FREAK ONE

THE FREAK THAT BRIDGES THE PAST TO THE FUTURE

FREAK ONE – Hyperwatch

This year, Ulysse Nardin introduces a new Freak that showcases the Freak’s most essential and celebrated designs and technological advances throughout the course of its 22-year history. It took a few learnings from the Freak Vision of 2018, namely a highly advanced silicon balance wheel and a Grinder® automatic winding system, and features shapely, open-worked bridges for the gear train inspired by the Freak Cruiser of 2013. But most importantly, its fundamental architecture remains true to the path-breaking original of 2001.

Although it relies on a traditional lever escapement, both the escape wheel and pallet fork have been fashioned from DIAMonSIL.

In fact, it represents the first time this configuration has been employed; the lever escapement in the Freak X, for instance, was executed in silicon. Hence, it not only avoids the primary flaw of the Swiss lever escapement, enabling it to operate virtually frictionlessly without the need for lubrication but is also endowed with greater strength and resilience to withstand the test of time.

It is paired with a lightweight but oversized balance wheel made of silicon. Notably, the Freak ONE has a frequency of 3Hz, which is slightly higher than that of the automatic Freak Vision and is also equipped with gold adjusting weights instead of nickel.

All things equal, a high-power balance wheel maintains more stable timekeeping as the balance is less susceptible to shocks caused by wrist motions. The gear train is held in place by lean and clean bridges in rose gold, offering maximum visual access to the parts while providing superb legibility.

As is characteristic of the Freak, the Freak ONE is on the large side at 44mm. But its black DLC titanium case and slim, tapered lugs make it eminently comfortable on the wrist. Its rose gold architectural bezel offers a high contrast, yet is pleasantly subdued by a satin-brushed finish. All told, it makes for an extremely compelling Freak that preserves the trailblazing construction of the original while offering the convenience of a mechanically superior automatic winding system in a lightweight and undeniably cool package.

Now into the 22nd year of the Freak, one thing that remains true is that there is nothing quite like it. By addressing every line of inquiry in modern watchmaking, be it aesthetic, technical, technological or conceptual and integrating them like never before, the Freak single-handedly launched an era of horological rebellion that altered the course of watchmaking forever. It is, indeed, quite the freak — a brilliant outlier that once tested the vanguard and now continues to push it. And in doing so, it has become the watch of choice for the trailblazers, risk-takers and free-thinkers of the world, for the bold of heart and spirit, and those unafraid to smash past boundaries and let their freak flag fly. In other words, it is a watch for the Freaks in all of us.

The Freak ONE is loaded with advanced technology, but it’s easy to use, durable and designed to be worn everyday

Bezel and locker

The Freak’s unconventional time-setting system is operated via the bezel. It is activated when the locker at 6 o’clock is lifted, releasing the setting system. Turning the bezel rotates the entire movement, which doubles as the watch’s hands. Pushing the locker back down fixes the bezel in place so the time-setting system cannot be disturbed.

Barrel cover

The black sunray-engraved barrel cover sits underneath the movement and doubles as the rotating hour disc. It makes a full rotation once every 12 hours, indicating the hour via a V-shaped pointer that is filled with Super-LumiNova® to aid low-light legibility

Minute bridge

The Freak’s distinctive minute bridge hovers under the sapphire crystal and carries the entire gear train, an oversized silicon oscillator and an orbital 60-minute flying carrousel tourbillon.
The escapement is treated with Ulysse Nardin’s patented DIAMonSIL coating.

TECHNICAL
CHARACTERISTICS

REFERENCE: 2405-500-2A/3D

MOVEMENT & FUNCTIONS

Caliber UN-240 Manufacture
Automatic movement, 90-hour power reserve
Hours, minutes
Flying carrousel movement rotating around its own axis
Silicon oversized oscillator and balance spring
DIAMonSIL treatment to escapement
Grinder® automatic winding system, blades technology
Rose-gold bridges 5N with Super-LumiNova®
Black engraved sunray pattern on the barrel cover
229 components, 15 jewels
Frequency 3 Hz, oscillations 21’600 V/H

CASE

44mm black DLC-coated titanium case with satin finish, rose
gold 5N bezel, black titanium case back with sapphire insert,
water-resistant to 30 m, height 12 mm

STRAP & BUCKLE

Black rubber ‘ballistic’ textured strap (2405-500-2A/3D)
Black matt alligator leather strap (2405-500-2A/3C)
Two-tone rubber strap (2405-500-2A/3A)
Black DLC-coated titanium deployant buckle
Rubber straps made of 30% recycled rubber from production
waste by BIWI, Switzerland