Ulysse Nardin
Retail Luxury Goods and JewelrySwitzerland201-500 Employees
Ulysse Nardin is an independent Swiss Maison disrupting Haute Horlogerie to advance watchmaking through pioneering technology and unmatched craftsmanship. Founded in 1846 in Le Locle, Switzerland, the Manufacture quickly became renowned for its precision timing instruments, critical to ocean exploration. Over five generations, the Nardin family produced the most reliable marine chronometers, trusted by leading navies and used by scientists in fields like geodesy, astronomy, and earth sciences. Ulysse Nardin has led innovation in chronometry, in-house movements, and material R&D, accumulating over 4,300 technical and design awards. The Manufacture introduced groundbreaking pieces like the first chiming watch with Jacquemarts automatons, the Astrolabium Galileo Galilei, and the first perpetual calendar that could be set both forwards and backwards via the crown. Pioneering the use of silicon in horology, Ulysse Nardin also developed DiamonSil®, a revolutionary surface treatment. The Freak, launched in 2001, epitomized Ulysse Nardin’s unique approach, combining high technology and craftsmanship. More than 20 years later, the Freak [ONE] was awarded the “Most Iconic Watch” prize at the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève. As part of the first collective of independent watchmaking manufactures, with its sister company Girard-Perregaux, Ulysse Nardin continues to push the boundaries of horology, redefining expectations for a storied heritage brand, with boutiques worldwide including flagships in Geneva, Silicon Valley, Dubai, and Shanghai. Ulysse Nardin and its sister Maison Girard-Perregaux form an independent collective of high horology Manufactures, named Sowind Group SA. In 2024, the collective became the first company in Switzerland’s luxury industry to be recognized by Deloitte as one of Switzerland’s Best Managed Companies, a distinction it proudly achieved for the second consecutive year in 2025.