We know what to expect when we hear about a new release from Ulysse Nardin and it's not going to be a neat 36mm steel tool watch. Every year, we see the Freak evolve into something more and more outlandish, and this year, Ulysse Nardin takes us into outer space.
For Watches and Wonders Geneva 2024, Manufacture Ulysse Nardin has unsurprisingly given us the next chapter in the story of Freak in the form of the ultra-complex Freak S Nomad. This edition is limited to 99 units and is designed to mimic a sci-fi spaceship. It follows previous Freak designs by being thoroughly unconventional and challenging the very nature of watchmaking, without hands or a dial as we recognise.
The overall mechanical look comes from the exposed Calibre UN-251 movement, which has a flying carousel rotating around its axis. It features two "launch pad" oscillators with silicon balance wheels inclined at 20 degrees and escapements treated with high-tech DIAMonSIL for added precision and durability. Winding is undertaken by Ulysse Nardin's innovative Grinder® (!) winding system, which they claim is twice as efficient as a traditional automatic system.
Ulysse Nardin FREAK S NOMAD. Credit: Ulysse Nardin.
The movement's bridges are coated in anthracite PVD, and, as with other Freaks, it has an incredible 373 components and 33 jewels.
A 45-mm case surrounds it, combining a futuristic mix of materials such as titanium for the main body, an anthracite PVD-coated titanium bezel, and carbon fibre flanks that serve as the watch's lugs. Straps are anthracite rubber 'ballistic' or matt anthracite alligator.
The watch does not have an actual dial or hands. This sounds odd, but for a Freak, it is normal. The Freak S Nomad indicates the minutes via a pointer set into the one-hour orbital flying carousel and the hours via a pointer set on a rotating hour disc that sits under the movement.
The rotating hour disc behind the Freak S Nomad's flying carousel is hand-finished with a diamond guilloché pattern and coated with a sand-coloured CVD.
Ulysse Nardin FREAK S NOMAD. Credit: Ulysse Nardin.
Conclusion
Ulysse Nardin does what it does best with the 2024 FREAK S NOMAD. It represents an unbridled design with technical marvels. Interestingly, it seems also to be the complete antithesis of watches we would have seen at the British Watch and Clock Makers Day earlier this year in London. There is something wholly outlandish about this spaceship-inspired watch, which bears little resemblance to any conventional manufacturing technique. As you would expect, it's not cheap at £130,510, but given the sheer work and imagination in it, that doesn't seem too bad.
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
MOVEMENT - Caliber UN-251 Manufacture, automatic movement, hours, minutes, flying carousel movement rotating around its own axis, two 20-degree-inclined oversized oscillators with silicon balance wheels, DIAMonSIL escapements, vertical differential with ball bearings, Grinder® automatic winding system, blades technology. 373 components, 33 jewels. Frequency 2 x 2.5 hz, oscillations 2 x 18'000 vph. Power reserve of 72 hours.
CASE - Titanium case and locker, anthracite PVD-coated titanium bezel, carbon fibre side plates anthracite PVD-coated titanium case back with open sapphire with perceived height 13.66 mm, overall height 16.65 mm, diameter 45mm.
WATER RESISTANCE - 30 meters (although you would never take this near water)
