Watches and Wonders Geneva 2026
The Ulysse Nardin Super Freak Will Blow Your Mind
World firsts abound for the 25th birthday of an icon.
By Cait Bazemore
Contributor
The turn of the century in the year 2000 was a bit of a renaissance for the watch industry. By then, brands were finally recovering from the quartz crisis of the 1970s and the somewhat strange interim period of the ‘80s and ‘90s. The new millennium marked a fresh start and the beginning of the modern era of watchmaking – a time when brands had regained enough confidence to stop playing it safe and get more experimental and avant-garde with their creations.
Part of this renaissance came in the way of material innovation, and there is arguably one major moment that set the tone for the advancements that would rise from this era on a mass scale. In 2001, Ulysse Nardin forever changed the watch landscape with its introduction of the Freak.
When it comes to the strides in material play, the Freak introduced the first use of silicon in the movement, specifically in the escapement wheels. While controversial at first, the material is now part of nearly every major watchmaker’s repertoire.
A Freaky Story
However, the Freak was so much more than a case study in experimentation with materials. The watch in its entirety was an experiment in the display of time – no traditional dial, no hands, and no crown. Instead, it uses a rotating carrousel-tourbillon to indicate minutes, while the entire movement sits on top of the dial and orbits once per hour.
Here, time is set by unlocking a tab at 6 o'clock and rotating the bezel. Once again, Ulysse Nardin established a world first.
This year marks the 25th anniversary of that milestone moment for the brand and for the watchmaking industry. In celebration, Ulysse Nardin is taking the iconic model to the next level with the debut of the Super Freak.
The Most Complex Time-Only Watch Ever Created
The tagline for the model (i.e., the subhead of this section) is a bit counterintuitive, but I would expect nothing less from the creators of the Freak and now the Super Freak.
The historic beauty of the time-only watch has been its simplicity. Do we need the most complex time-only watch ever created? Absolutely not. But there is not much necessity left in the world of watches. Even for basic timekeeping, we no longer need watches. Yet, we love and adore and even obsess over them. So, why not design the most complex time-only watch ever created?
With the Super Freak, Ulysse Nardin notches yet another world first, or rather several: an automatic double tourbillon, also a carousel; the smallest gimbal system thanks to a new patent; and the smallest vertical differential. Yes, the star of the Freak show has always been and continues to be the movement.
Here, we have a brand-new in-house calibre, the UN-252, built from a whopping 511 components all by a single Grandes Complications watchmaker. Its seven-plane construction creates striking depth, with 97.46% of the movement in motion; only 13 of its 511 components remain fixed.
All In The Details
Now, let’s narrow in on what seems to be the real white knight of the new Super Freak: the patented gimbal system. Thanks to this innovation, Ulysse Nardin was able to execute the integration of a double tourbillon and a seconds display into the architecture of the Freak.
The minute bridge (composed of 327 components) presents two titanium flying tourbillons, each inclined at 10 degrees and rotating in opposite directions, completing one revolution every 60 seconds, while the flying carousel turns once per hour. Powering two tourbillons demands far more energy than a conventional display, made possible by Ulysse Nardin’s patented Grinder system.
An honorable mention goes to the world’s smallest differential, measuring just 5mm and containing 69 components, including eight ceramic ball bearings manufactured with micron-level precision. This miniature mechanism plays a critical role in the watch’s performance, averaging the rate of the two inclined tourbillons while also transmitting energy to the new patented gimbal system.
Without this mechanism, differences between the regulators would cause the watch to gain or lose time. By synchronizing their performance and regulating energy distribution, it guarantees precision, stability, and reliability.
Housing this intricate, pristinely finished mechanical marvel that takes 60 hours of hands-on work to construct, followed by five days of testing to validate its chronometric performance, is a 44mm white gold case.
For reference, this is just ever so slightly more compact than the 45mm case of the Freak S, which previously held the title of the most complicated time-only watch. Topping it all off, you have a grey rubber ballistic strap with white stitches secured by a white-gold deployant buckle.
Pricing & Availability
Sure, she’s complex, but she’s worth it. The Super Freak is a highly limited edition of just 50 pieces, and she carries a lofty price tag of $361,600.
For more information, head over to the Ulysse Nardin website.