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Lot Essay
The present timepiece is part of the renowned Astronomical Trilogy by Ulysse Nardin, which also includes the Planetarium Copernicus, the Tellurium Johannes Kepler, and the Astrolabium Galileo Galilei. These three timepieces are among the most ambitious horological endeavors of the late 20th century, having been conceived and developed under the visionary direction of Rolf Schnyder, former owner and CEO of Ulysse Nardin, and the eminent horologist Ludwig Oechslin.
Oechslin, who served as the curator of the Musée International d'Horlogerie between 2011 and 2014, gave wristwatch design a previously unheard-of degree of astronomical precision and intellectual depth. Complex and forward-thinking pieces like those in the Astronomical Trilogy are being rediscovered as some of the most inventive wristwatches ever made as collectors increasingly focus on neo-vintage masterpieces from the 1980s and 1990s.
Two fundamental conceptions of the universe, Nicolaus Copernicus's heliocentric system, which places the Sun at the center of the solar system, and Claudius Ptolemy's geocentric universe, which centers on the Earth, are uniquely combined in the Planetarium Copernicus model. The wearer can see the precise astronomical positions of the planets and the angles they form when viewed from Earth thanks to this remarkable mechanism.
Five planetary rings revolve around the stationary Earth: Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn rotate clockwise, while Mercury and Venus rotate counterclockwise. The Moon faithfully replicates the lunar cycle, completing its orbit around the Earth in exactly 29.53 days. There is no need for leap-year corrections as the outermost ring, which shows the months and zodiac signs, completes a full revolution in a true solar year of 365 days, 5 hours, 48 minutes, and 46 seconds. The displays comes together to create an amazing blend of philosophy, science, and mechanical inventiveness.
Oechslin, who served as the curator of the Musée International d'Horlogerie between 2011 and 2014, gave wristwatch design a previously unheard-of degree of astronomical precision and intellectual depth. Complex and forward-thinking pieces like those in the Astronomical Trilogy are being rediscovered as some of the most inventive wristwatches ever made as collectors increasingly focus on neo-vintage masterpieces from the 1980s and 1990s.
Two fundamental conceptions of the universe, Nicolaus Copernicus's heliocentric system, which places the Sun at the center of the solar system, and Claudius Ptolemy's geocentric universe, which centers on the Earth, are uniquely combined in the Planetarium Copernicus model. The wearer can see the precise astronomical positions of the planets and the angles they form when viewed from Earth thanks to this remarkable mechanism.
Five planetary rings revolve around the stationary Earth: Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn rotate clockwise, while Mercury and Venus rotate counterclockwise. The Moon faithfully replicates the lunar cycle, completing its orbit around the Earth in exactly 29.53 days. There is no need for leap-year corrections as the outermost ring, which shows the months and zodiac signs, completes a full revolution in a true solar year of 365 days, 5 hours, 48 minutes, and 46 seconds. The displays comes together to create an amazing blend of philosophy, science, and mechanical inventiveness.