I am not exactly certain who first dubbed the phrase ‘superwatch’ (a horological spin on ‘supercar’), but there is no doubt that the Ulysse Nardin Freak was the first when it kicked off the era of exotic watchmaking with avant-garde designs in 2001. In fact, 2001 was an inflection point as we also saw the release of the Harry Winston Opus One as well as the debut of a new watch brand named Richard Mille. But it was the Freak that was a singular, confounding stroke of genius that completely changed the way dials, movements, and materials come together. In fact, the Freak arguably has had as significant an impact and influence on watchmaking as the Royal Oak.
Ulysse Nardin Freak OneThe heart and soul of the Freak is the symbiosis of typically disparate elements of a watch. The movement is the minutes hand, there is no real dial other than a rotating disc with an hour pointer, nor is there a crown. And then there is the watchmaking renaissance that was kicked off with the Freak debuting not just the first ever Dual Direct Escapement but also being the first watch to use silicon (it would be four years until we saw another watchmaker use silicon in a production watch when Patek Philippe debuted their Caliber 315 with a silicon escape wheel).
Traditional movement finishing has always been judged by the usual set of criteria, such as Geneva stripes, anglage, perlage, polishing, etc …. The Freak was revolutionary because it completely changed the paradigm of how watches are designed and, thus, judged or critiqued. Creating a mechanical marvel through consolidating of elements rather than adding them is an art form in itself. I would go so far as to say that the Freak is actually one of the great triumphs of true minimalism in watchmaking. All extraneous and unnecessary flourishes are stripped away to the degree that most parts serve multiple functions rather than just one.
In the words of MB&F founder (and the man behind the previously mentioned Opus One) Max Büsser, “The Freak opened a door for us all by demonstrating the full expressive potential of mechanical watches. It underscored the true raison d’être for watchmaking today, which is about giving emotion.” It’s fair to say that independent brands like MB&F, De Bethune, and Urwerk as well as larger brands under corporate umbrellas like Hublot and even Cartier owe much to the Freak.
It is truly a marvel that the Freak was even conceived, let alone created. Credit for this project goes to three people, the first of whom is obviously the late Rolf Schnyder who purchased and revived Ulysse Nardin back in 1983. The genesis of what became the Freak can be credited to Carole Forestier-Kasapi, the brilliant mind who reimagined the tourbillon as a central carrousel and would beat out Derek Pratt for the Prix de la Fondation Abraham-Louis Breguet in 1998 (she would also notably go on to be Cartier’s Head of Movement Creation). Finally, it was Dr. Ludwig Oechslin who reworked and reconfigured Forestier-Kasapi’s design into what became the framework of the Freak.
Ulysse Nardin Freak OneReleased at Watches and Wonders 2023, the Freak One is the culmination of two decades worth of innovation and iteration, coming together in a technologically updated package that hearkens to the design of the original while being one of the most wearable versions to date. Currently there are three versions of the Freak in production: The astounding limited edition Freak S with its hyper-futuristic, almost spaceship-inspired design and double oscillator (and is more than double the cost of the Freak One). And then there is the entry-level ‘everyday’ Freak X that has the orbital oscillator with silicon escapement but with a traditional crown and has a price just over a third that of the Freak One. This places the Freak One in the middle of the trio, priced approximately INR 60,00,000.
There have been many Freaks over the years: The Freak 28’800 from 2005 upgraded the movement and upped the frequency to 4Hz; the InnoVision 1 from 2007 debuted nearly a dozen technical innovations and a more playful aesthetic; the Freak Vision from 2018 introduced a new escape wheel done in silicon and nickel. I could go on, but a thorough history of the Freak is worthy of its own dedicated article. The Freak One has taken the best aspects of previous versions while also being something new and fresh altogether.
The DIAMonSIL treated escapement and rose- gold minute bridgeThe Freak One comes in a black DLC-coated titanium case that measures 44mm wide and just 12mm thick. The sheer ease of wearability initially took me by surprise even though I was aware of its relatively light weight and tight proportions afforded by the lack of a crown and short tapered lugs. The interplay of colours and materials is highly effective here with the most important elements done in rose gold and everything else done in black. Naturally there is one exception here that will be discussed briefly.
The bezel locker in its closed positionLet’s take the Freak One apart starting with the bezel. First shown on the Freak S, this clean and angular notched bezel is one of the most effective design changes made to the collection. Some of the early models were so overtly stylized that they almost appeared Baroque while the smooth lines of the Freak Vision were almost too clean for a watch that carries the bravado of such a moniker. The bezel is done in 5N rose gold that is brushed on the surfaces and polished on the notches and grooves. Setting the time via bezel is very easy and always fun. Simply lift the “locker” that reads FREAK beneath the bezel at 6 o’clock and watch the entire movement rotate and push the locker down once you’ve set the time.
Moving inwards from the bezel is the barrel cover that sits beneath the movement (aka the minutes hand) and completes a rotation hourly. On the black sunray pattern of the barrel cover is the large and legible V-shaped hour pointer that is filled with lume and framed in matching rose gold. The hit of colour that breaks the black and gold colour scheme is, of course, the silicon escapement, which is coated in Ulysse Nardin’s proprietary diamond-coated silicon known as DIAMonSIL, which reduces friction and increases shock resistance.
The Grinder winding system with four bladesAnd then there are the bridges above the gear train that secure the movement and serve as the “minutes hand,” which is actually the flying carrousel movement rotating around its own axis. Aesthetically, it does again somewhat resemble a pared-down Freak S with the rose-gold motif and straight angular lines. With the exception of polished edges and chamfers, the majority of the bridge surfaces are done in a matte brushed finish making for a lovely and glare-free end result. At the tip you will see the V-shaped minutes pointer, which is filled with lume.
Ulysse Nardin : The original FreakThe year 2017 was a milestone one with the launch of the InnoVision 2 concept watch (ironically not designated as a Freak), which debuted the very first automatic movement that would be used in a Freak. Every Freak had been manual winding up until 2018’s Freak Vision 2, which adapted the aforementioned concept watch’s pioneering ‘Grinder’ automatic winding system. Of course, this isn’t like any traditional automatic movement out there. The Grinder connects four blades to the oscillator, which allow winding from even the slightest wrist movements that wouldn’t ordinarily be sufficient to draw power from a traditional automatic movement. All in all, the Grinder is twice as efficient in energy transmission when compared to a standard self-winding movement. In the words of the brand, it is “a bit like a bicycle fitted with four pedals instead of two.”
While most of the UN-240 manufacture movement is visible from the dial side, you can see the blacked-out blades of the Grinder system at work from the caseback. Made with 229 components, the UN-240 operates at 3Hz and has a 90-hour power reserve.
The short lugs and thin case make for a very wearable watchThe Freak One comes with three strap options: Black rubber ‘ballistic’ textured strap, black matte alligator leather or a two-tone rubber strap. Note that the rubber strap options are made of 30-percent recycled rubber from production waste by BIWI, Switzerland. The model I spent time with came on the black rubber ‘ballistic’ textured strap, which I find to be the most fitting. It’s extremely comfortable and the DLC-coated titanium and rose-gold deployant buckle is solid and reassuring.
The Ulysse Nardin Freak has been a year-long project of experimentation, iteration, and uninhibited creativity. The Freak One is, without hyperbole, the purest and most perfected take on one of the most important watches of the past generation. Given the popularity of ‘out there’ avant-garde designs, it seems the times have indeed finally caught up with the Freak.
Images: Courtesy brand