Geneva Watch Days 2025 has just gotten Freakier! This is thanks to Ulysse Nardin, who have just debuted this incredible new Freak X constructed with a dial of crystallised ruthenium!
Since their foundation nearly 180 years ago, the Le Locle-based brand Ulysse Nardin has made it their mission to push watchmaking as far forward as possible. Building on their popularity as makers of precise timing instruments for navies and scientists alike, they have expanded and evolved massively. While still firmly committed to their pursuit of perfect timing, they have since embraced unapologetic design, technical mastery, and innovations once thought to belong only to the realm of horological fiction.
Perhaps no watch embodies this restless spirit more than the Freak. First released in 2001 with no crown, no hands, and no dial, the Freak still told the time with no problem. It marked the beginning of a new era in modern horology—an age driven by mechanical ingenuity and creative independence. That spirit continues to this day, with the release of the Freak [ONE] in 2023 earning the brand the ‘Most Iconic Watch’ prize at the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG), cementing the piece’s legacy in the horological zeitgeist.
Related Reading: The Legacy Of Iconic Watch Designs – Ulysse Nardin Freak
The story doesn’t begin and end there, however, as Ulysse Nardin has continued to modernise and revolutionise the Freak model — an impossible task for most, unless it happens to be your specialty. In 2019, the brand released the Freak X, a take on the fabled collection that saw the return of the crown for operational convenience and mainstream familiarity. Not only that, it also marked the first Freak edition to become a constant within the Ulysse Nardin lineup, with countless iterations since its conception. This new piece from the brand, however, has been built to celebrate more than just the standard. Limited to just 50 pieces, Ulysse Nardin’s grand showing for Geneva Watch Days 2025 demonstrates their enduring commitment to craftsmanship and bold experimentation.
So, enter the Ulysse Nardin Freak X Crystalium — a new Freak with no equal. Within this watch lies Ulysse Nardin’s expanding legacy as they begin to explore the realm of high-tech decorative artistry. The first steps will feel familiar to those who know the iconic brand: this new reference still utilises the same case dimensions and materials as its siblings in the Freak X roster. That means you still get the 43 mm wide, 49.1 mm long, and 13.7 mm thick case, making it one of the slimmer and more ‘modest’ versions of the Freak to date. But if ‘modest’ is the operative word, we all know that a watch named the Freak is anything but. The Freak X Crystalium wears surprisingly well on the wrist, enhanced by its black DLC titanium case. The combined ‘black illusion’ of a smaller profile and the lightness of titanium make for an easy yet otherworldly wearing experience.
Of course, that’s only two thirds of the story. The black case construction also provides a dramatic contrast to the star of the show: a dial made entirely from the eponymous Crystalium. At its core lies ruthenium, a platinum-group metal known for its strength and shine, and ten times rarer than standard platinum. Over several days, it undergoes a slow, controlled vapour-deposition crystallisation process, akin to frost forming on glass. Though it took Ulysse Nardin years to perfect, they have at last found the ideal result: natural, fractal-like crystal structures — microscopically complex and impossible to duplicate. This makes each disc a one-off, a singular creation never to be replicated. Finally, the Crystalium is treated with a warm rose-gold PVD finish and subtle black shading, hand-applied with fine varnish to deepen the contrast and accentuate the play of light.
But a Freak without the movement isn’t a Freak — nor even a watch, since the movement itself is used to tell the time in lieu of hands — so Ulysse Nardin has ensured that this new rendition carries the same horological pedigree as its peers. At the heart of the watch lies the automatic calibre UN-230, featuring the brand’s famous flying carousel movement. Beating at 3 Hz (21,600 vph) with a 72-hour power reserve, the movement is suspended by a bridge that doubles as the minute hand, completing a full rotation every hour. Meanwhile, the hour disc below is made entirely of Crystalium, fitted with a pointer positioned beneath the movement that performs the same rotation as a conventional hour hand. Alongside a SIGATEC-developed silicon balance wheel and the Grinder automatic winding system, the Freak X Crystalium ensures that its mechanical refinements are every bit as dizzying and hypnotic as the Freak itself.
My Thoughts
Having dived deep into the iceberg that is the watch industry, I’ve had the privilege of being exposed to countless brilliant brands. Yet this honour is also something of a double-edged sword for my own interests: how am I supposed to stay enthusiastic about one watch or brand when another, equally amazing peer is always just around the corner? As a result, there are only a scant few brands I allow to live in my head rent-free — and Ulysse Nardin is one of them.
Related Reading: Introducing The Insane Ulysse Nardin Blast [FREE WHEEL MAILLECHORT]
Something about the brand has always spoken to me in a way that very few others do. Even beyond the Freak line — with the elegant Marine collection and the absolutely outrageous Blast [Free Wheel Maillechort] released not too long ago — Ulysse Nardin has consistently hit that design-and-technique-driven sweet spot for me. Narrowing the focus to the Freak line, though, there’s no doubt that the Freak X Crystalium’s unveiling at Geneva Watch Days 2025 has made a fun yet serious statement of intent from the brand. No longer content with technical mastery alone, they are now gunning for a new wave of artistic and experimental mastery as well.
References: 2303-270-4A/3A (Rubber Strap) / 2303-270-4A/1A (Alligator Strap)
Specifications:
- Dimensions: 43mm case diameter x 49.1mm lug-to-lug x 13.7mm thickness
- Case Material: Black DLC titanium
- Dial: Crystalium (crystallised ruthenium) with rose gold PVD & black varnish accents
- Movement: Automatic Cal. UN-230 flying carousel with SIGATEC escapement
- Power Reserve: 72h
- Beat Rate: 3Hz (21,600VpH)
- Water Resistance: 50m (5bar)
- Strap: Black textured rubber / black alligator strap with black ceramic & black DLC titanium folding buckle