The Ulysse Nardin Freak ONE Navy Blue is a striking masterpiece, blending traditional craftsmanship with avant-garde innovation. It embraces the unique character of the Freak collection, eschewing the conventional watch elements like dials, hands, and crowns, in favor of a daring design language.
Design and Material
The 44mm case is crafted from titanium and coated with black DLC (Diamond-Like Carbon) for a sleek, satin-polished finish. It is paired with a bezel made of Carbonium®, an eco-friendly, high-strength material that Ulysse Nardin first introduced in 2019. The case is water-resistant to 30 meters, offering practical durability.
The watch features no dial or hands in the traditional sense. Instead, the movement itself indicates the time. The minutes are displayed via the tip of the flying carousel Calibre UN-240 Manufacture movement, while a rotating disc with a deep blue sunray pattern shows the hours. The use of silicon—both in the oversized oscillator and balance spring—enhances precision and adds to the visual drama, while the DiamonSil® coating on the escapement wheel and anchor offers greater resistance and durability.
Movement and Innovation
At the heart of the Freak ONE Navy Blue is Ulysse Nardin’s UN-240 automatic movement. This movement is equipped with the innovative Grinder® winding system, which efficiently charges the watch up to 90 hours of power reserve. The lack of a crown ensures a streamlined profile, with the setting mechanism cleverly integrated into the case back.
Aesthetic Appeal
In low-light conditions, the hour and minute indicators, along with the hour markers, are coated with Super-LumiNova® that glows blue, reinforcing the nautical theme of the watch. The rubber straps, composed of 30% recycled production waste, come in a navy-blue hue and are available in two variations—a ballistic textured strap or a two-tone blue and grey strap—secured by a black DLC-coated titanium deployant buckle.
Heritage and Iconoclasm
The Freak ONE Navy Blue pays homage to Ulysse Nardin’s legacy as a creator of some of the finest marine chronometers while continuing to push the boundaries of watchmaking with revolutionary materials and design concepts. With its rebellious spirit, this watch is both a nod to the past and a bold step into the future of Haute Horlogerie.
The Freak ONE Navy Blue is a rare piece, priced at CHF 63,300 (inclusive of 8.1% VAT) / 66’800 USD (VAT excluded) / 58’750 GBP (VAT included) / 67’500 EUR (21% VAT included) and stands as a tribute to Ulysse Nardin’s enduring vision of crafting timepieces for free-spirited collectors.