as they are today. Unfortunately, only part 3 can still be accessed, whhile the other two have been lost. Therefore I re-publish this review now, together with the pictures originally used. I chose not to edit the text, since after fourteen years, and the lucky ownership of such a timepiece for seven years, I can still confirm every statement made here. Where things have changed more than substantially, I added a small comment.)

Somewhere in the Ulysse Nardin main building, there is a desk with a drawer. In that drawer, there might be a sealed envelope, bearing with large, red letters the instructions: „To be opened by the customer service department in January 2100“. All the envelope contains is a small and thin booklet: the instruction booklet for the GMT Perpetual.

In that year, the Gregorian calendar system offers a less than nice surprise for the owners of mechanical timepieces with perpetual calendar mechanisms: Contrary to the normal cycle of four years, 2100 will not be a leap year. Instead, as in every full hundred years, the February 2100 will only have 28 days. This is how the clever astronomers of Pope Gregory’s court corrected the calendar errors introduced by the fact that one year is a bit less than a quarter of a day shorter than 365 days. Therefore, every four years a leap day is introduced. By that, however, a little bit too much is corrected, which makes it necessary to leave out the leap day every hundred years. 2100 is such a year.

The learned reader might ask now: „What about the year 2000? According to the rule pointed out, it should have not been a leap year, but the February had 29 days!“ This is true. Unfortunately, the correction made by leaving out the leap year every hundred years once again is doing too much. Consequently, the rule is not obeyed every four hundred years. 2000 was such a year, much to the luck of those owning a mechanical perpetual calendar. Since that year, the normal leap year cycle took place and the watch needed no corrective manipulation.

Most perpetual calendars on the market feature fully programmed mechanisms, so it is impossible for the user to make any changes to the program himself. Instead, the watch has to be sent to the - hopefully still existing - company, or given to a master watchmaker (hopefully, this profession will still exist then) to have the necessary changes applied.

But back to Ulysse Nardin: When Ludwig Oechslin, master of many sciences, for some time professor at the prestigious technical university of Zurich (ETH), and now director of the famous Swiss horological museum at Le Locle, developed the mechanism for the GMT Perpetual, it was important for him to enable the wearer himself to adapt the watch to the new cycle of one hundred years, without having to search a watchmaker capable enough of this task. And indeed, a quick turn of the crown, and the watch is ready again for the next century.

The problem is, however, that it is not clear, how the crown has to be turned, and this is where the UN customer service department will have its finest hour: Since the owners of a GMT Perpetual will spend much time to search through old papers, the cabinets and drawers in order to find the long forgotten instruction booklet -  certainly much longer than it would need to correct the watch itself; the UN customer service will become the first and logical point where to ask for the invaluable information. And hopefully, Rolf Schnyder will make it sure that the staff of 2100 has an instruction booklet ready at hand. (COMMENT: I hope he did. Sadly, he passed away in 2011, and Ulysse Nardin has changed ownership since.)

Does an apparently minor problem, such as a day correction, to be done in nearly 100 years really justify to waste your time by presenting to you such a long text? I, as the author, say yes, of course. Because much more important is the lesson it offers: That things looking very simple at the beginning, as the change of one leap year in a hundred years, can be so complicated beneath the surface.

This experience perfectly fits the GMT Perpetual as well. When the watch was presented as the „Perpetual Ludwig“ in 1996 (then without the GMT +/- mechanism), it was received with amazement. Never before a mechanical perpetual calendar had so effectively hidden its interior complexity behind an entirely window-based calendar display. Some were even taken aback by the watch’s simple appearance, because then it was still a commonly accepted dogma that a complicated watch needs a complicated appearance, too. Yet here was a watch with legibility and usability being its foremost priorities.

If we take into account the fact that in 1996, Ulysse Nardin was still in a company in phase of consolidation, trying to position itself in the top league of watch manufacturers, the presentation of such an unconventionally looking perpetual calendar was not without risks. However, the last seven years have proven that the concept was just what many watch lovers world wide were waiting for, and the GMT Perpetual is among UN’s bestsellers. (COMMENT: Ulysse Nardin has introduced so many innovative watches since, that the perpetual calendar has lost in importance for the company. But it is still among the landmark achievements.)

As a consequence, the watch has seen several iterations since. After the initial, limited series of the „Perpetual Ludwig“ was sold out, Ludwig Oechslin even topped his development, by combining it with his unique and simple-to-use GMT-mechanism, creating the „GMT Perpetual“. Since then, UN presented a true sports model, the „Acqua Perpetual“, and the tonneau-shaped „Ludovico“, both without the GMT-function.
Even the original „GMT Perpetual“ is offered in a manifold of dial designs and case materials. The model presented in this experience test is the oldest and most classic of all „GMT Perpetual“ variants, featuring a silver-white dial in 18k pink gold case with a diameter of 38.5 millimetres. (COMMENT: After the not so successful "Quadrato" and "El Toro" versions the Perpetual design became more sober again, and is currently available in a stainless steel case for the first time.)




1. General Impression

This watch is a classic case of a two-faced appearance: In the presence of all the other high-end, complicated timepieces in the dealers’ shop windows, the GMT Perpetual is prone to be overseen; it is not flashy, not oversized, does not look extremely complicated. Amidst its brightly shining colleagues, it appears like Cinderella in hear working outfit. But how different the situation is, once the watch is taken out into everyday life! Contrary to what many believe, fine timepieces are still a very rare sight out in reality. The GMT Perpetual starts to shine, its wonderfully warm pink gold hue is attracting more looks than any other watch I have worn. During academic conventions, I even started to worry that my colleagues could become envious ...

What at first looks a bit sober, becomes classic elegance, and despite its cleanness, the dial invites the lucky wearer to spend hours admiring its fine details; which, again, can be counterproductive during long and boring - sorry: fact-filled academic lectures.



After only a brief time spent with the „GMT Perpetual“, the owner starts to wonder whether this watch could be the mythical grail of watch enthusiasts: the „perfect“ watch. Well, it should be clear for all that „perfection“ is not an objective standard, but a highly subjective impression. Additionally, what is perfect in one situation might be completely out of place in another. To remain in the field of horology, you won’t be very happy with a highly complicated tourbillon or minute repeater some 50 metres under water.

2. Case, crystal and crown

The case design is very unique, and definitely not well represented in the UN catalogue pictures. Since there, the watches are depicted with frontal views only. In real, the bezel, which looks a bit like a flat-pressed donut, is set atop the case, which is of similar shape, but thicker. Together the two parts result in what sometimes has with lacking respect been dubbed „pancake staple“. These pancakes, however, are not topped by maple syrup, but by a slightly domed sapphire crystal. This blends into the outlines of the bezel so perfectly, that the fingertips do not sense any between the crystal and the metal. While some might consider the unique case design to be a bit weird, it is nevertheless extremely successful in effectively hiding the watch’s height, making it appear far thinner than one would await at a height of 12.8 mm. This must be the reason why Ulysse Nardin is using that case design since a long time for nearly all its complicated watches.



The „donut“ shaped bezel has got its opposite counterpart in the bezel of the larger, limited series GMT Perpetuals. There, the bezel is concave shaped, which again is not apparent on the official pictures, not even when one is looking at the watch through a shop window. Only when handling and touching it personally, one is aware of the difference. An advantage of this concave design might be that the shape helps to keep the bezel away from scratching incidents.

While this picture dos not reveal the difference in the bezel design ...



... this picture does so better. GMT Perpetual, limited edition in platinum.



The wonderful warm tone of the pink gold used by UN has been subject of discussions several times already. Neither too yellow, nor too pink, it leaves a very decent and luxurious impression.
Since this watch has Ulysse Nardin’s unique GMT function, also developed by the genius Ludwig Oechslin, two pushers protrude from the case, reducing its water resistance to 30 meters; certainly enough for an elegant watch for everyday use. The pushers bear the symbols + and -, for advancing or setting back the 24 hours-hand by full hour jumps.



Adorned with Ulysse Nardin’s anchor logo, set in gold into blue enamel, and protected by a coat of sapphire crystal, the crown is really a design highlight. Maybe not the most ergonomic one, since it is does not offer an easy grip; at least not for my rather clumsy fingers. However, if the watch is worn all the time (or left on a winder), the crown is not needed at all. While travelling, the local time is adjusted by means of the + and – pushers, which also serve for the setting of the daylight saving time. The calendar is a perpetual one, fully programmed until 2100. As long as the movement is accurate, it is not necessary to touch the crown at all.
For better legibility, the upper sapphire crystal is treated with an anti-reflective coating on both sides, which is very effective.

3. Dial and Hands

The GMT Perpetual is available with a manifold of different dial styles and colours. I chose the classic one, available since the launch of the GMT Perpetual: silver, with a touch of beige/pink, and a brushed surface. Some models have interesting guilloche patterns, such as the limited edition watches with 40 mm diameter cases. However, I think the sober look of the classic dial underlines the elegant understatement of the GMT Perpetual.



The small second’s subdial is turned, resulting in an attractive contrast. The 24 hours-numerals on the rehaut indicate the GMT function. A nice touch is that the lower half of the ring, marking the time from 6 am to 6 pm, is held in a somewhat darker tone; not too much contrast to disturb the elegance, but just enough to be recognizable as indication of the night hours. The cut-out windows of the calendar show a very nicely structured outline. They do not have simply applied frames, which would have been a much cheaper solution, but are recessed, as if made on two separate layers. Several different steps are necessary to produce such windows.

An important issue for me on every watch is the dial printing. In this case, it is absolutely flawless. Calendar and GMT indications are printed in very legible sans serif numerals, while the company logo of course uses the classic serif typeface. If something could be improved, it is the line-weight of the month and day fonts. These are extremely thin, which make them difficult to read at a quick glance. Unnecessarily so, since the windows are large enough to contain the same abbreviations, even if they were printed a bit more boldly. I have the impression that the limited series perpetual I have checked, already uses a better font (see pics above)





Golden, faceted hour markers, which are all correctly lined up, further enhance the classic and elegant appearance of the dial, which, as we often say, is the „watch’s face“, and thus the most important ‘interface’ between the watch and its wearer – together with the hands. These are all heat-blued, finely finished, and – with the exception of the second hand – wear enough luminous mass to make them perfectly visible in the dark, even the tip of the 24 hours-hand. Luminous dots on the dial complement the „night visibility equipment“. By the way, from a formal point of view, the non-limited standard version even has an advantage over the dial of the limited edition: The former has two dots at the 12 o’clock position, which makes it easy to recognize the correct time at night, even if the watch is not held in a vertical position. Classic pilot watches have the famous luminous triangle for that purpose.



4. Movement:
a) Technical notes:

Contrary to what is printed sometimes, the GMT Perpetual’s movement, Cal. UN-32, can truly be called Ulysse Nardin’s „own“ movement.



While the movement base, or ‘engine’, that drives the time and calendar indications, can be traced back on the famous Lémania 1340, which also powered the famous Omega Speedmaster 125, it has been completely redesigned, in order to offer a thin, but powerful base for the perpetual’s wheelwork. The latter has been invented by Dr. Ludwig Oechslin, UN’s long-time master developer, and one of the most fascinating personalities in current horology. When Dr. Oechslin started his work on a new perpetual calendar, he studied the designs hitherto used, finding that all of them make use levers and cams for controlling the movements of the programmed mechanism. These have several disadvantages: They are difficult to insert and adjust in the movement, they need additional springs, which makes systems based on them rather complicated and costly in both production and assembly. And, finally, they work only in one direction. Contrary to this, systems based on entirely rotating movements, such as wheels and Maltese crosses, are easy to control, easy to adjust, easy to maintain, AND work forward and backward, without the danger of damage to the mechanism.

Consequently, the new calendar mechanism should consist entirely of epicycloidal wheels, step wheels, Maltese crosses, and flat dents. With the exception of one flexible (locking) spring, the GMT Perpetual’s calendar is composed exclusively by rotating elements. This is unique, and relatively simple. The only slight disadvantage of that system is the impossibility of an instantaneous jump of the calendar indication. The change will occur continuously within a brief, predetermined time span instead.

But the calendar part, while without doubt being the movement’s highlight, is not the only interesting feature: Another patented innovation is the big date. The first concepts of the perpetual shown to Ulysse Nardin’s president, Rolf Schnyder, still had a small date window. Schnyder, a very practically-minded man, was well aware of the fact that most enthusiasts, able to afford such an exclusive timepiece, would be in an age that generally has difficulties with the eyesight at close distances. Therefore, he asked Dr. Oechslin to add a big date, what was promptly done.




This illustration from the original patent file clearly shows the small date window above the watch's centre
© Ulysse Nardin

This was the status of the movement when the first perpetual, dubbed „Perpetual Ludwig“, to honour its inventor, was released by UN. Only after this limited edition was sold out, the unlimited serial production started. As it was intended to release a real travel watch, the also patented mechanism of a second time zone was added. Its implementation into the perpetual was rather easy, as it works with the same concept.

b) Finish:

Already the first glance onto what is revealed by the sapphire display back makes it apparent that this movement is somewhat different: While already the „côtes circulaires“ on the bridges is a decoration rarely seen, the white gold rotor, which winds the movement bi-directionally, is adorned with a bright blue enamel inlay, showing the anchor logo, and an engraving of the movement patent number.







Altogether, it is an absolutely striking sight, and I cannot get tired looking at it.

Also the rest of the decoration is very well executed. There are heat-blued screws, and most edges are bevelled. An engraving shows the old UN crest. Even under a strong loupe, the finish reveals no flaws.














5. Strap and clasp:

The watch came with a dark brown alligator strap and an 18k pink gold folding clasp. Typically for UN, the strap is very thickly padded. Certainly, the thickness of the strap is uncommon for such an elegant watch, but it is a very good optical match. As a result of this, the strap is quite stiff in the beginning, but after some time of wearing, it adapts its shape onto the wrist. While I never had any quality problems with UN straps, I would nevertheless wish they would not have them simply cut and lacquered on the edges. One could await a better manufacturing method, by means of overlapping top leathers, which are wrapped around the core and sewn together with the lining (sorry for that clumsy description, in French it is simply called „rembordé“). Another strange thing is that the lacquer on the strap edge was worn off after some time, on the spot where the finger has to slide under the strap in order to open the clasp. A friend and fellow UN owner had the same problem with his brown strap, while I never experienced this on my blue straps, which all kept their good shape for a long time.



The deployment clasp is a nice accessory, retaining the appearance of the standard buckle with the small anchor logo. On the web I read some comments, reporting a tendency of the central hinge’s screw to become loose and get lost. Therefore, I give it a twist with a watchmaker screwdriver once in a while. Additionally, one has to be aware that gold is far softer than steel. Consequently, the clasp’s closing pin has the tendency of loosing its secure lock after some time. However, it is very easy to bend it back into its original position.






6. Using the GMT Perpetual – Ergonomics:

a) Setting and use of the perpetual calendar:

The nice thing on a perpetual calendar is that it is not necessary to touch it; all calendar indications are pre-programmed and need no human intervention - in theory, at least.
First, the watch has of course to be initially set when it is worn for the first time. Then, it has to be set whenever it has stopped for longer than a day, which is likely to be the case when it is stored safely during the holidays, for example. And finally, there is the infamous February of the year 2100, when the mechanical program of the wheelwork fails before the Gregorian calendar (see above).
Therefore, it is a good thing if a perpetual calendar watch makes these adjustments easier for the wearer. Similar to the famous „Da Vinci“ of IWC, the GMT Perpetual allows the quick setting of the calendar indications by means of the crown only, which is very convenient and simple:

The crown has two settings: The first one only winds the movement. The second one is for quick-setting the calendar indications, either forward or backward, as you like it. In case the indications are set forward, the mainspring is also wound, which makes turning the crown a bit more stiff than backwards, when the mainspring is not affected. Finally, the third position sets the hands (including the 24 hours-hand), AND the weekdays independently, which does the trick in 2100.

To set the watch after it has been stopped for a while, the wearer has to follow these steps:

• wind it a bit, so there is some energy in the mainspring
• use the third crown position to set the weekday to the day before the one you want to have. The hour hand should be in the lower half of the dial, since similar to most calendar watches, the setting should not be done while the wheelwork is actually busy changing the date.
• In the second crown position, all other calendar indications are set to the date before the actual one.
• Again in the third crown position, the hour hands are turned forward, until the correct weekday and time are shown.

This might sound complicated, but after the first time, this procedure is managed extremely quick.

However, the UN-32’s finest hour comes whenever the calendar has to be adjusted backwards. As noted above, all lever-based perpetuals only work in one direction. If the owner makes the error of turning the calendar forward too much (which is not so unlikely as it appears: Conventional calendar displays by means of small hands and subdials can look a bit confusing, especially if combined with a chronograph), he has only two options: either to let the watch rest and stop, until the wrongly set date has come, or to have it opened and mechanically adjusted by a watchmaker, or even the manufacturer. In the case of the dreaded year 2100, the first option even would not work at all; hopefully. A better alternative is offered by those watches that have separate correctors for all single indications, which allow to compose individually every desired date. However, the presence of up to five additional holes in the case is not a good base for making a sportive watch with this perpetual calendar movement.

A small drawback, independent from the perpetual calendar, is the lack of a hack second. this seems to be a remnant of its origin as a chronograph movement. Many contemporary chronograph movements have no hack second, such as Zenith’s El Primero, or the Piguet 118x. And the trick known by users of these movements also works on the GMT Perpetual: It is possible to stop the movement by exerting gentle pressure on the crown in the third position (setting of time) in counter clockwise direction. If the watch has been synchronized with the time reference, the crown is released, or given a gentle clockwise pulse, which immediately restarts the movement. With only a little practice, this procedure works very well.

However, I cannot believe that it should been difficult to integrate a simple hack second mechanism. This would be a welcomed upgrade. (COMMENT: Later I learned, that this would be more than just an "upgrade", but would make it necessary to completely redesign the escapement. This explains why other classic movements, like Zenith's El Primero, never received a hack mechanism.)

b) Using the GMT function:

All the GMT-watches currently on the market can be classified in two categories. I name them „at home“- and „abroad“-watches. The first category apparently has the user in mind, who stays at home, but has communication partner living in different time zones. The main hour hand can only be set by turning the minute hand all around the dial, as in every other watch as well. Only the additional 24 hours-hand (or a similar rotating bezel) can be independently set in hour jumps. Therefore, the watch is used best at home, and the second time zone indications can quickly show which time it is anywhere else, but not here.

Ulysse Nardin has decided to build a true „abroad“-watch: The 24 hours-hand is set together with the hour hand, thus it keeps track of the time at home. Whenever the wearer travels to another time zone, a quick setting changes the main hour hand, in jumps either for- or backward, so the time zone of the new location is quickly reflected on the dial, without having to change the minute hand, thus loosing the accurate time. The 24 hours-hand still shows the time at home. Other brands have developed similar systems, but there the hour hand is adjusted exclusively by means of the crown. While this facilitates the use of a really watertight case, it also is less convenient, and regularly replaces the quick setting of the date with that of the hour hand, further reducing the comfort. UN uses two pushers, one for advancing the hour hand, the other for moving it backwards. Of course, the date is fully coupled, so the calendar display will change accordingly, if the hour hand is moved forward or backward over midnight. The whole mechanism works absolutely flawless, and it is a big fun of letting the hour hand whirling around the dial. Just don’t forget to memorize the original position!

c) Legibility:

It seems that the design of perpetual calendars has undergone a rather drastic change within the last twenty years. In the beginning, wearers of such a watch liked to see its complicated nature reflected on the dial, with many thin hands and small subdials, sometimes even combined with the indications of a chronograph. Up to three different indications, combined in a single subdial, are an ergonomic nightmare, similar to threefold assigned buttons on modern electronic devices. Other small subdials show all 48 months of a full four years-cycle at once.

More recently, perpetuals with more legible indications have been introduced, and were an immediate success. The most famous of these purely window-based perpetuals without doubt was the „Perpetual Ludwig“, followed by the GMT Perpetual. The size of the windows makes it easy to read the display, except, however, the weekday and month, which suffer under the ultra thin lines of the font used for the letters. Giving the strokes more weight would immediately improve the legibility, without necessitating larger windows.



Some critics have complained that the different date windows seem to be located rather accidentally on the dial, which makes it difficult to read. Well, there is some truth to this, indeed. Yet the position of the windows is of course determined by the mechanics, so any alternations are hardly possible. Additionally, one has to note the cultural differences between the different nations: While in Europe, the date is always read before the month, it is the opposite in America. For a European, it is very easy to read the GMT Perpetual’s calendar display, once he trained his eyes to follow a strict, but logical path on the dial:



Unlike many other complicated watches, Ulysse Nardin developed this watch immediately with everyday usability in mind. Good legibility at night is a vital part of this capability. As I noted already in my experience review of the Marine Diver, Ulysse Nardin uses a luminous mass, Super Luminova, of extremely fine grain, which guarantees very good luminosity through all the night. Even the tip of the 24 hours-hand is illuminated.



d) Wearing comfort:

The watch itself is not very heavy and not too large, with 38.5 mm diameter. Lacking sharp edges on the lugs, it rests very comfortable on the wrist.

The thickly padded strap is rather stiff at the beginning, but after some days, it follows the contours of the wrist. Initial problems, however, I had with the deployment clasp. This is rather long, and has a very distinctive curve at the hinge end.



This shall make fit the clasp around the wrist. Since I have a relatively wide wrist, the clasp did not reach around the wrist, resulting in this curve painfully digging into my skin. After some days of growing discomfort, I visited my dealer, asking him to replace the clasp with a standard buckle. Instead, he fully solved the problem by means of a trick: He simply swapped the two strap parts from their lug mounts. Normally, straps are mount in a way that makes the closing direction of the clasp going from the 6 o’clock position of the watch. For wider wrists, it is generally better to have the clasp close from the 12 o’clock position instead. After that quick procedure, the clasp was very comfortable to wear.

7. Accuracy:

Those familiar with my reviews know that I am not very worried about the issue of accuracy. (COMMENT: Now I do. With all the technical improvements made since that time, and the massively increased price levels, I consider a good accuracy the least a modern luxury timepiece has to offer. Consequently, I introduced extensive accuracy tests into my current reviews) The times, when I filled pages with accuracy protocols for every position and temperature are over since long ago, and I have acquired a very pragmatic approach: I do not measure the accuracy in seconds per day, but in weeks per minute. Reason behind this is the fact that a deviation of one minute is my personal tolerance in everyday use. If I miss my bus because of that minute, it is time to reset the watch again. Therefore, all I do is to check my watches against a radio-controlled clock every now and then, simply counting how many weeks it needs until they are off by a minute. An accuracy of two weeks per minute, which roughly corresponds to an error of four seconds per day, is fully tolerable for me. The GMT Perpetual did not give any reason for troubles, since it needs about four weeks before it reaches the one minute-limit. Consequently, it needs 12 corrective interventions per year, which is a very good value.

8. Conclusive remarks:

Why no moon phase?
Prominent component of nearly all perpetual calendars is the display of the current moon phase. Consequently, many people miss that indication on Ulysse Nardin’s Perpetual. Besides the more simple reason, that the mechanism might not offer enough free space to accommodate the additional moon phase display, there is a more philosophical reasoning behind the lack of an astronomic indication: This would not fit into a digital system.

Let’s not forget the personality of Dr. Ludwig Oechslin, the man behind the GMT Perpetual: an academic, professor of technological history. He had studied philosophy, physics, astronomy, archaeology, history, history of arts, classic languages. His „Trilogy of Time“, a series of three astronomic wristwatches, invented for Ulysse Nardin, and the magnificent Türler clock in Zurich, embodied his personal philosophical concept of the cosmos and man’s place within. Against the background of the cosmic movements, man tried to measure and to categorize. However, the calendar systems these efforts evolved into, were not based on the continuous flow of time, but were something binary.

To explain this, allow me some simple comparisons: In our language, we only have „today“, or „tomorrow“, but not „half past today“, or „nearly tomorrow“. In our calendar, at 23 o’clock, 59 minutes and 59 seconds, we still have „today, the 13th“ – for example. Only a second later, we have the 14th. Until the last second of the year, it is still „this year“. A second later, it is „next year“, which will remain so for 365 days. The real world in cosmos is different, its path around the sun is a steady movement. Mankind’s calendars are just like the efforts to digitalize an analogue signal: It is impossible to achieve a real picture, the dissolution into 0s and 1s cannot show all the quarts, halves, which are really part of „time“ as a cosmological concept.

Ludwig Oechslin’s „Trilogy of Time“ does not have date displays, since these dates would not be strange elements within displays that are based on continuous movements. From that point of view, the GMT Perpetual is the perfect partner: While the „Trilogy“ shows the calendar of the cosmos, the perpetual depicts the calendar of mankind; strict, rigid, binary. A moon phase display would destroy the whole concept, as would a date window on a Planetarium.

Personally, I wish that some time, Ulysse Nardin would offer a „calendar“ set, consisting of a Planetarium and a GMT Perpetual, so both facets of time, physics-made and man-made, were covered in one exclusive set.



Simply the best?

Why do I have Tina Turner’s song in my mind, when looking at that wonderful watch? Of course it would not be fair to announce Ulysse Nardin’s GMT Perpetual as being the best perpetual calendar watch under the sun. Too few of the alternatives have I checked personally, or worn for a time. Other manufacturers offer great perpetuals, too. But I think it is justified for me to state it a bit differently:

The best simple.

No other mechanical perpetual calendar watch offers that much practical value, comfort in use as travel watch, easy legibility, ease of maintenance and adjustment, all together in a clean and highly elegant shape.
However, the word „simple“ is certainly the wrong choice when it comes to describe my personal emotions when wearing that watch. Never before has a design, that looked so sober and simple in the pictures, exerted such a fascination of complex beauty on me. On my personal list of the most beautiful timepieces, this watch is still and unchallenged ranking on the first place.

Most watch enthusiasts follow the quest of finding the „holy grail“ of horology. Beautiful the perfect watch should be, elegant, fit for everyday use, complicated, exclusive. Everybody defines this picture of a perfect watch according to his own preferences, so it is clear that such a „holy grail“-watch cannot exist. However, I am convinced that Ulysse Nardin’s GMT Perpetual is very close to that ideal. For me, at least, it perfectly fulfils its role as mystic cup . . .