Purple Reign: Meet Ulysse Nardin’s Latest (and Last) Freak S Enamel

At the end of September, we reported on Ulysse Nardin’s latest Freak ONE models, both of which leaned into the perhaps unexpected classical design techniques of enamel and guilloché to take the disruptive canvas of the Freak concept into some more traditional waters.

While the story of the new, 50-piece limited-edition Ulysse Nardin Freak S Purple Enamel debuting today isn’t exactly the same, we see that discerning métiers d’art influence has, once again, made its way into the Freak S family, proving its futuristic vision has ample room for tastefully applied classicism.

Color Wheel

The “dial” of what Ulysse Nardin is calling “the final Freak S in titanium with enamel” does, in fact, feature a complex, age-old guilloché-flinqué enamel artisan technique for its textured white gold underbelly (via the watchmaker’s in-house Donzé Cadrans workshop), but it is the particular shade of purple (which is also repeated on the exquisitely smooth calfskin strap) that ties the presentation together.

Since antiquity, purple has been the color of royalty and exclusivity, as the natural dyes used to create it were extremely hard to come by and thus wildly expensive. (Fun Fact: To make just one gram of what was called Tyrian purple dye, ancient Phoenicians had to harvest the mucus of about 10,000 Murex snails. This dye was, literally, worth its weight in silver.)

Opting for a more subdued, less jewel-like shade of purple, the dial of the new Freak S Purple Enamel projects a feeling of depth and richness more akin to a glass of fine wine than to a shimmering amethyst.

As a result, this timepiece reads more regal than eye-grabbing, and the color, enamel, and guilloché combine to create a handsome, classic visual palette for presenting the multitude of technical innovations the watch offers.

Tech Talk

A 45mm faced titanium case frames the expected above-the-dial carousel “spaceship” arm of this Freak S, but the watchmakers have loaded the ship up with the many innovations associated with the model: Twin inclined silicon oscillators (the world’s first automatic dual oscillator, in fact), the world’s smallest vertical differential that balances the pulses of those oscillators, and 373 other components that are hand-assembled by a single Grande Complications watchmaker.

All in all, the UN-251 movement runs along six separate physical planes, with 95% of the components in constant, fascinating motion on your wrist. Moreover, in lockstep with the overall Freak concept, Ulysee Nardin’s unique Grinder winding technology provides the power for the show.

First unveiled in 2017, the Grinder system was purpose-built to meet the power demands of the Freak’s carrousel movement, while still delivering an impressive 72-hour power reserve. It achieves this by converting even the slightest wrist motion into usable power, using low-friction ceramic ball bearings to generate energy for the low-frequency 2.5Hz movement.

Final Thoughts

Given the masterful combination of chromatic, artful lordliness, and edgy structural innovation in the Ulysse Nardin Freak S Purple Enamel, might I suggest an unofficial nickname: “Purple Reign,” perhaps?

Debuting today in a limited edition of 50 pieces, the new Freak S Purple Enamel (Ref. 2513-500LE-7AE-PURP/0A) is priced at CHF 153,000.

For more information, check out the Ulysse Nardin website.