Freaks to the Front: Ulysse Nardin Launches a New Generation of the Freak X

This year marks two big birthdays for Ulysse Nardin: 180 years since the brand’s founding and 25 years of the Freak. To celebrate these milestones, the Manufacture is introducing a bunch of new Freak novelties. So far, we’ve seen the release of the limited-edition Super Freak and the fun Freak [X Gumball 3000].

Now we have three new, reengineered takes on the Freak X.

This trio comes in three colorways with interchangeable straps, an updated caliber, and a redesigned, more compact 41mm case (down from 43mm) with a glassbox sapphire crystal.

Here’s what you need to know.

With hindsight being 20/20, it’s easy to talk about how the Freak sent the watchmaking world spinning when it was introduced in 2001. It began life as a carousel “tourbillon” project at Ulysse Nardin, based on an idea by Carole Forestier, who had just received the Prix de la Fondation Abraham-Louis Breguet for a central carousel tourbillon design.

 

Ludwig Oechslin then adjusted Forestier’s idea, relocating the mainspring underneath the movement to improve the power reserve and modifying the in-line gear train and regulator to serve as the time display, for example.

Most importantly, the Freak was one of the first lines of watches to experiment with silicon components. This was revolutionary because, at the time, there was a lot of hesitation to use the material.
 

In fact, ten years later, there was still skepticism about silicon, as evidenced by a 2012 New York Times article that detailed some of the remaining concerns, explaining that some watchmakers believed silicon components to be “very delicate to assemble and manipulate, and they cannot be repaired with conventional restoration techniques.”

Forestier, who had by 2012 had moved to Cartier, defended silicon, telling the Times that the use of silicon was “only one step in the new watch materials world,” and that “technologies of hyperprecision from microelectronics would open up a range of possibilities.”
 

And now the future Forestier predicted has arrived in the form of a fully reengineered Freak X.

The Freak was originally imagined as a “Laboratory on the Wrist.” The Freak X, introduced in 2019, is an example of the collection’s constant evolution. It was conceived as the “entry level” take on the Freak and was distinguished by having a crown instead of winding via the bezel.
 

If the Freak X was meant to make the Freak more accessible to enthusiasts, then this year’s models are a way to recognize that fans want a watch that’s even more compact (reducing the case diameter from 43mm to 41mm) and therefore more comfortable to wear.
 

And they’re more fun! With this generation, Ulysse Nardin has announced three colorways (grey, blue, and gold) with nine interchangeable strap options.

Let’s back up a little bit. The new wearability wouldn’t be possible without a simplified and reworked movement.
 

For the first time in a Freak X, Ulysse Nardin has used a DIAMonSIL escapement along with a silicon balance wheel and hairspring to improve precision, efficiency, and durability. The brand says that this high-tech surface treatment acts as a protective shield, increasing hardness and resistance to mechanical stress, and extending the life of the components (take that, naysayers from 2012!).
 

Standing on the shoulders of 35 previous Freak patents, the new UN-232 caliber integrates five new patents of its own, including the DIAMonSIL escapement, a thermocompensated silicon hairspring, ovoid hairspring geometry, optimized pivot contact, and axial assembly solution for silicon components. This caliber also features an oversized silicon balance wheel and silicon hairspring, crafted at Sigatec, Ulysse Nardin’s silicon laboratory.
 

These three watches also feature several other innovations, including a monobloc case made of 80% recycled steel (or full rose gold) and a more highly decorated hour wheel than previous models.

Priced between $41,200 (for the Freak [X Grey] with a recycled steel case and a brown calfskin strap) and $64,000 (for the Freak [X Gold] with a rose gold case and a black alligator leather strap), we’re not claiming that it is accessible to most budgets, but ideas are free. And we’re happy that Ulysse Nardin is still coming up with freaky ideas.
 

For more information, check out the Ulysse Nardin website.