Just when you think things can’t get any freakier at Ulysse Nardin, the brand debuts a new piece that may just be the most complex time-only watch on Earth.
When modern watch brands start talking about “pushing the envelope”, “defying convention”, and “groundbreaking innovation”, it’s my humble opinion that they’re following in the footsteps of the Ulysse Nardin Freak. Born exactly 25 years ago, the Freak took every known quantity of a timepiece and effectively threw it in the bin. Thanks to the efforts of Rolf Schnyder, Ludwig Oechslin, and Carole Forestier-Kasapi, the Freak was unlike any watch that had ever been produced: no crown, no hands, no dial, and the use of silicon in the escapement.
Yet it managed not only to challenge the haute horlogerie world, but also to inform the innovations of other brands moving forward. So now, a quarter of a century on, how do you innovate further on the defining watch of the modern generation? Released as a limited run of 50 pieces, the Super Freak is Ulysse Nardin’s answer to that question. And innovate it, they have.
The Final Boss Of Freaks
The new Super Freak, other than sharing a name with the Super Freak, measures 44mm in diameter with a thickness of 16.52mm. While that sounds intimidating at first glance, Ulysse Nardin states that the case architecture makes the perceived thickness closer to 12mm.
It’s also important to note that the Freak collection has always been loud and proud, and looking through the catalogue for something subtle and understated is a contradiction. Further reinforcing the titanic silhouette is the use of 18k white gold. While it may look like standard steel in photos, the white gold’s palladium content gives it a higher lustre and additional weight.
The wrist presence of the Super Freak is tempered by a grey ballistic-textured rubber strap with white stitching, secured by a white gold deployant clasp. Despite its bold presence, the refined proportions and improved ergonomics make it more wearable than previous iterations, offering a surprisingly balanced experience for such a large, complex timepiece.
Space-Age Horology
While this new watch is a Freak by lineage, the Super Freak takes the original DNA and pushes it to new extremes. As always, there is no dial, crown, or hands; the movement takes centre stage, constructed across several different planes. The winding components of the movement are separated from the carousel by way of a blue disc made of Nanosital, a polycrystalline material created through the controlled crystallisation of glass.
Coloured in a rich blue, Nanosital is far harder and offers greater transparency than standard glass. This disc rotates once every 12 hours, with the hour indicator mounted on top, each hour displayed on a separate track with printed Arabic numerals on a sapphire halo.
The central bridge of the movement, complete with two 10°-inclined flying tourbillons, rotates once every hour and serves as the minute indication. The Super Freak takes this even further by introducing a Ulysse Nardin first: a seconds indicator, located just below the minute “hand”.
Despite the borderline overstimulation at play, the brand still manages to elicit a sense of balance and cohesiveness from the Super Freak. It’s a design that is equal parts traditional haute horlogerie and wacky science experiment, just as the Freak was intended to be.
Step On The Carousel
While you don’t have to turn the watch around to see the movement, you can find more of it through the transparent caseback. Either way, the core of the watch is the UN-252, a hyper-complex movement comprised of 511 components. Constructed mainly out of titanium, this incredible movement contains several iconic innovations from the past 25 years.
As mentioned, it features two 10°-inclined flying tourbillons, both beating at 2.5Hz (18,000VpH). The tourbillons counteract gravity’s effect on the accuracy of the movement, further enhanced by their opposing rotations. They’re kept stable by a minuscule differential, just 5mm in diameter, ensuring optimum performance at all times.
To add the seconds display, Ulysse Nardin also patented one of the smallest gimbals to properly transfer energy to the off-axis seconds barrel. The emblematic DIAMonSIL escapements also return in the Super Freak, offering superior resistance to magnetism and shock. Finally, the entire watch is wound by the Grinder automatic winding system, delivering a total power reserve of 72 hours.
But without a crown, how are you supposed to wind and set it manually? That’s the fun part. Like the Freaks of old, the Super Freak uses the bezel to set the time and the caseback to wind the watch. It’s an outlandish feature seen only at Ulysse Nardin, and one that brings the Super Freak full circle, from hyper horology to passionate tribute.
Initial Thoughts
I’ll always jump at the opportunity to write about the Ulysse Nardin Freak. Not only is it one of my favourite watches of all time, but we also share the same birth year. That said, when I signed on to write about the Super Freak, I had no idea what I was getting into.
Though I considered myself to be, at the very least, conversational regarding the technicalities of the Freak, the Super Freak demonstrated just how out of my depth I truly was. And that’s why I love it so much. Despite knowing a majority of what there is to know about this incredible collection, I still find myself getting lost in the complexities of the Freak line time and time again.
Some might call it insanity, but I call it a learning experience. Thus, the Super Freak stands as one of the most spectacular and intricate watches presented at the world’s biggest watch fair. If you’re a seasoned watch enthusiast with the desire to learn more, I’d suggest studying this. You’ll have fun for hours.
Reference: 2520-500LE-3A-BLUE/3A
Specifications:
| Dimensions | 44mm case diameter x 16.54mm thickness |
| Case | 18k white gold |
| Dial | Openworked with titanium bridges & blue Nanosital |
| Crystal | Sapphire |
| Caseback | Open sapphire |
| Movement | Automatic Cal. UN-252 flying carousel movement with two 10°-inclined flying tourbillons, DIAMonSIL escapements, Grinder winding system, hour & minute indicators, |
| Power Reserve | 72h |
| Beat Rate | 2x 2.5Hz / 2 x 18,000VpH |
| Water Resistance | 30m / 3bar |
| Strap/Bracelet | Grey rubber ballistic strap with white gold pin buckle |