In 1980s Ulysse Nardin stunned the horological world with the presentation of its extraordinary collection - the "Trilogy of Time". It comprised three spectacular watches, christened Astrolabium Galileo Galilei, Planetarium Copernicus and Tellurium Johannes Kepler. As the names of these models suggest, they paid tribute to three brilliant personalities in the world of astronomy.

A natural science, that deals with the study of celestial objects, including stars, planets, comets and galaxies, astronomy always excited people’s minds. It was developed in ancient times, when early civilizations such as the Babylonians, Greeks, Chinese, Indians, and Maya performed methodical observations of the night sky.

Supposedly, these were the Egyptians who determined that the Sun completes a full revolution around the sphere of the fixed stars in approximately 365 days.

The ancient Greeks made important theoretical discoveries, which were later on transmitted to the Syrians, the Hindus and the Arabs. In the 9th and 10th centuries, they composed new star catalogues and tables of planetary motion.

In the 16th century, the world of astronomy was shaken by a theory of Nicolaus Copernicus. He was the first person to formulate a comprehensive heliocentric cosmology, which displaced the Earth from the center of the Universe.

Years later, after the invention of the telescope, the Italian scientist Galileo Galilei made the detailed studies of heavenly bodies and proved the correctness of Copernicus’ heliocentric theory. He also discovered that the Milky Way was composed of a myriad of individual stars.

Later, the Danish astronomer Tycho Brahe observed the Sun, the Moon and planets, carefully making the records. His German assistant Joannes Kepler used this information to formulate the laws of planetary motion. It followed the discovering of the elliptical orbits and varying speeds of different planets.

Taking into account the great contribution of these scientists into the development of astronomy, Ulysse Nardin couldn’t resist temptation to release a new Trilogy of Time limited edition collection. These astronomical watches, rendered in platinum, are proposed as a complete set only. The production of sets is strictly limited to 100 pieces.

The new Astrolabium Galileo Galilei watch shows off a mesmerizing dial. It represents a planisphere for different latitudes. Created by ancient astronomers, the Astrolabe device is intended for measuring the altitude and direction of celestial bodies over the horizon, calculate the seasons, the movements of the zodiac and to foretell eclipses.

Highly complex, this instrument serves to indicate the position of the sun, the moon and the stars in the sky at any hour as observed from the Earth. Additionally, it offers information on sunrise and sunset, dawn and dusk, moon-phases, moonrise and moonset, eclipses of the sun and the moon, as well as the month and the day of the week.

All these functions, an incredible compliment to the basic indications of hours and minutes, are driven by a self-winding perpetual movement - Caliber UN-99.

It is housed in a 41 mm platinum case, assembled with sapphire crystals on both sides. The water-resistance of the new Astrolabium Galileo Galilei watch is assured down to 30 meters. The final touch is provided by a matching leather strap.

The new Planetarium Copernicus watch is adorned with a marvelous dial, which mirrors a Ptolemy’s geocentric universe with the Earth at its center, and Copernicus' heliocentric universe with the Sun at its center. This special structure enables the user to read off the astronomical positions of the planets in relation to the Sun and the Earth.

The display also comprises a perpetual calendar, which indicates the months and the sign of the zodiac. It completes one revolution in 365.24 days.

Giving life to these functions, alongside with essential ones, is a self-winding perpetual movement - Caliber UN-83. Armed with sapphire crystals on both sides, the 41 mm platinum case of the new model is 30-meter water-resistant. The new Ulysse Nardin watch is teamed with a leather strap.

The last member of the trilogy is the Tellurium Johannes Kepler watch. Its dial demonstrates the Earth, rotating in its true geographical shape, seen from above the North Pole. Bending from the Tropic of Cancer to the Tropic of Capricorn, a flexible spring exposes the part of the Earth lit by the Sun and indicates the time and place of sunrise and sunset.

The Moon rotates around the Earth. Indicating the eclipses of the Sun and the Moon is a dragon hand. The display also includes a perpetual calendar, which completes one turn each year. The functions presented, including that of 24-hour indicator, are animated by a self-winding perpetual movement - Caliber UN-88.

The mechanism is enclosed in a 43 mm platinum case, which reveals top and bottom sapphire crystals. It is built to be water-resistant up to 30 meters. Adding a final note of harmony to the timepiece is a leather strap.

The new Ulysse Nardin fake watches will definitely help their owners to rediscover the beauty of the Universe.