Important Collector's Wristwatches, P...

Grand Havana Room, May 26, 2004

LOT 142

Ulysse Nardin, Locle & Genève,"Tellurium Johannes Kepler", No. 33, Ref. 889-99. Produced in a limited edition of 99 examples in the 1990s. Very rare and unusual, astronomic, two time-zone, self-winding, 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.

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, domed sapphire crystal.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 represen-ting 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, 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.