Take It Easy, Everyone — It’s Only The New Ulysse Nardin Freak One Navy Blue

Bow down. The Freak deserves your respect. In fact, the Freak is the mack daddy of everything we call Nouvelle Horlogerie. In 2001, a bizarre and unexpected watch appeared from the Ulysse Nardin atelier in Le Locle, and it shook the world of watchmaking on its very foundations. This world was not yet ready for an alien-like mechanical watch without hands, without a crown, and without a dial that told time. The men responsible for creating this abnormality were Ulysse Nardin’s visionary former CEO Rolf Schnyder and genius watchmaker Dr. Ludwig Oechslin. The movement of the Freak took center stage in a whole new way and blazed a trail for wild creations from experimental high-end watchmaking brands like MB&F, Urwerk, and HYT. The new Ulysse Nardin Freak One Navy Blue keeps the shocking concept alive.

Twenty-three years after the first-ever Freak, the Ulysse Nardin Freak One Navy Blue debuts. Even though we’ve had more than two decades to get used to the watch’s unique look and concept, it still looks “upsetting.” That’s because former Vatican clock restorer Dr. Ludwig Oechslin created such an original and unique movement concept that it continues to stand out. It starts with the mainspring barrel that rotates once every 12 hours. Oechslin then connected the barrel, providing a week (!) of power reserve, to a center pinion that drives the bridge featuring the gear train, escapement, hairspring, and balance around the perimeter of the case flange once every hour.

Understanding the Freak

How does the Freak display of the hour, you ask? The hour hand/marker is, in fact, a moving bridge on top of the barrel that makes a full rotation every 12 hours. The bridge keeps the arbor for the hour wheel in place, mounted on the barrel, and fixed against a rack on the periphery of the inside of the case. Oechslin’s construction also allowed him to remove the traditional crown and create a turning case back to wind the mainspring.

A final word on the movement’s construction before we dive into the new Ulysse Nardin Freak One Navy Blue is about the carousel tourbillon. There’s a debate among movement specialists and purists about whether the Freak uses a “real” tourbillon or something that is only one because of technicality. This is the technicality: the balance is housed in a revolving structure. Therefore, it qualifies as a tourbillon, although its tourbillon only fully rotates once per hour, unlike a traditional “whirlwind,” which rotates once every minute.

A denim-look Freak that will rock your world

Now it’s time to look at the latest Freak. There are three Freak families nowadays, all stemming from the original 2001 Freak but having evolved differently. The Freak X is the “budget” series with a crown, the Freak S series is the most complicated one with two balance wheels, and the Freak One is the direct evolution of the watch that started this outstanding watch family — you can find a variety of Freaks right here.

The Freak One Navy Blue (€67,500, including 21% VAT / US$66,800, excluding sales tax) is a black and blue creation ready to rock your double-denim world. The satin-polished and black DLC-treated titanium 44 × 13.5mm case has a 51.5mm lug-to-lug length and is outfitted with a forged Carbonium bezel.

There are two rubber straps to choose from. First, there’s the blue and black rubber “ballistic” textured strap you see on our review sample, and there’s another option made of blue and gray rubber. Both straps are made from 30% recycled production waste and come with a black DLC-coated titanium and black ceramic folding clasp.

In-your-face technicality

The ballistic strap matches the deep blue rotating sunray-pattern disc that marks the hours. But it’s the black mechanical ballet taking place in front of that navy background that hypnotizes you. I need to mention that from the start, the Freak was outfitted with another outstanding feature — a dual direct escapement. Monsieur Breguet invented it, but Dr. Oechslin restored these types of escapements as a clockmaker and managed to construct a dual escapement for the Freak. He did so by using silicon. The Freak was the first watch to have a movement part made from silicon. Oechslin wanted to use it because of the material’s lightweight and non-magnetic properties, corrosion resistance, and slippery nature — silicon needs almost no lubrication.

The manufacture caliber UN-240 also uses silicon, including the oversized oscillator and balance spring. The escapement wheel and anchor are made from DiamonSil, an evolution of silicon patented in 2009. DiamonSil features a plasma surface-treatment process combining silicon and synthetic diamond. The movement also contains Ulysse Nardin’s Grinder automatic winding system. This includes a central rotor on one ball bearing and with three smaller ball bearings underneath, linked to a four-armed frame. The Grinder winding system provides twice the torque of a mechanism with a standard winding rotor. Indeed, it can turn the smallest movement into energy for the barrel. But you can also turn the case back to wind the movement manually and top off its 90-hour power reserve. Doing so is an experience quite unlike anything else.

Wearing the Ulysse Nardin Freak One Navy Blue

The UN logo shows an anchor, a reminder of the brand’s history as the creator of marine chronometers. The Freak One Navy Blue’s oceanic color is a nod to the history at sea. Still, it is more likely to come across as a contemporary colorway that fits into an increasingly informal world where blue jeans dominate. On the wrist, the Freak One Navy Blue certainly dominates. Quite simply, that’s because it’s a big watch. While not too big and certainly not too heavy or awkwardly shaped, it’s better for occasional use, I dare say. This is probably not anyone’s daily beater. Freak buyers probably have more Freaks and other remarkable watches in their collections, so they can rotate them.

They might also want to put this Freak into the rotation because of its dual-deployant clasp. The construction is not the easiest to use or most comfortable to wear. It might look like a pin buckle, but it isn’t. But if you want something to look like a pin buckle, why not use one? That’s especially true when outfitting a watch with a rubber strap that can handle a pin without problems. All watch brands should reconsider the idea of folding clasp as a “luxurious “element. Is it really the best choice when using materials like rubber or when a watch has contemporary and/or high-tech looks?

A freakish mechanical symphony

The most eye-catching feature, however, is not the large case but, rather, the swinging black and blue balance wheel. And then there’s the sound the movement makes. The winding system with a single ball bearing and three underneath creates some sort of mechanical symphony. Maybe it’s because I’m into cycling and like the sound different types of freehubs make. In any case, I don’t mind the “voice” of the watch. It doesn’t sound as raw as a Sistem51. Rather, it’s much more layered and refined and acts as a techno soundtrack.

The watch’s pièce de résistance is the sculpted bezel in forged, marble-like Carbonium. By releasing the part that reads “FREAK” at 6 o’clock, the bezel unlocks, allowing the user to set the time. And when doing that, the whole movement starts moving much faster, which visually explains how the caliber works.

The way the outermost wheel of the gear train makes contact with the teeth on the flange is insightful and spectacular. Once you have tried it for yourself, you will never forget it. And next time you see a Freak in the metal, you will bow down to a watch that is as revolutionary and distinct today as it was 23 years ago. Respect the Ulysse Nardin Freak!

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