The latest iteration of Ulysse Nardin’s most affordable Freak is the Freak X Crystalium, a limited edition that blends the disruptive Freak aesthetic with a novel decorative element in the form of a dial in Crystalium.

Though it has an almost organic look, Crystalium is actually the result of crystallised ruthenium deposited via physical vapour deposition (PVD). The advanced, unusual material is decorative, yet harks back to the Freak’s origins as a materials pioneer.

Initial thoughts

The Freak has been a core collection in Ulysse Nardin’s roster since the first model was launched back in 2001. The line has been defined by disruptive and bold technical construction and a pioneering use of silicon.

But lately it feels watered down; the Freak X dials back on the exotic tech to make the iconic design more attainable. And the many iterations of the Freak X don’t help its case. 

But paradoxically the new Freak X is a return to one of the core values of the Freak series: materials science. Ulysse Nardin experimented with all sorts of materials over the years with the Freak as a platform, ranging from the DIAMonSIL escapement to silicon movement bridges to mono block oscillators.

The Freak X Crystalium employs new material, but this time it serves an aesthetic function as opposed to a mechanical one. The large rotating disk which serves as the dial’s foundation is covered in an organic-seeming, quartz-like glittering surface that’s the result of years of research. 

The appearance of the watch is odd, since it is reminiscent of the frosted gilt surfaces of old English and French pocket watch movements from afar, yet conveys a strong organic feel when observed up close. 

While the look is definitely not for everyone, this sort of avant-garde decorating technique is welcomed — especially from a brand with a history of exotic, technical materials. It’s reassuring to see the Le Locle-based brand is still interested in material-related developments, even if it is decorative.

Whatever is Crystalium?

Although both the whimsical name and granular surface suggest this new finish is indeed a sort of crystal, it actually has nothing mineral in it. The base of the dial is in fact a disc of ruthenium, a precious metal belonging to the platinum group.

The ruthenium blank undergoes a slow PVD process spanning several days. The conditions in the PVD chamber and the pace of the process causes quartz crystal-like growths on the ruthenium’s surface, much like ice crystallising on windows during wintertime. 

The specialised process also results in each dial being unique, since the deposition cannot be evenly controlled over an extended timeframe. The result is an unruly, textured surface of the ruthenium plate, which is indeed unlike any other traditional finishing techniques we’ve seen recently. 

After the quartz crystal-like texture is obtained, Ulysse Nardin subjects the dials to a fine rose-gold PVD treatment, which gives the final product a warm champagne tone. Finally, a hand-applied varnish is added.

The finished Crystalium surface brings to mind brownish zirconia, although the rough texture can also look like a gilded plate, depending on the light and observation distance. 

Ulysse Nardin made the good choice of leaving the rest of the dial face as neutral as possible, leaving the Crystalium plate to serve as the main show piece. In typical Freak fashion, the hands are incorporated with the movement to an extent, although the Freak X movement differs in many ways from the original 2001 construction. 

An almost monochromatic Freak

Apart from a few rose cold accents on the minute ring, this timepiece’s only source of colour is the Crystalium plate. Ulysse Nardin also thoughtfully employs two rose gold-gilt gears visible on the dial, along with balance weights in the same finish — which pair very well with the Crystalium dial. 

The 43 mm DLC-treated titanium case is identical to past Freak X constructions. One big issue with every Freak X edition is the lack of an operable bezel and the intruding addition of a winding crown. The original Freak could only be set via the bezel and wound by cranking the caseback. Here those quirky but charming features are replaced by a basic crown, which gives the Freak X a fairly ordinary silhouette. 

By resorting to this standard construction, one will be tempted to assume that Ulysse Nardin also increased the water resistance. Instead the sporty looking timepiece still has a disappointing 50 m water resistance.

Not that people would be necessarily tempted to take a limited edition, materials-centric watch for a swim, but at least 100 m of water resistance is becoming the standard for most modern wristwatches. 

A Freak-ish movement 

Powering the Crystalium edition is the same caliber UN-230 found in all Freak X models. Apart from the time-telling setup, the movement is a very distant relative of the original Freak calibers and instead shares more similarities with Ulysse Nardin’s workhorse UN-118 caliber. This includes the base construction, the Magic Lever automatic system and the industrial aesthetic. 

The UN-230 winds automatically and holds a respectable power reserve of 72 hours on a full wind. This is impressive, considering the torque is stored in a single barrel and is required to power the large flying carrousel.

Stacked from 15 images. Method=B (R=8,S=4)

Also compared to the original Freak concept, which was at its core a tourbillon (we covered this aspect in more detail in Part I of The Freak Saga), the Freak X is a true carrousel. The escapement is powered by the central rose gilt gear, while the one-hour turning platform it sits on is powered by the central black gear. The two mobiles turn at different rates, making this construction a carrousel. 

The slow-turning Crystalium disk also carries the hour hand and is powered by an epicyclic gear set. The platform holding the escapement and regulator serves as a minute hand. 

The regulating organ is the usual high-tech Ulysse Nardin assortment, fully crafted out of silicon. The escapement is of the a Swiss lever kind, but etched from silicon and heavily skeletonised to save weight. The balance and hairspring are also done in silicon and have an interesting design — one which we covered in more detail in Part III of The Freak Saga. The system beats at 3 Hz, the slower pace undoubtedly contributing to the watch’s three-day power reserve.  

Key facts and price

Ulysse Nardin Freak X Crystalium
Ref. 2303-270-4A/1A
Ref. 2303-270-4A/3A

Diameter: 43 mm
Height: Unspecified
Material: Black DLC titanium
Crystal: Sapphire
Water resistance: 50 m

Movement: Cal. UN-230
Functions: Hours and minutes
Winding: Automatic
Power reserve: 72 hours

Strap: Black alligator or rubber “ballistic” textured strap with rose gold stitching

Limited edition: 50 pieces
Availability: Ulysse Nardin retailers and boutiques
Price: CHF40,000

For more, visit ulysse-nardin.com.

Ulysse Nardin presents a surprisingly striking new version of its most forward-thinking tourbillon, the Blast Free Wheel Maillechort. An interesting blend of classic finishing and bold, three-dimensional architecture, the limited edition piece is unlike the generally future-forward aesthetic pushed by Ulysse Nardin in recent years.

The latest Blast Free Wheel retains the novel movement construction with elevated moving parts and a constant force mechanism integrated inside the tourbillon, but now set against a traditional, grained plate in maillechort, or German silver.

Initial thoughts

The Free Wheel is a long established collection, having been rolled out in several case styles over time, but this new incarnation is arguably the best one yet. The Le Locle-based brand is known for its overall loud designs and its tendency to push a very modernist look, so the old-school approach with maillechort is unexpected but appealing.

The Blast Free Wheel still retains a somewhat loud case design, but the modernism here is more restrained and the futuristic movement is toned down by its finishing. As the name suggests, the main point is maillechort, a brass alloy better known as German silver.

Long employed in historical watches, the material is usually associated with classic timepieces from the likes of A. Lange & Söhne or artisanal watchmakers, but here it compliments the avant-garde movement well.

The soft silver-grey hue of the German silver serves as an excellent backdrop for the modern architecture of the Free Wheel tourbillon movement. The coarse, granular texture of the main plate even reminds me of antique marine chronometer calibres with gilt-frosted movements — a fitting tribute given Ulysse Nardin’s history in maritime timekeepers.

The only aspect that do not work in the watch’s favour is the fanciful, yet uninspired case that is bulky and overly facetted. And also the somewhat steep price of well over US$120,000, which places it in competition with more cohesive-designed tourbillons.

An original calibre

Any discussion about the Blast Free Wheel needs to be centred around the movement. From the beginning it is clear that the UN-176 calibre was engineered to be “floating”. While “floating” barrels or flying tourbillons are common enough individually, the Free Wheel movement is perhaps the only one in modern watchmaking that has almost every moving part in a “floating” set-up.

The movement has two stacked, serially-linked barrels at the 12 o’clock position which appear to be floating, with no upper bridge holding them. Such “flying barrels” were used extensively by Derek Pratt amongst others, and they usually call for a complex construction. Having two stacked barrels arranged in a flying configuration further complicates the matter. Together, the two mainsprings hold a power reserve of seven days. 

Close to the co-axial barrels sits the layered power reserve differential (also in a flying configuration) and a complex set of reducing planetary gears.

The futuristic power reserve indicator sits far from the differential, at about four o’clock. This means the power reserve’s motion is relayed all the way to the indicator, but the construction leaves the impression that there is nothing linking the components. 

Bringing the movement together is the flying tourbillon at six o’clock. We have previously covered the nature and history of flying tourbillons in a past article. While the Blast Free Wheel tourbillon follows the classic construction, there is one element that makes it unique – Ulysse Nardin’s own Ulysse Anchor Constant Escapement within the tourbillon.

A small constant force escapement

Made from silicon, the Ulysse Anchor Constant Escapement was unveiled originally in 2014 and was used by Ulysse Nardin in select timepieces ever since. The Anchor Constant Escapement features both an improved Swiss escapement geometry and a constant force implement which shields the oscillator from the decreasing power coming from the mainsprings.

The concept is similar to the Girard Perregaux Constant Escapement, but executed differently by embracing the true extent of silicon manufacturing advantages which simplifies the construction.

The core concept remains the same: isolating the balance wheel from the main going train by driving the balance by a pair of slim, buckling silicon blades. The escapement first “charges” the blades, which then snap from one stable equilibrium position to another and discharge their energy into the balance. The mainsprings and going train are thus isolated from the oscillator.

When the balance unlocks the anchor, it gets its impulse from the attached buckled blade, while the escape wheel charges up the opposing blade for the next cycle. The balance wheel is free sprung and the hairspring is crafted from silicium — the Ulysse Nardin oscillator beating at a 2.5 Hz frequency.

Due to the elastic nature of silicon and its construction, the escapement transmits the same amount of energy each time. Even if the decreasing power from the mainsprings causes the escape wheel to charge the blades slower or with less force, the oscillator always receives the same amount of energy from the silicon blades snapping back into place, which makes it more isochronous. 

The system is both slim and light enough to be mounted on a tourbillon platform. It uses a clever flexural pivot instead of a classic staff and bearing  pivot for the escapement anchor. A flexural pivot is an interesting mechanical contraption that creates virtual pivot points from crisscrossing blade springs. This drastically reduces friction and also gives some interesting proprieties to the pivoting pieces. Since the anchor works with a flexural pivot there is no need for a jewelled staff or a dedicated bridge to hold it.

Maillechort

The main and backplates are crafted from unplated German silver that is a pronounced silver-grey with a golden tint. At first sight it looks fresh as German silver always does, but being untreated, Ulysse Nardin promises the maillechort will develop slight patina over time. 

The choice of pronounced graining that resembles traditional frosting was inspired, especially in combination with the brushed and almost monochromatic look of the movement. The clear jewels used allow the movement to be dominated by two colours only: blue and grey. 

Wide and boxy case

The 45 mm wide case feels very modern, with several facetted surfaces along with angular flanks and lugs. Crafted from white gold, the case features both brushed and polished surfaces, which create an overly complicated pattern. 

Its diameter is also a somewhat exaggerated 45 mm. This is due in part to the domed sapphire construction, but the case contains a wide movement ring that looks like it could have easily been narrowed down, perhaps resulting in a more palatable 42 mm case.

One positive trait of the case construction is the “box type” sapphire crystal, which is sloped downwards and creates the transparent flanks for the case. This allows an impressive view of the layered movement, something that is rarely found outside of artisanal watchmaking. The complex construction is partly responsible for the substantial 12.4 mm thickness of the watch. 

Key facts and price

Ulysse Nardin Blast Free Wheel Maillechort
Ref. 1760-401LE-4A-MAIL/3A

Diameter: 45 mm
Height: 12.4 mm
Material: White gold
Crystal: Sapphire
Water resistance: 30 m

Movement: Cal. UN-176
Functions: Hours, minutes, power reserve indicator, and flying tourbillon with constant force escapement
Winding: Manual
Frequency: 18,000 beats per hour (2.5 Hz)
Power reserve: 7 days

Strap: Waterproof rubber strap

Limited edition: 5o pieces
Availability: At Ulysse Nardin boutiques and retailers
Price: US$126,600 before taxes

For more, visit Ulysse-nardin.com.

Ulysse Nardin gives its most affordable Freak a new look with a blue flinqué enamel dial and rose gold case. The brand has launched three other Freaks with enamel dials over the past two years, but all were small-run, retailer-exclusive limited editions. The Freak X Gold Enamel, on the other hand, is not retailer-specific and will be limited to 120 examples.

The watch puts Ulysse Nardin’s investments in silicon fabrication and dial making to good use, and with good results. The combination of traditional métiers d’art with state-of-the-art technology also makes it more approachable to traditionalists than a typical Freak.

Initial Thoughts

Even as it nears 25 years on the market, Ulysse Nardin’s Freak remains avant-garde in aesthetics and technology. The Freak looks and feels like a small-batch concept watch, rather than the collection staple it’s become. It’s hard to believe you can walk into a retailer and walk out with something like this from a major Swiss brand for less than six figures.

A rarely mentioned refinement is the use of clear sapphire jewels, rather than the typical reddish-purple rubies. It’s rare for brands to harmonize jewel colors with the rest of the watch, but it always results in a more cohesive look. Besides striking looks, its also a surprisingly practical watch, with a reasonably sized case, respectable lume, and 50 m water resistance. Overall, a well-rounded package, though the US$10,300 premium for the enamel dial over the regular Freak X Rose feels a bit steep.

Donzé Cadrans Gets its Freak On

As with other Freaks, the balance bridge rotates once per hour and doubles as a minute hand, while the hour disk below, which also acts as the dial, turns once in twelve hours. For this edition, the hour disk is decorated with blue flinqué enamel over an embossed sunray pattern.

Ulysse Nardin’s dial studio, Donzé Cadrans, is responsible for the hour disk, made of 22k rose gold, which is thermally stable enough for kiln firing. Unlike a typical dial, the hour disk is also one of the movement’s structural plates, with several threaded holes for screws on the reverse, which no doubt complicated the process.

Image – Ulysse Nardin

Case and Caliber

The 43 mm case is much the same as the rest of the Freak X line; and since so much of the height is in the box-section sapphire crystal, it’s flatter than the specifications suggest.

The case is titanium with a blue PVD finish, though solid rose gold side-shrouds give it the look of a fully precious metal watch without the full cost or weight. Visible through the back, the rotor is also in rose gold to match.

Image – Ulysse Nardin

The UN-230 movement is the tamest of the current production Freak calibers, especially compared to the UN-251 in the Freak S. It’s still on the bleeding edge, with a silicon escapement, balance spring, and balance all made by Sigatec. The movement finishing may be industrial, but fits the Freak aesthetic well nonetheless.

While the signature carousel of the original Freak is retained, the Freak X also gets some much-appreciated quality of life features, such as a normal crown to wind the set the watch, and automatic winding.

Key facts and price

Ulysse Nardin Freak X Gold Enamel
Ref. 2305-270LE-3AE-BLUE/1A

Diameter: 43 mm
Height: 13.38 mm
Material: Blue PVD titanium and rose gold
Crystal: Sapphire
Water resistance: 50 m

Movement: Cal. UN-230
Functions: Hours and minutes
Winding: Automatic
Power reserve: 72 hours

Strap: Blue alligator with rose gold stitching

Limited edition: 120 pieces
Availability: Now at Ulysse Nardin retailers and boutiques
Price: US$48,500

For more, visit ulysse-nardin.com.

At Watches & Wonders 2025, Ulysse Nardin is taking the covers off the lightest ever mechanical dive watch, the Diver [Air]. Weighing only 52 grams, strap included, UN’s newest diver is unexpected and impressive in a number of ways. 

Initial thoughts

UN’s engineers have succeeded in marrying lightness with utility in the Diver Air. The case, strap, and the movement in particular, have all been developed to carry as little weight as possible — without compromising structural reliability. At 52 g with the strap, and 46 g without, the Diver Air weighs about as much as 10 sheets of A4 paper.

Impressive as it is, however, the Diver Air doesn’t really look the part, which is arguably its biggest weakness. Visually the Diver Air is almost undistinguishable from the standard Diver X Skeleton, which is a shame given that this is entirely different. The result is a missed opportunity in creating something that looks like what it is, an ultra-light performance watch. 

The movement, however, looks good in a contemporary manner, with clear sapphire jewels and a clean, industrial finish.

The seven grams UN-374 movement

At the core of this ultra-light diver lies an in-house movement engineered for both lightness and sturdiness — the UN-374, with 90% recycled titanium bridges. The UN-374 only weighs a staggering 7 g and yet can run for 90 hours on a full wind at a 3 Hz frequency.

Based off Diver X Skeleton’s UN-372, the new UN-374 was tweaked to keep its structural stability while losing as much mass as possible. The watch was even tested to withstand shock of up to 5000 G, which is impressive considering its lightness.

The movement lacks any full plates, reducing the traditional baseplate’s footprint to the bare minimum. Structural bridges, measuring a few millimetres in width, support the going train, keyless works and the automatic winding system.

Some gears appear to almost float, since the hollowed-out bridges occupy minimal space. Although thin, their titanium alloy construction guarantees a reliable structural integrity. 

The winding system is still a Magic Lever variant, a design which harkens back to the Lemania-derived UN-32 calibre of the 1990s.

The barrel was reconfigured to a more complex “flying” arrangement. Such systems don’t require an upper bridge (a very suggestive example of a flying barrel can be found in the Pratt Oval Tourbillon), which brings the weight down some more.

The regulating organ itself is advanced: the balance has a silicon frame with inertia weights and a silicon hairspring with a proprietary flat end-curve — a system which we previously covered in-depth in our Freak Saga Part III story. The escapement itself is crafted from silicon.

A modular case

The 44 mm case of the Diver Air is primarily titanium, but has a multi-piece construction. There is a titanium middle case, which ensures the 200 m water resistance of the watch, paired with carbon composite case flanks. These black components are made out of 60% Nylo and 40% carbon fibre. 

Nylo is made from recycled fishnets by Fil&Fab, a French start-up. The graded carbon-fibre diving bezel is also crafted from recycled carbon and has a marbled pattern. These up-cycled and recycled materials are notable, but the end result looks a bit uninspired on the whole and the case aesthetics don’t really impress.

Key facts and price

Ulysse Nardin Diver [Air]
Ref. 3743-170-2A/0A

Diameter: 44 mm
Height: 14.7 mm
Material: Recycled titanium and carbon composite
Crystal: Sapphire
Water resistance: 200 m

Movement: Cal. UN-374
Functions: Hours, minutes and seconds
Winding: Automatic
Frequency: 21,600 beats per hour (3 Hz)
Power reserve: 90 hours

Strap: Elastic fabric strap

Limited edition: No
Availability: At Ulysse Nardin boutiques and retailers
Price: €38,400 including 21% VAT

For more, visit Ulysse-nardin.com.

A monochromatic reinterpretation of Ulysse Nardin’s skeleton watch with a prominent “X”, the Blast “Amoureuxpeintre” is a collaboration with Vsevolod “Sever” Cherepanov, a Kyrgyz streetwear designer also known as Amoureuxpeintre who was one of the first to use augmented reality prints on fabric.

Restrained and minimalist, the new Blast has a 42 mm sandblasted titanium case and an unusual frosted sapphire dial that partially hides the skeletonised “X” movement, leaving the calibre only faintly visible. According to Ulysse Nardin, the artist drew inspiration for the design from frosted glass panels found in offices.

Initial thoughts

Renowned for pioneering silicon components in mechanical watchmaking with its groundbreaking Freak, Ulysse Nardin has made some odd design choices in recent years, including the decision to make the letter “X” a centrepiece of its designs. The collaboration with Amoureuxpeintre hides the “X” and transforms the Blast case into something low-key with its all-black finish, and the result is a surprisingly different, and appealing watch.

Styling aside, the latest Blast is typical Ulysse Nardin in terms of mechanics, which is to say accomplished. Although the Blast collection does not share the same status or historical significance of the Freak, it still demonstrates Ulysse Nardin’s commitment to contemporary horology with a high-spec, in-house movement that has all of its regulator – hairspring, balance, escape, and pallet lever – in silicon.

While the Blast X Amoureuxpeintre is probably the most appealing of the time-only Blast model, at US$32,700 it is considerably more expensive than its equivalent regular production counterpart, by almost 50% in fact. That feels a little too much for the facelifted dial and crystals, although the fact that this is a tiny run of just 29 pieces helps to rationalise the price.

Frosted sapphire

The focal point of the Blast “Amoureuxpeintre” are the frosted sapphire crystals found on both the front and back of the watch, allowing only subtle glimpses of the signature “X” movement with its angular bridges.

Finished entirely in matte black, the 42 mm titanium case is sandblasted and then PVD coated black. In traditional Ulysse Nardin style, a plaque on the left of the case is engraved with the limited edition number. The all-black look is matched with anthracite skeletonized hour and minute hands filled with grey Super-LumiNova.

Inside is the same UN-371 calibre found in the standard model, but only visible in silhouette. Despite being a time-only movement, the UN-371 has notable features, including 96 hours of power reserve, or almost four days. In addition, the movement features an proprietary, oversized balance wheel, which like the escapement and hairspring, is in silicon.

Key facts and price

Ulysse Nardin Blast Amoureuxpeintre
Ref. 3713-260LE-9A-SEVER/0A

Diameter: 42 mm
Height: Unavailable
Material: Anthracite PVD titanium
Crystal: Sapphire
Water resistance: 50 m

Movement: Cal. UN-371
Functions: Hours and minutes
Winding: Manual-wind
Frequency: 21,600 beats per hour (3 Hz)
Power reserve: 96 hours

Strap: Grey alcantara strap

Limited edition: 29 pieces
Availability: Now at Ulysse Nardin boutiques
Price: US$32,700

For more, visit Ulysse-nardin.com.

Independent watchmaking continued its hot streak in 2024, with interest and demand for this niche segment holding up better amidst an industry-wide slowdown. But surprisingly – or unsurprisingly depending on how you look at it – there were relatively few outstanding new creations from the indies.

A handful, however, did stand out. We look at the team’s highlights of the year, which range from Konstantin Chaykin’s thinnest-watch-ever to the debut by Swiss-based Japanese watchmaker Takahiro Aigaki.

Aigaki Direct-Impulse Tourbillon – Brandon Moore

I still remember the moment I stumbled across Takahiko Aigaki’s Instagram profile earlier this year, because the close-up image of the tourbillon cage made me do a double take.

Sure, it was well finished, but in 2024 good finishing no longer provides the competitive advantage it once did; the top end of the market is just too competitive. No, what struck me was the unusual double direct-impulse escapement.

When the Direct-Impulse Tourbillon was finally revealed, it was worth the wait. While arguably a bit plain on the outside, the movement exhibits a degree of grace and technicality that is still quite rare. The watch is truly a sleeper, in the sense that the case and dial reveal little of the horological magic within.

Daniel Roth Tourbillon – Brandon Moore

It’s counterintuitive to be writing about the launch of the Daniel Roth brand in 2024, considering the man himself was one of the seminal independent watchmakers in the late 1980s.

But after a couple tumultuous decades, during which time the Daniel Roth name largely disappeared, the brand has found a new home within the LVMH stable, and is poised to be a major beneficiary of the group’s renewed focus on fine watchmaking.

The regular production tourbillon (left), and the souscription edition

First launched in a 20-piece souscription edition in yellow gold, the Tourbillon collection now includes a standard production model in rose gold. Aesthetically, the watch succeeds in its resemblance to early Daniel Roth tourbillons, with a few tweaks to details like the lugs.

But despite the visual similarity, the movement is completely new. Early Roth tourbillons were built on an off-the-shelf Lemania ebauche, coincidentally designed by Daniel Roth himself during his tenure at Breguet. In contrast, the new DR001 movement is produced by Louis Vuitton subsidiary La Fabrique du Temps (LFT) and features improved finishing and a pleasing form that perfectly fits the iconic double ellipse case.

Greubel Forsey Nano Foudroyante EWT – David Ichim

Greubel Forsey’s big moment of 2024 came with the introduction of the Nano Foudroyante EWT. A first for the brand, the chronograph is almost dwarfed by the flying tourbillon regulator that has a foudroyante hand fixed to the rotating cage. The foudroyante hand continuously makes one rotation every second alongside the one-minute revolution of the tourbillon carriage.

Despite its lightning-fast speed, the seconds hand barely registers in terms of mainspring energy consumption (thus leaving chronometry unaffected) as it requires energy in the order of nanoJoules. 

The timepiece also marks the 20th anniversary of the brand, but more importantly it suggests the innovative manufacture has returned to its original motivation of making chronometrical pieces defined by advanced mechanics and high finish.

The movement bears all the trademarks of a Greubel Forsey calibre — inventive architecture and on-point finishing to the smallest detail. The future looks bright for the independent watchmaker, which seems again ready to experiment with new concepts and complications.

Konstantin Chaykin ThinKing – David Ichim

One of the year’s most surprising creations by an independent was without a doubt Konstantin Chaykin’s ThinKing, an ultra-thin timepiece that measures just 1.65 mm in thickness. The watch comes as a surprise because it beats establishment powerhouses in ultra-thin mechanical watchmaking like Bulgari and Richard Mille.

In building the ThinKing, Chaykin heavily reworked basic watch components, from the stripped-down barrel to a regulator with the hairspring and flywheel fixed on different axis.

Beyond the audacious concept, the work must have been tremendous, given the fact that Konstantin Chaykin is a small independent manufacture without access to a large-scale research and development facility (or help from an external specialist).

The ThinKing manages to also touch on some aesthetic sensibilities — the regulator-style time display along with the engraved brand name make up a grinning face, a recurring motif in Chaykin’s Wristmon collection. 

Ulysse Nardin Freak S Nomad – Jason Lee

The Freak S Nomad is the first Freak to unite artisanal craft with its forward-thinking movement in a successful blend of tradition and high-tech. It features a hand-engraved guilloché dial that, in a unique twist, also serves as the barrel cover for the unconventional movement architecture.

Building on the Freak S introduced two years ago, the Nomad adopts a more subdued colour palette and introduces texture and depth with the engine-turned dial. Although the Nomad retains the underlying mechanics of the original, the aesthetic updates — most notably the rotating guilloche dial — lend the watch a sportier character that complements the design.

Not only does the Freak S have most of the movement mounted on a rotating carousel, it’s upgraded with twin inclined balance wheels in silicon, underlining the original Freak’s pioneering use of silicon.

Voutilainen Tourbillon 20^th Anniversary – SJX

The anniversary tourbillon captures the greatness of Voutilainen – exceptional quality and consistency. Every element is executed well, and it’s not particularly surprising or imaginative, the watch is greater than the sum of its parts. And as expected for Voutilainen, the tourbillon is priced reasonably for what it is.

Zoom into the watch, front and back, and the quality of work is apparent. The guilloche on the dial is tidy and refined, while the hands are clearly hand made yet almost perfect. While the dial designs on some of the prototypes were not to my taste, Voutilainen offers extensive dial customisation, which is another of the brand’s key strengths and something that many clients particularly enjoy (perhaps sometimes too much).

The movement is equally well done, a feat that is perhaps even more impressive given that few other makers can achieve this quality at Voutilainen’s scale. Not only is the finishing and construction excellent, Voutilainen also offers several finishing styles for its movements, again demonstrating the brand’s strength.

It is traditional in almost all respects, from finishing to construction, illustrating Voutilainen’s preference for old-school watchmaking. Mr Voutilainen doesn’t try too hard to be different or radical, but instead focuses on doing a few things very, very well.

More broadly, the watch also encapsulates the strength of the business that Kari Voutilainen has built, which now includes a dedicated guilloche building. The breath and expertise across its workshops enable Voutilainen to create the kind of quality found in the tourbillon, and at scale. This is both amusing and ironic given that Mr Voutilainen told me he dreamed of selling two or three watches a year when he first started out on his own.

Ulysse Nardin has been breathing new life into its flagship Freak collection for the past several years, and the latest model to benefit from this focus is the Freak One Navy Blue, featuring a blue dial that pays homage to the original Freak from 2001. And that’s fitting, because the Freak One collection is a retelling of the story, imagining what the Freak would look like if it were to debut in the present day.

Initial thoughts

I’ve always had a great deal of respect for the Freak, though I admit I have not always been attracted to the aesthetic. That started to change for me when the design language started evolving to its current, more futuristic form.

The Freak Vision of 2018 was the first step in this direction, but the model that really convinced me was the Freak S Nomad launched earlier this year. What makes these watches so satisfying is the way the mechanics have been reimagined to become the central design element; the time is revealed as the movement walks its way around the dial.

In many ways, the One can be seen as the little brother to the Freak S. At 44 mm, the One is a fraction smaller than its more complicated sibling, but shares much of the same construction and materials.

The case is titanium and finished with a black DLC coating, while the bezel is made of recycled carbon fibre composite. Like the Freak S, the One wears smaller than its dimensions suggest, thanks in part to its muted colours and the way the central carrousel draws the eye. The materials also mean it is lightweight, more than expected given the size. This contrasts with the earlier generations of Freak models, which were often in precious metal and unwieldy in terms of weight.

The traditional bezel locking tab located at six o’clock

The One is powered by the UN-240, a one-hour carrousel movement that’s automatic with 90 hours of power reserve. Like its bigger brother, the One benefits from the most efficient automatic winding system in the industry, with four winding pawls to transmit energy to the barrel up to twice as fast as traditional automatic systems.

At US$66,800, the Freak One is a lot of watch for the money, especially considering this is less than half the price of the Freak S, while offering well over half the technical and aesthetic content. Even in this price segment, the competitive landscape is narrow; few watches manage to be both iconic and innovative.

An education on the wrist

Like other Freak models, the One can be confusing, if not overwhelming, at first glance. But that’s okay, since the design and layout of the dial-side components can actually teach the viewer about a mechanical watch movement. In a way, it’s like wearing a watchmaking class on the wrist. The 44 mm diameter of the watch provides ample space to show off the mechanics on the dial.

The main thing to understand about the One is that central carrousel is the minute hand, geared to a fixed ring around the edge of the dial. This entire apparatus is under spring tension from its central hub, with power flowing from the tip of the minute hand through the visible gear train to the escapement. With each oscillation, as the escapement locks and unlocks, freeing the minute hand to ‘walk’ forward little-by-little, completing one complete revolution per hour.

The time shown is 10:08

The carrousel forms the minute hand

Chronometrically, this offers benefits similar to those of a tourbillon, since the orientation of the escapement is constantly changing (at least in the vertical position). Of course, most tourbillons rotate 60 time faster, but the overall effect is similar in the long term.

The hour pointer, fixed to a ring in the dial, is geared from the minute hand just like in a conventional watch, making two rotations per day.

Without a traditional winding crown, setting and winding operations are divided between the front and rear bezels. To set the time, one simply flips in the “FREAK” flange at the six o’clock position and rotates the bezel, which causes the minute hand to rotate.

The bezel itself is made of Carbonium, a type of recycled carbon fiber sourced from the aerospace industry. The bezel action is very secure and satisfying, and the process of setting the time is a pleasure.

Winding the watch is a bit more tedious, requiring a good grip on the rear bezel around the case back. This was one of the biggest inconveniences of the original Freak, which was entirely manual wind and had a huge mainspring for a seven-day power reserve.

In real-world use, hand-winding the Freak One is not likely a problem, thanks to the novel winding system which operates more efficiently than traditional automatic systems. While the weeklong power reserve of the original is impressive, the Freak One is both more advanced technically and substantially more user friendly.

Flipping the watch over affords a view of Ulysse Nardin’s proprietary Grinder automatic winding system, which uses four winding pawls to substantially increase its winding efficiency. The idea was adapted from Grinders, specialised winches used on racing yachts, which operate on a similar principle. This design inspiration offers pleasing symmetry to Ulysse Nardin’s own history as a celebrated maker of marine chronometers.

The larger Freak S also uses the Grinder system, but compared to its more-complicated sibling, the One offers an extra 18 hours of power reserve while oscillating at a higher frequency of 3 Hz, rather than the 2.5 Hz. From this, one can infer that the One is more energy efficient, since the flow of energy is not watered down through a differential, and because it has just one escapement rather than two.

The Grinder system in action

Silicon chalet

Like its predecessors, the Freak One uses silicon prominently and proudly. Though silicon is now widely used in the industry, it’s worth noting that Ulysse Nardin was the first brand to apply this material to a production watch, and remains one of the few brands in the industry with in-house expertise with this material, thanks to its ownership stake in Sigatec.

While the composition of the silicon material has remained unchanged since 2001, an impressive achievement in itself, the brand has developed new production techniques that enable it to produce a wider variety of components in silicon. In the case of the One, the escapement, hairspring, and balance wheel are all made of silicon.

Furthermore, the escapement components are coated in a synthetic diamond coating called DIAMonSIL to ensure almost friction-free operation. While this setup can technically work completely dry, the brand has found that using a small amount of oil for the initial impulse helps accelerate the balance to full amplitude.

Closing thoughts

Horological innovators are rarely design icons. Technical innovation is often imperceptible and difficult to understand. On the other hand, many of the watches that have become design icons are pretty traditional under the hood. Case in point, when the Freak One won the “Iconic” prize at the GPHG last year, it was nominated alongside five vintage-inspired watches with eminently traditional movements.

One of the things I’ve always loved about the Freak is that it uses the visual spectacle of the carrousel as a storytelling element, merging technicality and aesthetics. Twenty-three years after the Freak’s debut, the new Freak One executes a complicated balancing act: it manages to look and feel fresh, without losing the critical DNA that has made the Freak a true icon of contemporary watchmaking.

Key facts and price

Ulysse Nardin Freak One Navy Blue
Ref. 2403-500-3A/3A (‘ballistic’ rubber strap)
Ref. 2403-500-3A/3B (rubber strap)

Diameter: 44 mm
Height: 13.37 mm
Material: Titanium
Crystal: Sapphire
Water resistance: 30 m

Movement: UN-240
Functions: Hours and minutes
Winding: Automatic
Frequency: 21,600 vibrations per hour (3 Hz)
Power reserve: 90 hours

Strap: Anthracite rubber or “ballistic” textured strap, with folding clasp

Limited edition: No
Availability: At Ulysse Nardin boutiques and retailers
Price: US$66,800

For more, visit Ulysse-nardin.com.

Ulysse Nardin’s entry-level Freak has been dressed up with a flinque enamel dial in a limited edition for Ahmed Seddiqi & Sons, the Middle East’s most prominent luxury watch retailer. The Freak X Enamel Seddiqi features a “Yas Blue” guilloché enamel dial with the signature carousel carrying an oversized oscillator and silicon escapement that acts as a minute hand.

Initial thoughts

The Freak X is a descendent of the original Freak, but simplified for user-friendliness and affordability. The Seddiqi edition combines the appeal of the Freak X with an artisan ally decorated dial – a combination of contrasts that are complementary.

While the enamel might seem contrary to the high-tech nature of the Freak X, it complements the aesthetics of the watch. The striking, translucent enamel forms a pleasing backdrop for the carousel.

Priced at AED154,000 or around US$42,000, the Freak X Enamel Seddiqi is a little more expensive than the base model Freak X, but still amongst the most affordable Freak models.

Inversed calibre

In 2001, Ulysse Nardin revolutionised watchmaking the Freak, a watch that reimagined the conventions of movement construction with an unprecedented design that relocated the going train and oscillator to double as the minute hand. And the watch was the first-ever application of silicon in watchmaking.

The Freak X has the trademark carousel minute hand, but features a convenient automatic movement and crown, eliminating the need to wind the watch every few days and allowing for easy time adjustment.

The Seddiqi edition retains the same case as the standard version that’s 43 mm in diameter by 13.78 mm in thickness. But it is set apart by the “Yas Blue” guilloché and enamelled dial was inspired by the Sun setting over the waters of Yas Island in Abu Dhabi.

The dial is crafted by the artisans of Ulysse Nardin’s Donzé Cadrans in Le Locle. It’s made up of four layers of translucent enamel applied over a guilloche surface.

The self-winding UN-230 has the oversized balance wheel and silicon escapement on the form, carried by a carousel that acts as a minute hand. The movement has 72 hours of power reserve and beats at 21,600 beats per hour (3 Hz).

The rest of the movement is visible through the back, revealing the open-worked rotor with the “UN” logo on satin-brushed bridges with blued screws.

Key facts and price

Ulysse Nardin Freak X Enamel Seddiqi
Ref. 2303-270LE-3AE-SED/3A

Diameter: 43 mm
Height: 13.78 mm
Material: Grey titanium
Crystal: Sapphire
Water resistance: 50 m

Movement: Cal. UN-230
Functions: Hours and minutes
Winding: Automatic
Power reserve: 72 hours

Strap: Black ballistic rubber strap with white stitching

Limited edition: 30 pieces
Availability: Now at Ahmed Seddiqi & Sons
Price: AED154,000, or about US$42,000

For more, visit ulysse-nardin.com.

This was brought to you in partnership with Ulysse Nardin.

One of the largest watch retailers in the world, Watches of Switzerland (WOS) marks its centenary in 2024. It has worked with several brands on limited editions for the occasion, most recently Ulysse Nardin. Based on Ulysse Nardin’s flagship Freak model, the Freak S “Watches of Switzerland Centenary Exclusive” sports a striking purple dial of crystalium, which is actually crystallised ruthenium.

Starting as a single shop in 1924, WOS is now a publicly-listed group with several retail brands in its stable and annual revenue of just over US$2 billion. Its scale means that several brands have signed on to create anniversary editions for the company, including including Cartier, Bulgari, and TAG Heuer. The Freak S, however, is the most complicated of the centenary editions so far.

Initial thoughts

The most impressive Freak in Ulysse Nardin’s current catalogue, the Freak S scores highly in terms of construction, and innovation. Its double inclined balance wheels are a logical evolution of the original concept.

In terms of aesthetics, the WOS edition is the most striking to date. The original iteration with its two-tone, rose gold-and-titanium case was perhaps old-fashioned for such a modern watch. The more recent Freak S Nomad, in contrast, presents a refined, artisanal face with a hand guilloche dial – a contrast of sci-fi watchmaking and traditional decoration.

The WOS edition is uniformly sci-fi. The carousel sits on a textured, crystalline purple plate. It’s an appealing look – the bold, unusual colour is arguably perfect match for the radical styling and construction of the Freak. Moreover, it brings to mind historical Freak models that often employed colours for visual effect, like the Freak Blue Phantom.

Costing about 10% more than the Freak S Nomad, the WOS edition is fairly priced, especially since it’s the only Freak with a crystalium dial so far and a small run of just 10 pieces. However, the value proposition could change if Ulysse Nardin introduces additional variants with the same dial material.

Crystallised ruthenium

The WOS edition is fundamentally identical to the standard Freak S, which means the centrepiece is the large, spaceship-like carousel on the front that carries twin inclined balanced wheels linked by a differential.

The Freak S was conceived as the ultimate iteration of Ulysse Nardin’s landmark creation, with the double inclined balances providing additional chronometric performance, plus the patented Grinder automatic winding enhancing user friendliness.

On the WOS edition, however, the carousel sits on a crystalium plate that’s a vivid, sparkly purple.

Crystalium is actually crystallised ruthenium. Specifically, it is ruthenium that’s been vaporised and then deposited onto the dial plate. The thin deposited ruthenium layer has a crystalline structure, giving it a sparkly finish. Grey in its natural state, the ruthenium layer is then plated via physical vapour deposition, resulting in the striking purple dial.

The technique used to produce the crystalium dial can be varied to create other colours, which means it’s possible we’ll see this dial material return in another shade.

The WOS edition has the same dimensions as the standard Freak S, but in a two-tone titanium. The case middle is coated dark grey, while the bezel and locking tab retain the alloy’s natural grey finish. It’s a clean, low-key combination that complements the purple dial.

The open back reveals the UN-251, a movement that is automatic thanks to the Grinder winding mechanism. Constructed to deliver high winding torque, the Grinder can wind the large mainspring swiftly and effectively. (We explained its specifics in an earlier story on the Freak.)

Automatic winding aside, the Freak S can also be wound manually by turning the case back, as is tradition with the Freak from the very first generation.

Key facts and price

Ulysse Nardin Freak S Watches of Switzerland Centenary
Ref. 2513-500LE-7A-WOS/3A

Diameter: 45 mm
Height: 16.65 mm
Material: Titanium
Crystal: Sapphire
Water resistance: 30 m

Movement: UN-251
Functions: Hours and minutes
Winding: Automatic
Frequency: 18,000 vibrations per hour (2.5 Hz)
Power reserve: 72 hours

Strap: Rubber strap with titanium folding clasp

Limited edition: 10 pieces
Availability: Only at Watches of Switzerland
Price: US$163,500 excluding taxes

For more, visit Ulysse-nardin.com and Watchesofswitzerland.com.

This was brought to you in partnership with Ulysse Nardin.

For Ulysse Nardin, Watches & Wonders 2024 was all about the Freak S Nomad, which made its debut in a booth that featured a massive replica of the watch’s movement. While the Nomad is essentially just a new livery for an existing model, the aesthetic changes, which include a rotating guilloche dial, give the watch a sportier feel that suits the design.

The Nomad is the second model in the Freak S collection after the original of 2022, and the latest in a long line of innovative watches that dates back to 2001. Interestingly, the Nomad is the first Freak to feature artisanal decoration, in the form of the guilloche dial, as compared to past models that have been more about technology than technique.

Initial thoughts

Mechanical watchmaking technology is fundamentally archaic, largely unchanged for more than a century. As a result, futuristically styled watches can easily come across as superficial. So it’s refreshing to consider the Nomad, which backs up its sci-fi styling with 21st-century materials and truly unique movement architecture that manages to be highly differentiated even a quarter-century after its launch.

On paper, the Nomad is a large watch at 45 mm in diameter and 17 mm thick. Both of these numbers surprised me because after putting it on my wrist, it looks and feels smaller than it is.

This is due, in part, to the lightweight titanium case, the muted colour palette, and the visual depth of the dial. Furthermore, the eye is naturally drawn to the central carrousel, which draws attention away from the case size.

The case is a mixture of lightweight materials, namely titanium and carbon composite, which are a good match for the nature of the watch, though the carbon composite cladding on the case feels superfluous since it serves no functional purpose. That’s especially so given the complexity of the movement and aesthetics.

While the design is polarising, there’s no denying the fundamentally intriguing nature of the Freak collection, and of the Nomad specifically. Building on the Freak S design introduced two years ago, the Nomad tones things down in terms of colour, while adding an eye-catching tan CVD-coated guilloche dial made using a traditional rose engine.

Given its technical sophistication, distinctive design, and historically significant model lineage, the Nomad offers a compelling value despite its six-figure price tag. At about US$148,300, the Nomad is technically accomplished yet costs less than most watches with dual-balance systems (that are mostly otherwise conventional in nature), and adds an almost unmatched level of fun to the overall proposition.

The carrousel immediately draws the eye

Case and dial

As discussed, the Nomad is a large watch that wears smaller than its dimensions suggest. But the size is not gratuitous, as the case volume is filled nearly edge-to-edge by the UN-251 movement, which could hardly be any smaller without sacrificing the visual impact of the carrousel. Overall, this feels like the right size for its design.

From the very first model, the Freak has never had a crown (except for the entry-level Freak X that is not, strictly speaking, a Freak movement). The time is set by lifting the small tab that locks the bezel and rotating the PVD-coated titanium bezel, which is linked to the carrousel. The action of the flange and the feel of the rotating bezel impart a palpable sense of precision, and the crisply machined facets on the bezel are highly tactile and satisfying.

The design helps conceal the 17 mm case height (including the crystal)

The most prominent feature of the dial is, of course, the carrousel, which is styled like a futuristic landing craft. Featuring dual inclined balances and a prominent differential, the carrousel is further dressed up with decorative perforated cladding and a strip of Super-LumiNova that indicates the minutes.

The carrousel, which carries the bulk of the movement components, is also where the much of the finishing is on display. Naturally, traditional techniques like Côtes de Geneve would be out-of-place on a futuristic watch like the Nomad, and many of the bridges are too narrow for lustrous anglage. Instead, we are treated to a mix of matte-finished and straight-grained surfaces, with the borders between these contrasting finishes executed with crisp edges.

Despite the Nomad’s contemporary aesthetic, traditional craft is still apparent. The guilloche dial plate, for example, is made the old fashioned way, using a hand-operated rose engine. It was made by an independent engine-turning specialist located in the Swiss Jura, where most of the industry’s suppliers are located.

Furthermore, on the carrousel itself, there are no visible traces of machining marks, even at high magnification. One area where this is especially obvious is the mirror-polished flank of the minute pointer, which perfectly reflects the perforated cladding that surrounds it, a detail that suggests traditional hand finishing.

If there’s one thing I’d change about the Nomad, it’s probably the use of carbon composite cladding on the case, which feel unnecessary on a watch that already has a lot going on visually.

That said, the gold-flecked graining of the carbon fibre panels is vaguely evocative of the contour lines on a topographic map, which is consistent with the “nomadic” theme of the watch.

The “Freak” flange at six o’clock flips up to enable time-setting via the bezel. Due to the watch’s symmetrical design, the flange is the almost the only clue to tell the difference between 12 and six.

Making sense of the madness

Despite its visual complexity, and the fact that it looks nothing like a traditional watch, the operation of the UN-251 movement is quite simple. This movement was recently the subject of a detailed technical analysis, which is a good place to start.

The large silicon balance wheels are possible thanks to recent advances in silicon manufacturing.

The first thing to understand is that the guilloche dial plate is actually the top cover of the mainspring barrel, and the gearing is such that the barrel makes one complete rotation every 12 hours.

This quirk enables the dial plate to pull double duty as the “hour hand,” with a subtle indicator integrated into its edge. This construction means the hour indicator actually passes underneath the hour markers, contributing the three dimensional character of the watch.

Even the case back looks like nothing else.

Flipping the watch over affords a view of the clever Grinder automatic winding system, which takes its name from the sail winches on racing yachts. Comprised of a peripheral rotor and a central hub with four winding pawls, the Grinder system is said to be twice as efficient as a normal automatic system.

This system is similar in concept to Seiko’s famous Magic Lever, but far more exotic in execution. It relies on compliant pawls that convert the bidirectional movements of the rotor into a unidirectional force that charges the mainspring.

This animation illustrates the function of the Grinder automatic winding system. Image – Ulysse Nardin

The Grinder system winds a large mainspring, which powers the watch for 72 hours. This is a relatively normal number compared to the otherwise extreme specifications, due to the energy consumption of the large carrousel and twin balances. An “ordinary” Freak, on the other hand, has a weeklong power reserve as a result of the lighter movement.

And despite the Nomad’s crown-less design, the watch can also be hand-wound by rotating the case back, though the outstanding efficiency of the Grinder system should minimise the need for hand winding.

On top of this construction sits the carrousel, which contains the escapement. Powered from its centre by the mainspring, the carrousel makes one rotation every hour, enabling it to display the minutes natively.

The speed of its rotation is governed by the escapement, which receives its motive power from a small pinion that meshes with a large fixed-ring gear around the dial. In other words, the spring tension is released bit by bit as the escapement locks and unlocks during each oscillation, allowing the carrousel to slowly walk its way around the dial once per hour.

The escapement itself is also noteworthy, featuring two inclined balances linked by a differential, which takes the average rate from the twin balances.

Because the balances are inclined at different angles, and because they are constantly changing position ever so slightly thanks to the rotation of the 60-minute carrousel, the balances are never in the same position as one another. Conceptually, this is likely to make effective use of the differential system and improve the rate compared to a single-balance system.

The differential averages the rate from the twin escapements.

In practice, it’s hard to quantity the real-world impact of these solutions. For one thing, there is no seconds hand, and the twin balances complicate the process of acoustic measurement. And while it’s true that simple watches tend to outperform complicated watches in terms of real-world timekeeping, the intellectual coherence of the Nomad’s differential system is a significant part of its appeal and helps differentiate the watch from peers that offer style over substance.

Given the complexity of the system, a special process had to be developed for regulation and adjustment of the twin variable-inertia balances. The first step is regulating each oscillator individually in a test movement with a special tool. Both oscillators are then installed and the fully assembled movement is then tested over the course of a week to ensure the variation is within 0/+10 seconds per day; roughly the same variation as the COSC standard of -4/+6 seconds per day.

Silicon

Of course, the Nomad wouldn’t be a true Freak without some silicium, Ulysse Nardin’s trade name for the thermally stable oxide-coated silicon it developed in collaboration with Centre Suisse d’Electronique et de Microtechnique (CSEM). The brand’s pioneering expertise with silicon was detailed in Part III of The Ulysse Nardin Freak – The Saga of a Scientific Timepiece. 

One of a pair of silicon escape wheels from the Dual Ulysse escapement, shown for reference. The Freak S Nomad features a pair of traditional lever escapements.

In short, the original Freak from 2001 was the first watch to utilise silicon components, and Ulysse Nardin remains one of the few brands that can produce its own silicon components quasi-independently, thanks to its ownership stake in Sigatec.

According to the brand’s head of product, Jean-Christophe Sabatier, the composition of the silicon has remained unchanged since its launch in 2001, which is an encouraging sign for silicon skeptics.

Specifically, it’s a pure monocrystalline silicon with an oxide coating that counteracts the effects of temperature variations. But while the material is the same, the production process has improved, enabling the production of a wider variety of components in terms of size, as well as greater precision in tolerances.

Advances in silicon fabrication have opened up new possibilities for terminal curve geometry.

So it should come as no surprise that the Nomad uses silicon liberally, for not only the escape wheel and lever, but also for the hairsprings and balance wheels as well.

The sliding surfaces of the escapement are further coated with a diamond coating known, giving rise to the moniker DIAMonSIL. These diamond-coated silicon parts ensure almost friction-free operation, one of the holy grails of horology.

Almost because while silicon escapements can function without any lubrication, Ulysse Nardin has opted to use a bit of oil for the initial impulse to help accelerate the balance to full amplitude.

The silicon lever.

Closing thoughts

While I tend to be most attracted to traditional designs and movements made with traditional materials, I couldn’t help being seduced by the Nomad when I put it on my wrist, and my appreciation for it has only increased in the intervening time.

The Nomad’s strong technical aesthetic is matched by its innovative movement, which is where most futuristic-looking watches disappoint.

Not only does it feature a dual-balance system linked by a differential and mounted on a 60-minute carrousel, but even fully mature sub-assemblies, like the keyless works and automatic winding system, have been reimagined to enhance the user experience. In other words, there’s nothing else like the Freak.

The Ulysse Nardin booth at Watches & Wonders featured an enormous model of the Nomad, reflected onto a mirrored ceiling. Image – Watches & Wonders

Key facts and price

Ulysse Nardin Freak S Nomad
Ref. 2513-500LE-4A-GUI/3A

Diameter: 45 mm
Height: 16.65 mm
Material: Titanium
Crystal: Sapphire
Water resistance: 30 m

Movement: UN-251
Functions: Hours and minutes
Winding: Automatic
Frequency: 18,000 vibrations per hour (2.5 Hz)
Power reserve: 72 hours

Strap: Anthracite rubber “ballistic” textured strap

Limited edition: 99 pieces
Availability: At Ulysse Nardin boutiques and retailers
Price: US$148,300

For more, visit Ulysse-nardin.com.

This was brought to you in partnership with Ulysse Nardin.