Le Freak (is still) C’est Chic: Ulysse Nardin Celebrates 25 Years of Getting Freaky
Our favorite off-the-wall, somewhat bonkers collection from the well-established Swiss brand turns 25 in 2026. Here, we take a look back to rediscover exactly what it takes to make a Freak that is loved by all.
By Barbara Palumbo
Contributor
For twenty-five years, Ulysse Nardin has tickled our horological fancies and titillated our watch curiosities by periodically adding more Freaks to our lives. Time and time again, the brand has proven it has a whole lot of moxie via each of these releases, which have also, periodically, been sprinkled with the devil-may-care attitude for which the Le Locle, Switzerland-based brand has become known.
For the (somehow) unaware enthusiast who is wondering why we’re talking about this model, put simply, there is no other watch out there like the Freak. That alone is enough to excite the industry every time a new version is released (and likely why the collection is still going strong twenty-five years later).
Moreover, you don’t have to be a collector to appreciate what is spectacular about this series of watches; just having a pulse and at least part of a brain will suffice. So, since this year marks the Freak’s 25th birthday, we thought we’d take a look at the evolution of Ulysse Nardin’s flagship collection.
How It Started
It was in 2001 that collectors and press alike met the original Ulysse Nardin Freak.
The culmination of the 1980s partnership between Rolf W. Schnyder and Ludwig Oechslin, the Freak marked the first time a major Swiss watch brand brought silicon components into the spotlight. And while it was another four years before fans of the watch could get their hands on the next version, it was clear the Freak had made an impact, and the watch enthusiast community wanted more.
After the release of the OG Freak in 2001, Ulysse Nardin has since presented the public with multiple versions, starting with its sophomore releases: the Freak 28,800V/H and the Freak Diamond Heart, both introduced in 2005.
In contrast, the Freak DIAMonSIL was introduced in 2007. And in the process of this model’s design and development, Ulysse Nardin continued its forward-thinking innovation by using a synthetic “nanocrystal” diamond escapement grown on a silicium part. Hence the name: DIAMond-on-SILicium.
By 2010, the devil on our shoulder (or, wrist, rather) appeared with the introduction of the Freak Diavolo, along with a new colorway for the collection: black and red (in lieu of the blue tones featured on prior iterations). A few years later, in 2013, the Freak Cruiser came out and contained more of the brand’s aquatic elements DNA, embracing the brand’s anchor motif more than ever before. By 2015, we saw the Freak’s oscillator move to the center by way of the FreakLab.
Then, in 2018, the look of the Freak’s case and bezel changed, pretty radically, for the first time since its introduction. That year, the Freak Vision offered buyers a sleeker version of what was becoming an iconic timepiece by replacing the “waves” on the bezel with 3-D elements that made sense, and that honestly, looked damn good.
Finally, after two more Freak releases, the Freak X in 2019 and the Freak S in 2022, the brand was ready to debut another showstopper at Watches and Wonders 2023: the Freak ONE.
Game Changer
The Freak ONE drew design inspiration from the original 2001 version by returning to the OG’s three main visual characteristics: no dial, no hands, and no crown.
As you can see, the Freak ONE boasted a notched bezel similar to the inaugural Freak. However, it also pays homage to other versions in the Freak collection through both its outward aesthetics and, in other cases, its technical features.
For example, the ONE’s open gear train drew inspiration from the 2013 Freak Cruiser, while its legibility codes recalled the 2018 Freak Vision. Even this model’s black DLC-coated titanium and rose gold detailing was a reminder of the design of 2022’s Freak S.
In Their Collaboration Era
During Dubai Watch Week in November 2023, Ulysse Nardin released the Freak [ONE OPS], which had a military aesthetic due to its khaki-green palette and camouflage DLC-coated titanium case.
In September of 2024, Ulysse Nardin partnered with the Gumball 3000 to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the annual, international 3,000-mile road rally for supercars, hypercars, and customized classic cars, which draws a variety of celebrity attendees, influencers, and media because of its over-the-top parties and crazy vehicle designs – and introduced the Ulysse Nardin Freak X Gumball 3000 Limited Edition.
Produced in just 150 pieces, each Gumball 3000 driver could personalize their watch with a dedication plate bearing their team number.
Then, just one month later, in October, the brand announced a collaborative, limited-edition timepiece (only 10 watches made) to commemorate the 100th anniversary of mega watch retailer Watches of Switzerland. The 45mm titanium Freak S WOS Centenary Exclusive, with its glorious grape-colored dial, was an instant sell-out.
Retail collaborations did not stop with Watches of Switzerland. Later that same month, Ulysse Nardin released the limited-edition Freak X Enamel Seddiqi, in partnership with the successful Dubai watch retailer and mastermind behind the phenomenon that is Dubai Watch Week, Ahmed Seddiqi.
In February 2025, the brand also partnered with the well-known retailer Bucherer to create the emerald-green Freak X Enamel Bucherer Exclusive, which presaged a year of non-collaborative Freak models featuring handcrafted guilloché-flinqué enamel hour disks.
How to Celebrate an Anniversary
While other Freak releases beyond those discussed here have occurred, to keep this article to a reasonable word count, I opted to highlight the watches I believe made the biggest waves and had the greatest impact. That said, while the Freak remains one of my top ten favorite watch collections since becoming a full-fledged watch journalist, none of Ulysse Nardin’s collaborative pieces has ever hit me the way the Ulysse Nardin x Urwerk UR-FREAK did.
As a longtime writer about luxury timepieces, very few things still surprise me and make me feel like a kid on Christmas morning. After all, did I know that Ulysse Nardin had partnered with independent super-brand Urwerk before the UR-FREAK’s unveiling at Dubai Watch Week in November 2025? Of course I did.
However, as with the embargoed releases before Watches and Wonders, unless I need to prewrite an article, I try my best to avoid a sneak peek. I wanted to save the excitement for when I got to see the damn thing in person in Dubai. And the watch – and the party that accompanied – did not disappoint.
While Ulysse Nardin can often fly under the radar with regard to mainstream watch purchasers who look to fill their collections with “safe” pieces they can flip for a profit on a whim, it is those who believe in the brand and look to it with an understanding and appreciation for ingenuity, creativity, and uniqueness who will influence those who simply just don’t get it.
Thankfully, enough of us out there genuinely do. We get it. We understand it, and we really love it; and I, for one, am looking forward to what the Freak will show us in its 25th anniversary year.
To peruse the current Freak collection, visit the Ulysse Nardin website.