A month before the opening of BaselWorld 2015, Swiss luxury watchmaker Ulysse Nardin is previewing its stunning new limited edition timepiece called the Hannibal Minute Repeater.
While we’re used to seeing maritime-themed watches from this particular brand, it’s certainly nice to see a piece dedicated to the legendary Carthaginian conqueror, especially since he doesn’t seem to get the recognition he deserves. The timepiece is housed in a 44mm platinum case with genuine granite from the Alps on the dial. In fact, the crossing of the Alps, a feat just as impressive as any of his victories, is depicted on the dial, where we can see Hannibal on his horse, aided by one of his elephant warriors, fighting enemy footmen. The figures (known as jaquemarts, or bellstrikers), as well as the mountains which form the backdrop, are hand-carved from 18-carat white gold and are mounted on granite sourced from the place the great general crossed over 22 centuries ago in his ill-fated attempt to defeat Rome.
At the heart of the watch lies a caliber UN-78 one-minute tourbillon, integrated and visible on the dial, with 36 jewels and a power reserve of about 70 hours. It has four gongs (the four figures we’ve mentioned above), each with a different chime sounding off on the hour when the repeater is activated, and is mounted on a leather strap with folding buckle.
The Hannibal Minute Repeater by Ullyse Nardin is a highly exclusive limited edition, as only 30 timepieces of this kind will ever created.
