Ulysse Nardin Hourstriker Black Dial Platinum Black Leather Men's Watch 6109-103-E2

 When Shenyang Imperial Palace Museum included enamel works in its list of collections, the Ulysse Nardin "Temple of Heaven" enamel cloisonne watch was awarded the honor of being the first ever chosen watch of collection at the Museum, and would be permanently kept therein. The timepiece received the grand honor for its wondrous handicraft in its artistically perfect representation of the Temple of Heaven, the sign for China throughout history. Today, Ulysse Nardin is honored to hold a grand ceremony of watch presentation at Shenyang Imperial Palace Museum, a World Cultural Heritage that is closely protected. General Manager of Ulysse Nardin (Greater China) Mr. Danny Yen presented a "Temple of Heaven" watch to Shenyang Imperial Palace Museum for posterity to admire. The "Temple of Heaven" cloisonne dial of the watch that records an important phase of China's ancient history will be kept permanently at the museum.

"Enamel cloisonne" carries great value for collection and as heirloom, and with its intricate techniques and its dependence on master craftsmen's experience, the craft gradually came onto the brink of extinction, and became a precious one that needed careful protection.
The Old Palace of Qing in Shenyang, the site on which now stands Shenyang Imperial Palace Museum, was founded in 1625, and was the principal place for administrative and state purposes of the Qing dynasty before it moved on into the mainland (past Shanhaiguan). Huang Taiji, the second emperor of the Qing dynasty, came to the throne in the Palace, and changed the name of his dynasty from "Jin" to "Qing". After the conversion of the old palace into a museum, a lot of invaluable Chinese artistic masterpieces were collected herein, while the Ulysse Nardin watch became the first ever top-tier wristwatch brand to be chosen by the Museum as an item of collection for its crystallization of history and craftsmanship.

The three-month "Ulysse Nardin Enamel Cloisonne Exhibition Tour" was first held in Macaw, Hong Kong, Xi'an, Taiyuan, and Shenyang, and then to Dalian, Harbin, Shanghai, Beijing, Kunming, and Taiwan. China's economy has been growing fast in recent years, and its population is becoming increasingly affluent. Seeing its opportunity, ULYSSE NARDIN opened its first sales office in Xi'an in 2004, which is dedicated to the development of the Chinese premium watch market. Ulysse Nardin opened its first flagship store at "Bund 18" of Shanghai, a place where all the famous wristwatch brands vie for the spotlight, in November 2006.
So far, Ulysse Nardin has set up 21 sales offices in prestigious watch trading places all over China, covering Shanghai, Beijing, Dalian, Harbin, Tianjin, Shenzhen, Kunming, Nanchang, Changhsha, Hangzhou, Datong, Shenyang, Taiyuan, Wuhan and Tangshan. As the demand for premium wristwatches of the Chinese population ever growing, China has become a market with remarkable potential for Ulysse Nardin.

Enamel watches were hugely popular in the 1960s. Enamel cloisonne watches, in particular, enjoyed the highest esteem among watch lovers. The mere dial of a single enamel cloisonne watch requires more than 500 mms of gold string, which is less than 0.06 mm in diameter and is fixed on the dial to outline partitions of different colors. Then, goose quill stems are used to fetch the enamel colors, which are filled into the partitions accordingly. After coloring, more than 50 procedures, 5 scorchings and burnishings in burning furnaces of 800 to 1200 degrees centigrade to avoid air bubbles in the dial surface, and over 100 hours of actual working hours will be needed to complete an enamel cloisonne dial. Due to its complex and time-consuming forging process, enamel watches fell into near oblivion since the 1950s, and only such top watch makers as Ulysse Nardin are now able to produce such works that were tokens for wealth and power in the ancient world. Currently there are fewer than 10 watch making masters that are capable of the craft of enamel watches, and it's really a highly rare traditional craft. Ulysse Nardin's chief enamel master Michel Vermot made a series of fabulous enamel cloisonne watches for the company. Ulysse Nardin's enamel cloisonne watches include four series: San Marco Plain Enamel, Ship and Sea Battle and Landmarks as well as in the Classico Collection.

Temple of Heaven

Enamel Cloisonne Limited Edition

The TEMPLE of HEAVEN is a complex of Taoist buildings situated in Beijing, China. It was constructed in 1420 during the Ming Dynasty and was enlarged during the Qing Dynasty. The complex was visited by the Emperors of the two dynasties for annual ceremonies of prayer to Heaven for good harvest, as the feudal emperors thought they were the son of the heaven.