Review of the Ulysse Nardin Freak S

April 10, 2024

It's hard to overstate how much of an impact the Freak had when it was introduced in 2001, with an emphasis on high-tech silicon and a lack of conventional hands or dial. The new Freak S "Nomad" takes its place in that same linage, with a mix of futuristic carbon fiber and titanium on the case and 18th-century handcraft with a guilloch hour plate in sand-colored CVD, giving a mix of past and future in one impressive watch. The new Freak S "Nomad" has the iconic "Freak" display, with a large central flying carousel rotating around its axis and acting as the minute hand while the guillochd hour disc rotates underneath. That flying carousel features a double oscillator with silicon balance wheels and escapements coated in DIAMonSIL, an ultra-high-tech form of diamond-coated silicon for precision and durability. This is all placed inside a lightweight titanium case with an anthracite PVD-coated titanium bezel, which is used to set the time (after the bezel is unlocked by the titanium locker at 6 o'clock). The case flanks are made of carbon fiber, which is shaped to become the watch's lugs. The watch, with its automatic "Grinder" system, measures 45mm and should be about 13.7mm, judging by the past release of the Freak S. There's really nothing else out there like the Freak, and the new Freak S "Nomad" runs $148,300 and is limited to 99 pieces. What We Think Last year, the folks at Ulysse Nardin took me on a historical tour of the evolution of the Freak. Twenty-three years on and the watch is still incredibly futuristic and impressive, but it's hard to imagine the reaction when it was first released. However, one of the double-edged swords is that the design is so refined that even with developments and aesthetic changes, it can be easy to recognize a Freak from a glance and dismiss it as something you've seen before. How much really changed? In this case, it seems like the watch is, at its core, a Freak S like we covered when it was introduced in 2022, but with some updates to the design language. To be fair, that's not a bad thing with a fascinating watch like the Freak.? The original Freak S probably deserved more attention than it got, with a UN-251 caliber movement of the Freak S that had some bonkers features, like an inclined double oscillator and a vertical differential. The more muted colors from the case C titanium case, anthracite PVD-coated titanium bezel, and carbon fiber flanks and lugs C and the sand guilloch pattern on the hour disc go together much better with the futuristic design than the past run of gold Freaks. The flying carousel/minute is also a mean-looking anthracite PVD. Still, it looks more legible in the provided pictures than in past releases, though maybe not so much as the Freak X. Unfortunately, there are no photos of the watch being worn, but I'll check out the new Freak S Nomad in person in a few days, so I'll let you know what it looks like. The Basics Brand: Ulysse NardinModel: Freak S "Nomad"Reference Number: 2513-500LE-4A-GUIDiameter: 45mmThickness: 13.70 mmCase Material: Titanium case and locker, anthracite PVD-coated titanium bezel, carbon fibre side plates, Anthracite PVD-coated titanium case back with open sapphireDial Color: No dial, Sand-coloured CVD with diamond-shaped guilloch hour discIndexes: Hour on the edge and minute on the bridgeLume: Anthracite PVD bridges with light blue Super-LumiNova?Water Resistance: 30 metersStrap/Bracelet: Grey rubber "ballistic" textured strap or grey openworked mat alligator leather strap with sand-colored calfskin leather inserts, both with titanium deployant buckle The Movement Caliber: Caliber UN-251 ManufactureFunctions: Hours, minutesPower Reserve: 72 hoursWinding: Grinder? automatic winding system, blades technologyFrequency: Oscillations 2 x 18'000 vphJewels: 33Chronometer Certified: NoAdditional Details: Flying carousel movement rotating around its own axis, Two 20-degree-inclined oversized oscillators with silicon balance wheels, DIAMonSIL escapements Pricing & Availability Price: $148,300Availability: ImmediatelyLimited Edition: Yes, 99 piecesFor more, click here. Shop this story For more watches from Ulysse Nardin, visit their website.