Amongst the most talked about watch at Watches & Wonders 2023 was the Ulysse Nardin Freak One, at the time the latest entrant in the Freak line of 2001 that displayed the possibility of a watch without a conventional dial, hands, and crown. Now for Dubai Watch Week 2023, the Freak line sees a new iteration, the Freak ONE OPS (or ‘operations’), a khaki and black watch that represents the spirit of adventure.
The Freak ONE OPS is a 44mm black DLC titanium watch with a detailed sunray pattern on the barrel cover. The timepiece has been built in khaki colour, with the dial and the rubber straps boasting the hue. Its bezel is made from Carbonium®, a material first used in fine watchmaking by Ulysse Nardin in 2019. Its usage is thanks to its light weight and durability – it is produced using the same carbon fibres found in state-of-the-art aircraft wings and fuselages – and its production process also creates unique designs, which means that each Freak ONE OPS features a unique-looking bezel.
As is the case with the Freak’s design, the automatic UN-240 manufacture movement makes for the dial display and powers the watch as well – its flying carousel provides the minutes indication as it rotates on its own axis, while the hour hand is a pointer that is set on a rotating disc that sits under the movement. The hour and minute indicators and hour markers are coated in a beige Super-LumiNova® that glows green in low-light conditions. Also on display are the oversized oscillator and balance spring in blue silicon. UN-240 has a 90-hour power reserve.
The watch is offered with a choice of two integrated straps: one in black and khaki “ballistic” rubber, and an alternate two-tone rubber strap, also in black and khaki – both straps have been made using 30 per cent recycled rubber from production waste. Both have black DLC titanium and black ceramic folding clasps.
Images: Courtesy Ulysse Nardin
