More ingenious than unusual , it has been a true pioneer . It has broken down barriers and inspired dozens of watchmakers who understood that nothing was set in stone . Since then , watches have become a huge playground . Who am I ?
FREAK X AVENTURINE
We are in 2001 . Watchmaking still relies on the bases established 180 years previously , when Mr Lepine invented the structure of the movement that bears his name : a plate at the bottom , wheels and a barrel in the middle , bridges on top . Around 1845 , Adrien Philippe had invented the crown to replace the bulky keys . And then , Ulysse Nardin threw everything in the air and imagined the Freak ...!
Eighteen years later , in 2019 , Ulysse Nardin created the Freak X , with a very sleek carousel that had the advantage of retaining the spirit of exploration of the very first Freak . Freak X thus became the first Freak to be equipped with a winding crown on its right-hand side . In 2022 at Watches and Wonders , Ulysse Nardin is continuing its Vertical Odyssey , from the abysses to the cosmos , proposing a sparkling version of this Freak X with a blue aventurine decor : the Freak X Aventurine .
Like a fragment of a celestial vault , this galaxy of infinitely small and brilliant particles elegantly adorns the new Freak X . Its glittering effect can be admired , like that which sailors often observe on the surface of the Ocean in the dark of a full moon night . The surface of the sea always gives a clue to the secrets of its depths . Aventurine is an ideal material for beckoning us on a journey .
THE ART OF LUXURY Issue 52 2022