Ulysse Nardin Circus Minute Repeater watch

The Ulysse Nardin Circus Minute Repeater watch is a magnificent complicated timepiece which unites the fascination of animated figures with the endearing charm of haute horlogerie's "queen of complications"--the minute repeater.  The heart of the Ulysse Nardin Circus Minute Repeater watch is the manually wound Lemania-based UN-71 caliber, which has been meticulously decorated and refined by hand; when activated, this movement will sound out the hours with a low note, the quarter hours with a high note-low note combination, and the individual minutes with high notes.

The arrestingly beautiful dial of the Ulysse Nardin Circus Minute Repeater watch is carved from a piece of black onyx, and is a stage for the circus performers, painstakingly rendered in gold, to do their act each and every time the minute repeater slide is activated.  The hour chimes are represented by the monkey, who attempts to snatch the spheres being juggled by the clown (the spheres are in constant circular movement when the watch is running, and represent the small seconds.) Upon the high-low chimes of the quarter hours, the tigers paw moves in conjunction with the whip of the tamer, and the individual high notes of the minutes are accompanied by the tiger's paw moving alone.

During the entire operation of the repeating sequence, the bear in the lower right half of the dial bows before the ballerina who bears in her hand the object of his interest.  A close examination of the dial with a loupe will reveal the phenomenal love for minute detail that Ulysse Nardin's craftsmen have invested in this watch; behind the circus performers, one can observe the enthralled faces of individual members of the circus "audience" carved in relief, in gold.

The massive and luxurious 42mm case of the Ulysse Nardin Circus Minute Repeater watch is produced in platinum or 18K rose gold exclusively and each is strictly limited to only 30 pieces for the world.  This horological masterpiece is certainly one of the most remarkable minute repeating watches ever created, and will be a cherished acquisition for collectors who insist upon rarity and beauty.