Important Modern & Vintage Timepieces...
Hong Kong, Dec 05, 2021
LOT 255
ULYSSE NARDIN REF. 921-22, ASTROLABIUM GALILEO GALILEI, 18K YELLOW GOLD
HKD 128,000 - 214,000
EUR 14,300 - 23,900 / CHF 15,100 - 25,100 / USD 16,400 - 27,300
18K yellow gold, self-winding, round-shaped, astronomical gentleman’s wristwatch with case-back screwed by six screws, hooded lugs, bezel engraved with Roman (I-XII) and Arabic (1-24) numerals, blue and silver colour dial showing: local time, equinoctial time, month, day, zodiac sign, elevation and azimuth of the Sun and the Moon on the planisphere, diurnal and nocturnal hours, moonphase, and the aspect of the Sun and the Moon in relation to each other.
| Grading System | |
|---|---|
Grade: AAA |
Excellent |
Case: 3-8 |
Good Slightly scratched |
Movement: 2* |
Very good Overhaul recommended, at buyer's expense |
Dial: 2-01 |
Very good HANDS Original |
Brand Ulysse Nardin
Model Astrolabium Galileo Galilei
Reference 921-22
Year Circa 1985-1990
Case No. 101
Bracelet Black leather UN strap; 18K yellow gold UN buckle
Caliber UN 90, 11’’’ ½, lever escapement
Dimensions 44.7 x 39.8 mm. / Ø 39.8 mm
Signature Case, Dial and Movement
Notes
Ulysse Nardin, “Astrolabium Galileo Galilei”
This wristwatch was the first of the “Trilogy” series, which was introduced in 1985. Named after Galileo Galilei (1564-1642), it is a tribute to his astronomical discoveries.
This timepiece was the first in the world to have all of the following complications: time of day; perpetual calendar; moon phases; moon-rise and moon-set; sunrise and sunset; dawn and dusk; signs of the zodiac; and Solar and Lunar eclipses.
The most complicated function is the ability of the watch to indicate the positions of Sun, Moon and stars, as seen from the Earth. Also shown on the dial is the Tropic of Capricorn. All of the numerous features of the watch are controlled through the single winding-crown.
Due to its complexity, as it was based on the astrolabe, it was featured on the cover of the Guiness Book of World Records and was cited in the book.
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Galileo Galilei (1564-1642)
Galilei used the telescope to discover that the planets had moons, the Moon had craters and the Sun had spots. He championed the idea that the planets moved around the Sun and supported this theory with his use of the telescope. His observations of the movements of the moons and the planets changed the notions of the heavens and influenced the future of astronomy.
Galileo Galilei is also attributed with discovering the principle of isochronism in the early 1600s. Galileo claimed that for pendulums of equal lengths, the oscillation time is constant and isochronous, regardless of the amplitude. Galilei applied this theory to a clock, that was extremely precise.