In 1983, Rolf Schnyder took over Ulysse Nardin and with the help of watchmaker/philosopher/poet extraordinaire, Ludwig Oechslin turned the brand into one of the most innovative creators of its era. The brand created wristwatches with complications previously only found in pocket watches and clocks, such as the astrolabiums, telleriums or automata.
In 1989 the brand created the very first minute repeating wristwatch with jaquemart.
The present timepiece is as much a feast for the eyes as it is for the ears! Not content with creating a wonderful minute repeater cased in an elegant curvaceous case with strong stepped lugs, Ulysse Nardin created a superb dark blue flinqué enamel dial featuring two engraved automatons representing the two bell ringers found in Venice’s San Marco bell tower. When the repeater lever is activated the arm of the automaton on the left rises and falls (as if he is hitting the bell) to the chimes of the hours, both figures move in synch with the chimes of the quarter hours and the automaton on the right moves with the chimes of the minutes.
It is important to note that not only Ulysse Nardin was the very first brand to introduce a jacquemart minute repeating wristwatch but remains one of the very few who has mastered the complex knowledge of automatons.