Ulysse Nardin Freak S Nomad with hand-guilloché dial
The Ulysse Nardin Freak S is one of the watches that most intrigued me in 2022. Perhaps the timing of this unfettered and futuristic design is perfect, two years after watch trade shows went digital, but it certainly suggests that the Freak’s time has come. The Freak’s novel dual vertical silicon balance system is a fascinating watchmaking feat, although it’s hard to look away from the cool monolithic movement/dial, which looks like a spaceship inside a case. Now, at Watches & Wonders 2024, Ulysse Nardin has unveiled the Freak S Nomad, which gives the watch a makeover that, in my opinion, is a much better fit for this style of watch.
The basic Freak S remains the same, with a 45mm case (water-resistant to 50m) and the UN-251 in-house movement, which indicates the time via a one-hour orbital flying wheel and the hours via a rotating disc with a hand underneath the movement. The aforementioned double balance wheel is positioned at 20° and runs at 2.5 Hz, designed to make the viewing experience more impactful. Naturally, there is no crown, as the time is set via a rotating bezel that activates when the “lock” at 6 o’clock is lifted. Not only is the UN-251 one of the coolest watch movements on the market, it also features an efficient “Grinder” automatic winding system that connects the rotor to a frame with four blades that transfer power from the slightest wrist movement to recharge the 72-hour power reserve.
While the original Freak S featured a black DLC-coated titanium and 18k rose gold case with an aventurine rotating hour disc and rose gold movement bridges/decorations, the Freak S Nomad features a dark grey PVD-coated titanium case with carbon fiber side plates. It also swaps all the gold finish on the movement for dark grey PVD, and perhaps the most potent design change is the addition of a sand-coloured CVD rotating hour disc, whose hand-crafted diamond guilloché pattern is accomplished using an 18th-century rose-turning engine without electronic or laser guidance.
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