Important Modern & Vintage Timepieces

Hong - Kong, Oct 09, 2010

LOT 317

Ulysse Nardin Tellurium no. 00 Ulysse Nardin, "Tellurium Johannes Kepler", No. 00, Ref. 871-99. Made in a limited edition of 99 examples in 1992. Very rare and unusual, astronomic, water-resistant, two time zone, self-winding, 18K yellow gold wristwatch 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 an 18K yellow gold Ulysse Nardin buckle. Accompanied by a fitted wooden box.

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 yellow 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 luminous yellow gold floating flanges indicate hours and minutes. M. Cal. UN-87, hand-engraved, 64 jewels, rhodium-plated, straight line 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.