Ulysse Nardin Pays Tribute to Ming Dynasty Admiral Zheng He

By Justin Mastine-Frost | September 21, 2017

sail of the century

By turning to the skilled artisans of Donzé Cadrans — the enamel specialists workshop owned by Ulysse Nardin since 2011 — the new limited edition Classico features an immense level of detail within its compact dimension. The vessel on its dial represents one of the many treasure boats (or Bau-Chuan) sailed by Chinese admiral Zheng He during his seven extensive voyages between 1405 and 1433.

The dial of the new Classico Zheng He uses the centuries-old technique of cloisonné enamelling — a method requiring significant skill and patience, and requiring more than a week’s labour to complete. The 18-karat rose gold timepiece measures 40mm in diameter, and is powered by Ulysse Nardin’s in-house manufactured UN-815 COSC-certified automatic movement. Only 30 examples of the Classico Zheng He are slated for production.

Ulysse Nardin

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