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83-757: Ulysse Nardin SA is a Swiss luxury watchmaking company founded in 1846 in Le Locle , Switzerland . The company became known for manufacturing highly accurate marine chronometers and complicated precision exclusive timepieces used by over 50 of the world's navies from the end of the 19th century till 1950. According to the last official report of Neuchâtel Observatory in Switzerland, Ulysse Nardin had won numerous awards and honors for its marine chronometers from 1846 to 1975, including 4324 certificates, 2411 special prizes and 18 gold medals at International exhibitions . The company

166-505: A Tellurian and astronomer Johannes Kepler ). The Cloisonné dial of the Tellurium takes fifty-four processes, twelve baking operations and more than fifty hours of work by a skilled craftsman to transform a draft sketch on a small metal disc into a unique work of art - each and every Tellurium is unique. Every two years, the brand participates in Only Watch, a charity auction operated under

249-566: A 'made in Switzerland' designation can be affixed to a product and when it cannot. Appropriate criteria have only been developed by individual cantonal courts up until now. Products are, however, sold which are not 100% Swiss-manufactured. In such cases, the actual legal practice is based on the rules laid down in Article 48 of the Trademark Law and a 1968 ruling issued by the trade court of St. Gallen, reiterated in 1992. These court rulings outline

332-617: A Swiss movement, is assembled and controlled in Switzerland by the Manufacture d'horlogerie and when 60% of its manufacturing costs are Swiss. The legal standards for the use of "Swiss made" on a watch are a very minimum standard, and the Swissness of a watch is largely dependent on the brand and its reputation . A watch is considered Swiss, according to the Swiss law, if: If a watch movement

415-422: A criterion of value-added for the movement. A watch is considered to be Swiss if its movement: a. Α been assembled in Switzerland and; b. Has been started, adjusted and checked by the manufacturer in Switzerland, and; c. Is of Swiss manufacture for at least 50 per cent of the value of all constituent parts, but without the cost of assembly and; d. Is subject to legal technical inspection in Switzerland according to

498-489: A critical point. The Swiss watch industry, which had 1,600 watchmakers in 1970, had declined to 600. In March 1983, the two biggest Swiss watch groups, ASUAG ( Allgemeine Schweizerische Uhrenindustrie AG ) and SSIH ( Société Suisse pour l'Industrie Horlogère ), merged to form ASUAG/SSIH in order to save the industry. This organization was renamed SMH ( Société de Microélectronique et d'Horlogerie ) in 1986, and then The Swatch Group in 1998. It would be instrumental in reviving

581-547: A foreign license will still be Swiss in origin, while a product manufactured abroad using Swiss recipes or Swiss methods will still be foreign in origin. Practically, the Federal Council Ordinance of December 23, 1971 to regulate the use of the SWISS appellation for watches was partially revised on June 17, 2016 at the request of the industry, in order to strengthen the protection of the geographical indication. According to

664-438: A generally lower cost and therefore sales price. During World War II , Swiss neutrality permitted the watch industry to continue making consumer time-keeping apparatus, while the major nations of the world shifted timing apparatus production to timing devices for military ordnance. As a result, the Swiss watch industry enjoyed an effective monopoly. The industry prospered in the absence of any real competition. Thus, prior to

747-615: A network of distributors and several boutiques around the world. Ulysse Nardin was born in 1823 in Le Locle, Switzerland. During the long and snowy winters, inhabitants used to produce timekeeping instruments to survive, as they couldn't live from farming alone. Ulysse Nardin first trained as an apprentice horologist under his father, Léonard-Frédéric Nardin, and perfected his skills under the tutelage of Frédéric-William Dubois and Louis JeanRichard-dit-Bressel, two master watchmakers who were experts in precision watches and whose fame extended beyond

830-583: A quartz circuit that produces 2,400,000 vibrations per second. In 1976 Omega introduced the Omega Chrono-Quartz , the world's first analogue-digital chronograph, which was succeeded within 12 months by the Calibre 1620, the company's first completely LCD chronograph wristwatch. Despite these dramatic advancements, the Swiss hesitated to embrace quartz watches. At the time, Swiss mechanical watches dominated world markets. In addition, excellence in watchmaking

913-458: A requirement in this case. The draft also stipulates other provisions concerning the definition of Swiss constituent parts and assembly in Switzerland. With a rate of 80%, the FH proposed to lay particular emphasis on the mechanical watch. With these proposals, objectives in terms of protecting the Swiss made label should be attained. The proposed criteria also take into account the place of manufacture and

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996-594: A sparse number of court opinion on the topic can be found; in particular, the decision of the Commercial Court of St. Gallen according to which the value of the Swiss portion of the manufacturing costs including raw materials, sub-assemblies, accessory parts, salaries, and general manufacturing costs but excluding operating expenses, must be at least 50% and the "essential manufacturing process" which must have taken place in Switzerland. Exactly how "essential manufacturing process" should be understood has been illustrated by

1079-457: A specialty for the brand, it produces luxury complicated timepieces with high sophistication for men and women. The company sells its products through a network of distributors and several boutiques around the globe, as well as through retailers in Europe , America , Middle East , Asia , Africa , Australia , China and Russia . Ulysse Nardin is part of the exclusive circle of Swiss watchmaking

1162-538: A watch if: A movement is considered to be Swiss if: Quartz crisis The quartz crisis (Swiss) or quartz revolution (America, Japan and other countries) was the advancement in the watchmaking industry caused by the advent of quartz watches in the 1970s and early 1980s, that largely replaced mechanical watches around the world. It caused a significant decline of the Swiss watchmaking industry , which chose to remain focused on traditional mechanical watches, while

1245-525: A watch to be Swiss made if its technical development is carried out in Switzerland, its movement is Swiss, if its movement is cased up in Switzerland, if the final inspection of the watch is conducted by the manufacturer in Switzerland, at least 60 per cent of the manufacturing costs are incurred in Switzerland. These legal criteria are stated in the Ordinance on the Use of «Switzerland» or «Swiss» for Watches. Besides

1328-565: Is a label or marking used to indicate that a product was made on the territory of Switzerland . It is also a geographical indication protected under different Swiss and international laws and treaties. According to the Swiss Federal Act on the Protection of Trade Marks and Indications of Source, a good or service may be designated "Swiss made" if: Most often associated with watches or timepieces made in Switzerland, Swiss law considers

1411-400: Is available not only on French, German or Italian, the principal official languages of Switzerland, but also on English. Currently the aforementioned Swiss legal standards permit watch brands or watchmakers to label watches Swiss made under certain legally defined circumstances. These standards have changed over time and were not always codified in the national law, so older watches which bear

1494-483: Is considered Swiss whose movement is Swiss, whose movement is encased in Switzerland and whose final control by the manufacturer takes place in Switzerland. Conversely, the Swiss manufacturers of parts destined for foreign watches from then on were authorized to visibly indicate that their products come from Switzerland. These innovations were intended to improve the transparency as regards the source of products. Consumers were expected to clearly recognize from what countries

1577-454: Is intended for export and will not be cased-up in Switzerland, but it otherwise meets the criteria to be considered a Swiss movement, the watch may say "Swiss Movement" but it may not say Swiss made nor “Swiss Movt” on the watch case or dial. A watch that says "Swiss Quartz" is supposed to be manufactured in Switzerland according to the legal criteria above-stated. However, it is often improperly used by foreign manufacturers to merely indicate that

1660-418: Is that the original characteristics of the goods are lost through the manufacturing process, and the possible application of the goods is different from that of the basic materials of foreign origin used in their manufacture. In addition, the origin of goods is determined by the place where they are produced, not by where the idea for producing these goods was conceived. A product manufactured in Switzerland under

1743-446: Is unique in that most other countries use the phrase "Made in (Country Name)". The most obvious place where the label is found is on Swiss watches. The Swiss laws permit the use of the words "Suisse", "produit suisse", "fabriqué en Suisse", "qualité suisse" or the translations, "Swiss", "Swiss made", "Switzerland", only on watches manufactured in Switzerland. The label "Swiss Made" is the more common, but on some older watches, for example,

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1826-546: The Astron , the world's first quartz watch, which was introduced by Seiko in December 1969. The key advances included replacing the mechanical or electromechanical movement with a quartz clock movement as well as replacing analog displays with digital displays such as LED displays and later liquid-crystal displays (LCDs). In general, quartz timepieces are much more accurate than mechanical timepieces, in addition to having

1909-602: The Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry FH (FH) a trade organization. 30 companies have opposed such efforts under which the lobbying group IG Swiss made. Many are afraid to share their identity but Ronnie Bernheim, co-CEO of Mondaine , has been outspoken on this issue, and defends "Swissness more as a promise than a physical manifestation". Mondaine admits that it uses non-Swiss dials and cases though Bernheim has declined to disclose their country of origin. In 2007,

1992-484: The "Swiss made" requirements, the indication «Swiss movement» may be placed on watches that contain a Swiss movement. The word «movement» must be written in full and must be of the same typeface, size and colour as the designation «Swiss». In addition to "Swiss made", under Swiss law watches may carry the words " Suisse ", " produit suisse ", " fabriqué en Suisse ", " qualité suisse " or simply the English translation, "Swiss" if

2075-626: The 150th anniversary of the brand. After Schnyder' sudden death in 2011, Chai Schnyder, his wife, took over the company till it was acquired by the Kering group in 2014. In 2011, Ulysse Nardin acquired a Swiss enameler workshop, Donzé Cadrans, that has provided the brand the opportunity to use enamel in its watch dials. In 2012, Ulysse Nardin launched its first automatic caliber, entirely conceived and manufactured in-house: UN-118. One year later, Ulysse Nardin released five new in-house calibers (UN-690, UN-310, UN-170, UN-150 and UN-205). In 2014, Ulysse Nardin

2158-491: The 1960s. When the first quartz watches were introduced in 1969, the United States promptly took a technological lead in part due to microelectronics research for military and space programs. American companies like Texas Instruments , Fairchild Semiconductor , and National Semiconductor started the mass production of digital quartz watches and made them affordable. It did not remain so forever; by 1978 Hong Kong exported

2241-516: The 1970s, the Swiss watch industry had 50% of the world watch market. In the early 1950s a joint venture between the Elgin Watch Company in the United States and Lip of France to produce an electromechanical watch – one powered by a small battery rather than an unwinding spring – laid the groundwork for the quartz watch . Although the Lip-Elgin enterprise produced only prototypes, in 1957

2324-559: The Caliber 350, with an advertised accuracy within about 0.164 seconds per day, which had a quartz oscillator with a frequency of 32,768 Hz, which was faster than previous quartz watch movements and has since become the oscillation frequency used by most quartz clocks. In 1974 Omega introduced the Omega Marine Chronometer , the first quartz watch ever to be certified as a marine chronometer, accurate to 12 seconds per year using

2407-482: The European Union. A higher value criterion would not have allowed Switzerland to meet its international commitments and was, therefore, refused. The most popular items by far to have the "Swiss made" labels are Swiss watches. Almost all Swiss watchmakers, with the notable exception of old Breitling timepieces, label their watches prominently on the dial. By convention, the words are fully capitalized, positioned on

2490-549: The FH plans to seek political action on a proposal which introduces a new aspect to the definition of Swiss made, in the form of a value criterion. Accordingly, any mechanical watch in which at least 80% of the production cost is attributable to operations carried out in Switzerland would be considered as a mechanical Swiss watch. For other watches, particularly electronic watches, this rate would be 60%. Technical construction and prototype development would moreover need to be carried out in Switzerland. Raw materials, precious stones and

2573-548: The Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry, the intention is to “guarantee satisfaction of the consumer who, when buying a Swiss made watch, expects it to correspond to the quality and the reputation of Swiss watchmaking tradition and therefore to be manufactured in Switzerland and to incorporate a high added value of Swiss origin.” According to that ordinance, the geographical indication Switzerland or Swiss can be used on

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2656-727: The Fondation de la Haute Horlogerie. The company has an integrated production system. The majority of the work is done in-house, from conception, design, development and crafting through to production. The brand produces its own high-precision components, movements and calibers. Since the acquisition of Donzé Cadrans, Ulysse Nardin creates its own enamel dials. Pieces are heated to a high temperature (1500 °F or 850 °C) repeatedly, several times, as layers of color are added. This requires hours of work. Engineers, drafting technicians, technical and caliber designers develop new technologies, and design movements. They produce prototypes and tools for

2739-696: The Swatch Group also acquired other watch brands including Blancpain , Breguet , Glashütte Original , Harry Winston , Longines , Omega , Hamilton and Tissot . The larger global market still largely reflected other trends, however. In the US domestic market , for example, the Swatch was something of a 1980s fad resting largely on variety of colors and patterns, and the bulk of production still came from offshore sites such as China and Japan, in digitally-dominated or hybrid brands like Casio , Timex , and Armitron . On

2822-450: The Swiss watch industry into crisis while at the same time strengthening both the Japanese and American watch industries. This period of time was marked by a lack of innovation in Switzerland at the same time that the watch-making industries of other nations were taking full advantage of emerging technologies, specifically quartz watch technology, hence the term "quartz crisis". As a result of

2905-403: The Swiss watch industry. Between 1970 and 1983, the number of Swiss watchmakers dropped from 1,600 to 600. Between 1970 and 1988, Swiss watch employment fell from 90,000 to 28,000. Outside Switzerland, the crisis is often referred to as the "quartz revolution", particularly in the United States where many American companies had gone out of business or had been bought out by foreign interests by

2988-518: The Swiss watch industry; today, the Swatch Group is the largest watch manufacturer in the world. The Swatch product was sealed in a plastic case, sold as a disposable commodity with little probability of repair, and had fewer moving parts (51) than mechanical watches (about 91). Furthermore, production was essentially automated, which resulted in higher profitability. The Swatch was a huge success; in less than two years, more than 2.5 million Swatches were sold. Besides its own product line Swatch ,

3071-520: The battery would be excluded from the production cost. The Swiss movement in the existing ordinance already has a value criterion, namely the rate of 50%. Considering that here, too, the definition needs reinforcing, the draft amends these value criteria. For mechanical movements therefore, the rate would be at least 80% of the value of all constituent parts. For other movements, particularly electronic movements, this rate would be 60%. Technical construction and prototype development in Switzerland would also be

3154-643: The best pocket chronometers makers. At the 1862 International Exhibition in London , Ulysse Nardin was awarded the Prize Medal in the category of "complicated watches and pocket chronometers". The prize was the highest distinction for watchmaking in the United Kingdom . In 1867, Ulysse Nardin obtained the first series of certificates from Neuchâtel Observatory for its marine chronometers. In 1876, Ulysse Nardin died at age 53, and his son Paul-David Nardin succeeded him as

3237-436: The bottom of the face, split by the half-hour indicator if available, curved along the bottom edge as necessary. Watches made in other countries typically indicate their country of origin on the back of the watch, except for very few well-known high-end manufacturers. Besides watchmakers, Swiss software companies are marking their software with the "Swiss made" software label to declare the origin of their products. In principle,

3320-648: The charity cause association. First introduced in 2013, the Stranger was named after Frank Sinatra’s 1966 song “Strangers in the Night” that the timepiece reproduced through a musical box mechanism. Since 2017, Ulysse Nardin has been the official sponsor of Sweden's Artemis Racing team at the America's Cup race . The brand is also the official sponsor of Monaco Yacht Show and the Miami Yacht Show. Swiss made Swiss made

3403-468: The company after quartz crisis was the launch of "Trilogy of Time". This collection incorporated three different astronomical pieces starting in 1985 with the release of the Astrolabium Galileo Galilei , named after Italian astronomer Galileo Galilei . The Astrolabium displays local and solar time , the orbits and eclipses of the sun and the moon and the positions of several major stars. It

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3486-410: The company into a healthy business. Schnyder and Oechslin would aim to produce complication timepieces using modern materials and manufacturing techniques. Ulysse Nardin has introduced several innovations. In 1996, Ulysse Nardin released its first marine chronometer wristwatch "Marine Chronometer 1846", and first perpetual calendar "Perpetual Ludwig". These timepieces were designed by Ludwig Oechslin for

3569-423: The conditions for the legal use of the designation "Swiss Made" and similar designations, especially for goods not manufactured in Switzerland in their entirety. In pertinent part the case law holds: Products are considered Swiss products if they are fundamentally local products or if they have been completely manufactured in Switzerland. In the case of products that have been only partly manufactured in Switzerland,

3652-408: The economic turmoil that ensued, many once-profitable and famous Swiss watch houses became insolvent or disappeared. This period of time completely upset the Swiss watch industry both economically and psychologically. During the 1970s and early 1980s, technological upheavals, i.e. the appearance of the quartz technology, and an otherwise difficult economic situation resulted in a reduction in the size of

3735-530: The first battery-driven watch was in production, the American-made Hamilton 500 . In 1954, Swiss engineer Max Hetzel developed an electronic wristwatch that used an electrically charged tuning fork powered by a 1.35 volt battery. The tuning fork resonated at precisely 360  Hz and it powered the hands of the watch through an electromechanical gear train . This watch was called the Accutron and

3818-683: The first quartz wristwatch. In 1962, the Centre Electronique Horloger (CEH) , consisting of around 20 Swiss watch manufacturers, was established in Neuchâtel to develop a Swiss-made quartz wristwatch, while simultaneously in Japan, Seiko was also working on an electric watch and developing quartz technology. One of the first successes was a portable quartz clock called the Seiko Crystal Chronometer QC-951 . This portable clock

3901-442: The following two examples: For a woven scarf to be considered a product of Swiss origin because of a particular coating it has received in Switzerland which stiffened the fabric (although this clearly is an important characteristic of the quality) is insufficient. In the eyes of the customer, the quality of the woven fabric is such an important characteristic of the product that fabric can only be indicated as being of Swiss origin if it

3984-610: The head of the company which continued to expand. In 1889, Ulysse Nardin won a Gold Medal at the Paris Universal Exhibition, was awarded two Swiss patents in 1890, won First Prize at the Chicago Universal Exhibition in 1893, and many more. In 1902, the company started to deliver marine chronometers to the United States Navy . The brand regularly won Washington Naval Observatory competitions and became

4067-399: The industry, because it is considered too lax, but also in legal circles, where the view is that it no longer fully meets the legal mandate specified in the companion law on trademarks . The first Ordinance on the Use of «Switzerland» or «Swiss» for Watches published in 1971 mainly defined the Swiss movement and did not give specific criteria for the watch as a whole. However, it had already

4150-502: The ink regulating system). That is why these parts of a fountain pen are not considered subsidiary parts. Thus, a fountain pen may not be marked as a Swiss product if only the nib has been manufactured in Switzerland. The current legislation contains only very generally formulated conditions which must be met for using a ‘made in Switzerland’ designation. With the exception of watches, no concrete criteria exist regarding when and by whom

4233-481: The largest number of electronic watches worldwide, and US semiconductor companies came to pull out of the watch market entirely. With the exception of Timex and Bulova , the remaining traditional American watch companies, including Hamilton, went out of business and sold their brand names to foreign competitors; Bulova would ultimately sell to the Japanese-owned Citizen in 2008. By 1983, the crisis reached

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4316-463: The law defines a Swiss watch, the definition of which is dependent on certain aspects of its movement. The law then goes on to define under what circumstances a watch movement may be considered Swiss made. The law then sets forth the conditions for the use of the name Swiss on watches, on watch cases, on watch movements, on watch dials and on replacement watch parts. In sum, a watch is considered Swiss when it has been developed in Switzerland, it uses

4399-458: The legal criteria stated in the abovementioned Ordinance are met. Outside of the jurisdiction of Switzerland, the same legal requirements for the use of the terms "Swiss" and "Swiss Made" may apply, notably for watches in the European Union , United States and Hong Kong as certification/collective marks “SWISS” are registered. The wording was formally adopted in the late 19th century and

4482-435: The majority of the world's watch production shifted to Japanese companies such as Seiko , Citizen and Casio which embraced the new electronic technology. The strategy employed by Swiss makers was to call this revolution a 'crisis' thereby downgrading the advancement from Japanese brands. The quartz crisis took place amid the postwar global Digital Revolution (or "Third Industrial Revolution"). The crisis started with

4565-402: The mark Swiss made may not necessarily meet the current legal definition. On the other hand, they might well exceed the current legal definition of Swiss made, which remains a minimum threshold. The Ordinance on the Use of «Switzerland» or «Swiss» for Watches first defines a "watch" (as opposed to a clock) by the dimensions of its movement in its Article 1, Definition of «watch». Thereafter,

4648-501: The mountains of Neuchatel , Switzerland. In 1846, at the age of 23, Ulysse Nardin founded his own company in Le Locle where its headquarters are still located. Despite Ulysse Nardin growing up in the Jura mountains, he was fascinated by the sea and produced nautical timekeeping instruments. His company became one of the first to manufacture marine chronometers and high-precision seafaring instruments for commercial ships and navies throughout

4731-486: The movement assemblies and casings of complex mechanisms (minute repeater, hourstriker, tourbillon...) and astronomical timepieces. In 2020, the company developed a model made of plastic ocean waste. Quality control experts perform checks on everything: aesthetics, watch functions, waterproofing, etc. Some watches have a chronometer movement certified for accuracy by the Contrôle Officiel Suisse des Chronomètres,

4814-465: The name "Switzerland", as well as designations such as "Swiss", "Swiss quality", "Made in Switzerland", "Swiss made" or others containing the Swiss name, can only be used for products manufactured in Switzerland. This also applies to the translation of any of these terms into any other language. The conditions for using "Switzerland" or "Swiss" for products are defined very generally in the Trademark Law as follows: The origin of goods shall be determined by

4897-673: The need for lubrication of the escapement. The brand also launched the "Freak Diamonsil" watch, using this nanotechnology for the escapement. The same year, the brand released "Innovision 1" watch, featuring 10 innovations. In 2017, the brand presented ten innovations, gathered within a new Freak watch, named "Innovision 2". One year later, the company launched the "Freak Vision" with three patents out of "Innovision 2" : "Grinder" winding system, constant power escapement and balance wheel in silicium with micro palets. The current Freak model includes two series: Freak Out and Freak Vision ( introduced in 2017 ). The first major advancement of

4980-700: The official Swiss testing agency. Ulysse Nardin has also its own quality certification, the Ulysse Nardin Certificate, with standards for quality higher than the COSC. Ulysse Nardin introduced the Freak wristwatches in 2001. The first timepiece of this collection was the "Laboratory on the wrist" Freak watch. The model contains a revolutionary 7-day carrousel- tourbillon , and has no (true) dial, crown or hands. The movement contains silicon escapement components, and would rotate on itself to indicate time. The watch model

5063-638: The official supplier for the US Navy's torpedo boats. The company has since provided timepieces to the navies of the United States , United Kingdom , Russia and Japan . Since the 1870s, over 50 navies and international shipping companies had been equipped with Ulysse Nardin marine chronometers. In 1975, the Neuchâtel Observatory published the last official edition on the performance of chronometers from 1846 to 1975. According to this report, Ulysse Nardin

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5146-468: The origin of components, thereby complying with the law on trademarks which serves as the legal basis of the "Swiss made" Ordinance. However, it will be up to the Federal Council to reach a final decision on the matter. The minimum rate of 60% was finally chosen for all type of watches in 2016 by the Federal Council as it corresponds to the rate used in the free-trade agreement between Switzerland and

5229-440: The origin of the intellectual property embodied in the product and the special circumstances in the respective industry must also be taken into due consideration. Accordingly, there are two conditions that must be fulfilled for goods to be legally labelled as being of Swiss origin: The "most important part of the manufacturing process" is that part of the process that results in a completely new product. The determining factor here

5312-477: The other hand, the quartz revolution drove many Swiss manufacturers to seek refuge in (or be winnowed out to) the higher end of the market, such as Patek Philippe , Vacheron Constantin , Audemars Piguet , and Rolex . Mechanical watches have gradually become luxury goods appreciated for their elaborate craftsmanship, aesthetic appeal, and glamorous design, sometimes associated with the social status of their owners, rather than simple timekeeping devices. Since

5395-536: The patronage of Prince Albert II, where watchmaking companies create timepieces to raise funds for research on neuromuscular diseases. In 2015, for the sixth edition of the Only Watch Charity Auction, the brand released the ”Only Watch Stranger” watch, equipped with a music box. On the hour, the watch plays Queen’s “We are the Champions” thanks to the copyright granted to Ulysse Nardin for its participation to

5478-520: The place of manufacture or by the origin of the basic materials and components used. The Federal Council can specify such conditions if it is justified by general economic interests or by the interests of individual sectors. Up until today, this has only been done – after a protracted debate concerning the highly controversial interests in the watch sector – with the “Swiss-made” ordinance for watches (the Watch Ordinance). Besides this regulation, only

5561-437: The quartz movement is of Swiss origin. Use of the Swiss made label for watches is covered by an ordinance of the Federal Council dated 29 December 1971. The Swiss standard is often pejoratively referred to as the 60% Rule. However, it has its basis in real life economics. Again, the law merely sets forth a minimum standard. The Swiss Made Ordinance has, for a number of years, been subject to many criticisms, particularly inside

5644-478: The rule applies that the Swiss portion of the production cost (including basic materials, semi-finished products, accessories, wages and production overhead excluding distribution costs) must be at least 50%. However, this 50% portion is not the sole criterion for determining the Swiss origin of a product. The origin of the essential components and the manufacturing process through which a product obtains its characteristic features, and – in borderline or doubtful cases –

5727-537: The system in force. The Swiss Federal Council modified the ordinance regulating the use of the "Swiss" name for watches in May 1995. This revision was explained in a press release entitled On foreign parts for watches . This was said to bring the requirements of Swiss watchmaking industry a rubric like those of the European Union. In essence, the revision made it possible to affix indications of "Swiss made" on foreign watchcases and dials intended to equip Swiss watches. A watch

5810-416: The various constituent parts of the watches came. However, the revisions were not intended to reduce the protection the name "Swiss made". Indeed, the high requirements which are imposed with a Swiss watch were said to remain unchanged. From time to time, namely in 2003 and more particularly in 2007, there were efforts made to strengthen the definition of "Swiss made". These efforts are normally spearheaded by

5893-510: The word "Swiss" appears alone on the dial at the six o'clock position. There are two sections of the Swiss law that pertain to the use of the name Swiss made. The first law, which applies to all types of Swiss products, is the "Federal Act on the Protection of Trade Marks and Indications of Source". Its article 50 provided the authority for the enactment of the second law, the Ordinance on the Use of «Switzerland» or «Swiss» for Watches , relating specifically to Swiss watches. The text of either law

5976-419: The workshops. Profile turners or specialist setters supervise the production of pieces required for the balance axis, screws, pins and the other minute parts. Decorators engrave plates and bridges with distinctive patterns. Experienced watchmakers then assemble the finished components, working on the movements of in-house calibers. Another team of watchmakers, specialized in highly complicated timepieces, works on

6059-578: The world's first quartz watch, which marked the beginning of the quartz revolution. The first Swiss quartz analog watch – the Ebauches SA Beta 21 – arrived at the 1970 Basel Fair . The Beta 21 was released by numerous manufacturers including the Omega Electroquartz . On 6 May 1970, Hamilton introduced the Pulsar – the world's first electronic digital watch. In 1971 Girard-Perregaux introduced

6142-493: The world. His pocket and marine chronometers became reference products in civil, military and scientific realms. Ulysse Nardin acquired a high-precision astronomical regulator, built by Jacques-Frederic Houriet in 1768, to rate his pocket chronometers. It is now in a museum in Le Locle. Minute repeaters, complicated watches and pocket chronometers carried the reputation of the company. At that time, famous horologists were French and English. Ulysse Nardin went to London to challenge

6225-796: Was acquired by the French luxury group Kering , which took a 100% stake in the watch brand. In 2017, the company appointed Patrick Pruniaux, a previous executive of Apple , as its new CEO. In 2019, Ulysse Nardin has released three new calibers (UN-230, UN-371 and UN-631). The company still occupies its original headquarters in Le Locle , one of the main watch production hubs in northwest Switzerland and has three manufacturing plants in: La Chaux-de-Fonds (R&D and movement production site), Le Locle (Donzé Cadrans site, which belongs to Ulysse Nardin but also produces enamel dials for other companies) and Sion (Sigatec site, which produces micromechanics components in silicium). While marine wrist chronometers are still

6308-436: Was a large component of Swiss national identity . From their position of market strength, and with a national watch industry organized broadly and deeply to foster mechanical watches, many in Switzerland thought that moving into electronic watches was unnecessary. Others outside Switzerland, however, saw the advantage and further developed the technology. By 1978, quartz watches overtook mechanical watches in popularity, plunging

6391-415: Was actually woven in Switzerland. In fountain pens , the nib is an important element. But the quality of the fountain pen also primarily depends on the quality of the other parts. According to experience, more repairs are made on the holder than on the nibs for the fountain pens. For this reason, consumers pay attention not only to the quality of the nib but also to the quality of the holder (the feed system,

6474-421: Was awarded 4,324 performance certificates for mechanical marine chronometers out of 4,504 submitted (95%). Due to the quartz crisis , Ulysse Nardin faced significant challenges in late 1970s and early 1980s. In 1983, the company was acquired by businessman Rolf Schnyder who, in conjunction with watchmakers such as Ludwig Oechslin , revived the brand . Rolf Schnyder served as its chief executive and transformed

6557-565: Was marketed by Bulova , starting in 1960. Although Bulova did not have the first battery-powered wristwatch, the Accutron was a powerful catalyst, as by that time the Swiss watch-manufacturing industry was a mature industry with a centuries-old global market and deeply entrenched patterns of manufacturing, marketing, and sales. In the late 1950s and early 1960s, both Seiko and a consortium of Switzerland's top watch firms, including Patek Philippe , Piaget , and Omega , fiercely competed to develop

6640-447: Was named "Watch of the Year" in innovation category in 2002. This use of silicon parts in a mechanical movement was an industry first. In 2005, the brand launched the "Freak Diamond Heart" watch, featuring a patented escapement made from synthetic diamonds. In 2007, the company presented a new material, Diamonsil, which combines silicium and synthetic diamonds. It eliminates friction and removes

6723-714: Was named by the Guinness Book of Records in 1989 as the world's most-functional watch (with 21 distinct functions). Dr. Oechslin then followed the Astrolabium up with two other astronomical watches: in 1988 the Planetarium Copernicus (named after the stargazing theaters called planetariums and of astronomer Copernicus ) and in 1992 the Tellurium Johannes Kepler (named after the Latin ' Tellus ' meaning Earth,

6806-499: Was taken over and re-invigorated in 1983 by Rolf W. Schnyder who transformed it into a profitable business. From 2014, it was a subsidiary of the French luxury group Kering . Ulysse Nardin has operated out of the same building headquartered in Le Locle, Switzerland since 1865. Ulysse Nardin is now owned by Sowind Group SA following a management buyout . The company today designs and manufactures luxury watches, dual-time watches, and marine chronometers, and sells its products through

6889-571: Was used as a backup timer for marathon events in the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. In 1966, prototypes of the world's first quartz pocket watch were unveiled by Seiko and Longines in the Neuchâtel Observatory 's 1966 competition. In 1967, both the CEH and Seiko presented prototypes of quartz wristwatches to the Neuchâtel Observatory competition. On 25 December 1969, Seiko unveiled the Astron ,

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