Confessions of a Self-Proclaimed Freak: The Story Behind My First Ulysse Nardin

Sometimes, it’s destiny. Some things are simply meant to happen.

For nearly half a decade, I had been obsessing over the Ulysse Nardin Freak. It was one of those watches that somehow found its way into my head and refused to leave. Then, almost as if the stars had aligned, the right moment arrived when I connected with Matthieu Haverlan.

When the Ulysse Nardin Freak X OPS was launched, I didn’t even have to express my love for it myself. The #WatchFam did it for me. People kept tagging me, sending me pictures and sharing the watch with me. It was almost comical—as if everyone already knew exactly how much I would love this particular Freak.

Naturally, I had to post about it.

That post led to Matthieu reaching out, and that moment meant far more to me than simply making a connection with someone in the watch industry. It showed me that Ulysse Nardin genuinely cared about the opinions of enthusiasts. They were listening. They were curious. They wanted to know what we thought.

What started with a watch quickly became something much more meaningful. Matthieu wasn’t simply interested in the person wearing the watch or the Instagram account behind it. He was interested in the collector behind the wrist. He listened to my ideas, my questions, my excitement and, yes, my obsession.

That matters to me.

In an industry where relationships can sometimes feel transactional, there was something refreshingly genuine about our connection. We could talk watches, but we could also talk about the bigger picture: what makes a watch meaningful, why collectors connect with certain pieces, the importance of innovation and why challenging convention matters.

I rarely say this about people, but Matthieu and I immediately seemed to share a certain energy and the same values. I jokingly call him the Liam Neeson of the watch industry, but behind the humour was something genuine: an almost instant sense of familiarity, like two long-lost brothers who had somehow taken far too long to meet. And that, for me, is what makes watches so special.

Every connection represents another step in my journey. Every milestone deserves to be celebrated. Some watches mark moments in time; others become part of the story itself. This FREAKING had to happen!

What Makes Someone a Freak?

The word “freak” traditionally describes someone who is unconventional, extraordinary or noticeably different from the norm. It can also describe someone whose obsession with something reaches an almost addictive level.

Well… guilty as charged.

The Ulysse Nardin Freak is the perfect embodiment of both meanings. When it first appeared, the Freak challenged virtually everything we understood about conventional mechanical watchmaking. There was no traditional dial. No conventional hands. Instead, the movement itself became the minute hand, turning the very mechanism responsible for measuring time into the instrument that displays it.

It was revolutionary and unmistakably Freak.

The Freak X OPS continues that philosophy, putting the movement firmly at centre stage. Its orbital flying one-hour carousel rotates around the dial, driven by the movement itself, creating an almost hypnotic expression of mechanical time.

It doesn’t simply tell time… It performs it.

That is what I love about Ulysse Nardin. There is an unapologetic sense of experimentation and individuality. The brand doesn’t seem interested in simply following the rules of traditional watchmaking. It wants to challenge them, reinterpret them and, occasionally, throw them out altogether. And perhaps that is why I feel such a natural connection to the Freak, because I am one too.

When a Watch Feels Like It Was Made for You

How do you know when a watch is truly the right watch for you? For me, it goes far beyond specifications, complications or price.

First, it has to speak to your taste. The design, proportions, materials and overall aesthetic need to resonate with who you are and how you want to express yourself.

Then, it needs a story.

I want to know what makes a watch special, what inspired it, what problem it was trying to solve and what makes it different from everything else. Craftsmanship and heritage matter, but so does innovation. Sometimes, the most compelling stories are the ones that challenge convention.

Then there are the people.

Getting to know the individuals behind a brand can completely change the way you see a watch. When you connect with the people who create it, understand their passion and discover the values that drive them, the watch becomes more than an object.

It becomes personal.

And, of course, there are the colours.

I have always believed that the right colours can make a watch feel even more like you. We all have those shades that make us happy, that naturally find their way into our wardrobes and, in my case, onto my straps.

But perhaps the biggest test is also the simplest – Can you stop thinking about it?

If you constantly find yourself looking at pictures of it, imagining it on your wrist and thinking about when you’ll next get to wear it, chances are something is happening. The when you finally put it on, it should make you smile. That is the real test.

A perfect watch is not necessarily the one with the most impressive specifications or the greatest complication. It is the one that creates an emotional reaction every time you wear it. The one that feels comfortable, looks right and tells a story that you want to be part of.

The Freak ticks every one of those boxes for me. It speaks to my taste. It has a story. It challenges convention. It connects me with people I admire. And it has the attitude and personality I look for in a watch.

After obsessing over the Freak for five years, I finally get to call one mine.

I’m a Freak and this is AbsoFreakingLutely a match made in heaven!

And perhaps that is also why the recent theft at the Ulysse Nardin Museum in Le Locle feels so personal. The news is not just sad. It’s devastating.

I’ve always had a special love for Ulysse Nardin, but beyond the watches themselves, it’s the people and the community around the brand that mean so much to me. We’re a close-knit family, and when something happens to one part of that family, you feel it.

I keep asking myself: what exactly do the thieves think they are going to achieve?

These aren’t random watches that can simply disappear into the market. They are known pieces. They can be identified and flagged, and the moment someone tries to trade or sell them, questions will inevitably be asked.

So who really benefits from this?

For more information, please visit Ulysse Nardin’s website.