Skip to content
The Encyclopedia of Horology

Pocket watch · Deck watch

Ulysse Nardin Silver Deck Watch with Box

Partially verified

This is a mid-20th-century silver deck watch produced by Ulysse Nardin in Le Locle, Switzerland, reported to date to circa 1940 for British Royal Navy service during World War II. The piece is housed in a 56 mm silver case with milled sides and a screw-off bezel and back. According to the seller, it contains a gilt bridge lever escapement movement numbered 28684 with a micrometer regulator and capped escape wheel. The white enamel dial features black Roman numerals, blued steel hands, and British broad arrow and 'C.W.' markings indicating chronometer watch status. It rests in a fitted three-piece mahogany deck box with key.

Front view of Ulysse Nardin deck watch seated inside its fitted wooden deck box with key
Front view of Ulysse Nardin deck watch seated inside its fitted wooden deck box with key — Atlam Watches. Rights pending — permission not yet requested. Original source

Catalogue identity

Source
www.antiquesboutique.com
Category
Pocket watch · Deck watch
Maker / attribution
Ulysse Nardin
Reference
Not recorded
Catalogue / lot identifier
4.262 (AB-186670)
Source-reported date
c. 1940
Country
Switzerland
Source-reported serial
28684

Source-reported attribution and specifications are not independent authentication. A listing does not establish present ownership, current display, availability or permission to reproduce.

Object description

Visual Appearance and Dial Layout

In the primary visual record, the watch is seated within a fitted wooden insert lined in red felt inside an open hinged mahogany box. The white enamel dial is bordered by an outer railway track enclosing black Roman numeral hour markers. Time is displayed using blued steel spade hour and minute hands along with a slender central seconds hand. A fluted winding crown and bow are positioned at the 12 o'clock position.

Below the 12 o'clock numeral, the dial is marked 'ULYSSE NARDIN / LOCLE / 28684', beneath which appear a broad arrow insignia and the designation 'C.W.'. The upper section of the mahogany box incorporates a circular view aperture lined with red felt, and a key is shown inserted into the front keyhole escutcheon.

Evidence for this section
  • “White enamel dial with black Roman hour numerals and outer railway track.”
  • “Dial marked 'ULYSSE NARDIN / LOCLE / 28684' with a broad arrow and 'C.W.' below the 12 o'clock position.”
  • “Key inserted into the front keyhole escutcheon of the box.”

Reported Case Construction and Movement Specifications

According to the dealer's listing, the watch is housed in a silver case measuring 56 mm wide by 17 mm deep, equipped with a bevelled glass crystal, milled sides, a smooth plain finish, and a screw-off back and bezel. The listing states that the interior of the case is signed 'Ulysse Nardin, Locle' alongside silver assay marks, while the exterior back cover is engraved with a ministry arrow.

The movement is reported by the seller to be a gilt bridge movement featuring a lever escapement, a micrometer regulator, and a capped escape wheel. It is described as stem-wound and stem-set, stamped with a ministry arrow, and signed 'Ulysse Nardin, Swiss, 28684'. Because the movement and case interior are not depicted in the provided photograph, these mechanical details reflect seller assertions rather than direct visual observation.

Evidence for this section
  • “the movement comes in a silver case, which has a screw off back and bezel.”
  • “The inside of the case has silver assay marks and is signed “Ulysse Nardin, Locle””
  • “the high quality gilt bridge movement has a lever escapement with a micrometer regulator and a capped escape wheel.”

Deck Box and Reported Military Service

The piece is accompanied by a three-piece mahogany box measuring 120 mm wide by 110 mm deep by 70 mm high, fitted with a latch and key. The box is reported to carry a circular disc marked 'CW, Nardin, No 28684', corresponding to the serial numbering and initials recorded on the dial.

The dealer listing states that the watch was produced circa 1940 for use by the British Navy during the Second World War, noting that 'CW' denotes a chronometer watch. However, no official naval issue records, Admiralty ledgers, or chronometer rating certificates are provided in the source to substantiate this service history independently.

Evidence for this section
  • “The watch would have been made for use by the British Navy in the Second World War.”
  • “The watch has CW on the dial and box which denotes a chronometer watch.”
  • “The watch comes in a three piece mahogany box with a circular disc marked CW, Nardin, No 28684.”

Open research questions

  • What specific silver hallmarks and assay symbols are struck on the inside of the case back?
  • Do Royal Navy Hydrographic Department records contain an entry for Ulysse Nardin serial number 28684?
  • What specific Ulysse Nardin factory caliber designation corresponds to the reported gilt bridge micrometer-regulated movement?

Source evidence

Recorded claims and source quotations for Ulysse Nardin Silver Deck Watch with Box
FieldSource-reported valueSource quotation
Movement SignatureUlysse Nardin, Swiss, 28684“The movement is signed “Ulysse Nardin, Swiss, 28684””
Dial SignatureUlysse Nardin, Locle, 28684, CW“signed “Ulysse Nardin, Locle, 28684, CW” (with a ministry arrow)”
Case Dimensions56mm wide x 17mm deep“The watch measures 56mm wide x 17mm deep”
Case ConstructionSilver with screw-off back and bezel“the movement comes in a silver case, which has a screw off back and bezel.”
WindingStem wound / stem set“The watch is stem wound / stem set”
Deck Box Dimensions120mm x 110mm x 70mm“It measures 120mm x 110mm x 70mm”
Crystal TypeBevelled glass (source-reported)“The watch has a bevelled glass”
Case FinishMilled sides and smooth plain finish (source-reported)“The rest of the case has milled sides and a smooth plain finish.”
Box Plaque MarkingCW, Nardin, No 28684 (source-reported)“with a circular disc marked CW, Nardin, No 28684.”

Visible details

  • Pocket watch mounted inside a red-felt-lined wooden insert within a hinged mahogany box.
  • White enamel dial with black Roman hour numerals and outer railway track.
  • Dial marked 'ULYSSE NARDIN / LOCLE / 28684' with a broad arrow and 'C.W.' below the 12 o'clock position.
  • Blued steel spade hands and center seconds hand.
  • Fluted winding crown with bow at the 12 o'clock position.
  • Hinged lid of the wooden box incorporates a circular view aperture lined with red felt.
  • Key inserted into the front keyhole escutcheon of the box.

Research qualifications

  • Movement and case back are not visible in the photograph; descriptions rely entirely on source text.
  • Military provenance and dating are reported by the dealer rather than independently documented.

Photograph identity and source facts were screened before import; rights clearance remains pending.

Consulted source

Superb silver Ulysse Nardin deck watch with box c1940 in Antique Mens Watches

Reviewed 2026-10-21 · Record 9ed20438be

Terms in this record

Glossary explanations for terms named in this object’s record.

Other deck watch records