Ulysse Nardin San Marco Ref.5982 133.77.9 + papers

Blue can be a dangerous colour on a watch dial. Get it right, though, and you end up with something like this.

Dating to circa 1988, this Ulysse Nardin San Marco Ref. 133.77.9 pairs a 36 mm steel case with a deep blue enamel dial that changes with the light. The patterned surface underneath gives the colour real depth, moving from almost electric blue to something much darker depending on the angle and light.

The layout is nicely restrained around all that colour. Roman numerals at twelve, six and nine are joined by slim applied markers, while the date sits at three. Gold-tone hands provide a warm contrast and the “Chronometer Officially Certified” text gives a small hint that there is more going on here than just a pretty dial.

Enamel is very much part of the attraction. Rather than simply applying paint or lacquer, enamel is fired at high temperature in successive layers, creating the glass-like richness and permanence that makes these San Marco dials so distinctive. It is one of those materials that makes much more sense once you see it in person.

Turn the watch over and Venice enters the story. The caseback carries the winged Lion of Saint Mark, the symbol associated with San Marco, giving the otherwise rather classical dress watch a more eccentric identity. This example also comes from an interesting moment for Ulysse Nardin: only a year later, in 1989, the maison would introduce its celebrated San Marco Minute Repeater, inspired by the famous clock tower on St Mark’s Square.

Paired with a dark blue leather strap and its original buckle, this example keeps the attention firmly where it belongs: on that dial. Original papers are present as well.

A late-eighties San Marco with enamel, chronometer credentials and a little piece of Venice on the back. Rather more interesting than your average blue-dial dress watch. Available at Reestraat 3, Amsterdam.