The entire Ulysse Nardin Freak collection bring fresh to the world of horological timepieces. Watches that are unlike most, featuring unusual tourbillons and equipped with a movement that in its entirety is basically the minute hand. These highly identifiable features are what the brand has used to define the collection and now they are introducing four new watches in the Freak Out collection.
The brand is working to grow the audience for this collection and so the cases are done with titanium instead of the precious metals used in the other previous timepieces. The overall design of this timepiece was taken from the Innovision 2 with a large 45mm case, but lightweight because of the titanium. When you first look at the design you will notice there is no crown, and might question how you adjust or wind the movement. Quite impressive, the Ulysse Nardin Freak Out watch situates a small lock sitting in between the lugs around 6 o’clock that will release the bezel that then allows you to adjust the time. Then to wind the movement you simply twist the entire caseback.
The great aspect of the collection is as we discussed in the beginning, the baguette-style movement that doubles as the minute hand. This movement is located within the in-house Caliber UN-205. Hand wound and equipped with a power reserve of 7 days the watch would not be a part of this collection if it didn’t feature silicon components as well as the UN-205 features the brands new Anchor Escapement. This amazing new escapement replaces the traditional anchor and anchor wheel with two silicon impulse wheels and blades along with a silicon hairspring that beats smoothly at 4Hz.
There are four of these new timepieces within the Ulysse Nardin Freak Out collection. The Full Black is the sportiest of the four, crafted with a full black PVD treatment for the case and dial. The Arabic markers and movement are done in silver, extremely striking, easily readable and quite an exquisite piece. Not so understated is the Black Gold timepiece, designed with a raw titanium color case and a gold gear train for the movement. For those folks looking for just a hint more color, there is the Out of the Blue, featuring the same raw titanium case, but showcased with a rich blue dial and silver gear train. The final piece of the collection is the Blue Gold, sharing that same raw titanium color case, and the rich blue dial as the other piece, but with a gold gear train for the movement.
Each of the pieces is elegant in its own way, allowing for a personality of their own, with each of the four Ulysse Nardin Freak Out models finished with a matching color sailcloth strap and folding buckle. The brand continues as a leader of high-end horological pieces and by opening these pieces to a larger audience but not sacrificing characteristics of the collection they have elevated themselves once again. Remarkable brand, remarkable timepieces, and a collection that will be truly remarkable.
