The private museum of Ulysse Nardin, in Le Locle (canton of Neuchâtel), was burglarized during the night of Sunday September 13 to Monday September 14. Several individuals broke into the building around 3 a.m., before breaking windows and taking several collectible timepieces. The inventory of the loot was still in progress on the evening of September 14 and its value had not been communicated.
The manufacture specified that historical pieces “extremely rare” were among the stolen items. “The value of these pieces goes far beyond their rarity or material value”declared Patrick Pruniaux, general manager of Sowind, a group which brings together Ulysse Nardin and Girard-Perregaux, to ArcInfo. He emphasizes that they document a history that began in 1846. The museum and archives are located in the historic building on rue du Jardin, headquarters of the manufacture since 1865. Ulysse Nardin, which is celebrating its 180th anniversary this year, has specialized in marine chronometers since the 19th century.
The break-in also raises a question about the surveillance system. An alarm was triggered and a security company went to the site, but the burglars’ entry point was not spotted during this first intervention. The theft was not noticed until about an hour later. The Public Prosecutor’s Office has opened a criminal investigation and the judicial police are seeking to identify the perpetrators.
The burglary comes just over a month after that of the Locle Watchmaking Museum, at the Château des Monts. On August 9, four men stole less than ten clocks in less than five minutes, for damage estimated at less than 100,000 Swiss francs. Five men from the Lyon region have since been indicted and placed in pre-trial detention in France in this case. At this point, no connection has been publicly made between the two thefts.
