Combining elements of two of the most iconic sportswatches of the mid-century, the Ulysse Nardin chronograph reference 7536-2 is a surprisingly welcome addition to that most fruitful era of complicated wristwatches. Ulysse Nardin at the time was not known to focus on such timepieces, so the creation of one was unprecedented. With a bezel reminiscent of the Omega Speedmaster, the same Singer dial and layout of a Rolex Daytona, and a workhorse Valjoux 72-based movement, it combines all these desirable elements into a case exactly one millimeter larger than the Daytona.
The present example has a dial that has turned a rich chocolate brown, a process called “tropicalization”, with a very lightly faded bezel. This reference has made appearances in two Phillips thematic auctions, including the exceptional START-STOP-RESET sale in 2016. With wide, bold chamfers to the lugs, the engraving to the caseback still crisp and visible, this example, fresh to the auction market, is presented in excellent and, in our opinion, unpolished condition.