Important Collectors’ Wristwatches, P...

New York, The Grand Havana Room, Sep 20, 2006

LOT 319

"Platinum Tellurium No. 3? Ulysse Nardin, "Tellurium Johannes Kepler", No. 03, Ref. 889-99. Made in a limited edition of 99 examples in the 1992. Very rare and unusual, astronomic, two time-zone, selfwinding, platinum gentleman's wristwatch, water-resistant to 30 m., with moon phases, signs of the Zodiac, eclipses of the sun and the moon, 24 hours, and a view of the Earth as seen from the North Pole, with a platinum Ulysse Nardin buckle. Accompanied by a fitted box and certificate.

C. Three-body, solid, polished, rounded bezel engraved with Arabic numerals for the hours and 4 blue enamel tabs with Roman numerals at the quarter hours, transparent case back, stepped lugs, sapphire crystals. D. Blue cloisonné enamel central disc depicting the continents, surrounding white gold ring with engraved Arabic numerals for the 24 hours of a second time zone. Spring overlapping central disc, bending according to various times of the year, separating the portion of the Earth lit by the sun from the portion in darkness, and indicating sunrise and sunset. Outer ring with names of the months and 12 signs of the Zodiac. Rotating moon representing its phases. Dragon head and tail hand indicating month and Zodiac signs, respectively. Two platinum and enamel floating flanges indicate hours and minutes. M. Cal. UN-87, hand-engraved, 64 jewels, straightline lever escapement, monometallic balance, shock absorber, self-compensating flat balance spring, hand-engraved and skeletonized white gold rotor. Dial, case and movement signed. Diam. 43 mm. Thickness 15 mm.