WATCHES & TIMEPIECES 29
When it was launched in 2001, the Freak redefined the rules of watchmaking. It was not just a new watch. It was a reset button. No hands. No dial. No crown. Instead, the Freak introduced a concept that had never been seen before: the movement itself telling the time. This first“ superwatch” did not just look different, it functioned differently and ushered in a new era: the Modern Horology Era.
Behind this new Age and radical innovation was the genius and visionary Dr. Ludwig Oechslin. It all began in the 1980s, when most of the industry was turning to quartz. But Ulysse Nardin, in collaboration with Oechslin, developed an Haute Horlogerie marvel, a mechanical wristwatch capable of mapping the night sky: the Astrolabium Galileo Galilei. This extraordinary timepiece, the most complicated watch ever made, earned a place in the Guinness World Records. A few years later, in 2001, the same spirit of innovation and independence gave rise to the Freak— the most complicated time-only watch ever created, and one of the most groundbreaking in horological history.
It was also the very first watch to introduce silicon technology— a move that would trigger a wave across the entire industry and open the door to a new age of high-performance, ultra-precise timekeeping. Since its debut, the Freak has obtained over 20 patents and sparked a movement in 21st
century horology. More than a breakthrough in engineering, the Freak is a symbol of creativity, mechanical advancement, and independence.
Introduced in 2019, the Freak X brought this maverick DNA into a streamlined form. For the first time, a crown was added for winding and setting the time. But its signature spirit remained: one-hour flying orbital carousel and a mechanical theatre. With the Freak [ X Crystalium ], Ulysse Nardin takes the next step, merging its pioneering mechanics with a whole new frontier of design: an innovative rotating hour disc, born from a high-tech process at the edge of material science.
FREAK [ X CRYSTALIUM ] DISRUPTIVE BY NATURE, REFINED BY CRAFT
At Ulysse Nardin, innovation goes beyond mechanics. It is also about how a watch feels, looks, and beats on the wrist. The Freak is the iconic ambassador of this mindset: a true manifesto of pushing the boundaries of innovation and technology.
ISSUE 73 2025 THE ART OF LUXURY