Introducing the Ulysse Nardin Freak [X Crystalium]

Reading Time: 5 minutes

The Ulysse Nardin Freak [X Crystalium] is a horological marvel that weaves together technological virtuosity and artistic vision in a manner that is, at once, bold and poetic. As I explore this extraordinary timepiece, restricted to just 50 pieces worldwide, I am compelled to recall why the Freak collection has captivated the imagination of connoisseurs and dreamers since its inception. This new model, with its radical fusion of the avant-garde and classical watchmaking, celebrates not only Ulysse Nardin’s storied commitment to innovation but also the unique emotional resonance of independent creation.

Ulysse Nardin’s Freak X Crystalium stands as a clarion call to all those who believe watchmaking can, and must, transcend both its utilitarian origins and mere artistry. Since 2001, when the original Freak upended expectations by abolishing the dial, the crown, and the conventional hands, the family has been the birthplace of the “Modern Horology Era.” With this latest addition, the boundaries are redrawn yet again, as the maison introduces a calligraphic hour disc sculpted from Crystalium, radiant in rose gold and born from the rare earth depths of ruthenium. What awakens on the wrist is not only technical prowess, but a poetic interplay of light and shadow – ephemeral and yet eternal.

Ruthenium based dial

The use of ruthenium in dial craftsmanship traces its lineage to a handful of visionary manufactures keen to infuse rare metals into their design languages. Ruthenium, an enigmatic member of the platinum group, was initially lauded for its resilience and lustre; ten times rarer than platinum itself, it became the material of choice for those wishing to telegraph exclusivity and technical sophistication. Early ruthenium dials were typically solid or plated, providing deep grey or gunmetal hues that shimmered with understated luxury. However, the application of vapour deposition and crystallisation techniques elevated the artistry dramatically, allowing for fractal-like surfaces whose complexity could never be anticipated or replicated. In this new frontier, ruthenium is no longer a backdrop, but a protagonist, an expressive canvas for the play of natural light and the kinetic language of time. This material is no strange to Ulysse Nardin, the previous dial being created for the Freak S “Watches of Switzerland Centenary Exclusive”

The Crystalium disc at the heart of the Freak X Crystalium is the crystallisation of scientific and aesthetic exploration. For days, ruthenium is coaxed through a slow, controlled vapour deposition process, akin to frost etching itself on winter glass. What results is a disc suffused with natural, unpredictable fractal geometry, a terrain of microscopic peaks and valleys that catch and disperse light. Each disc is an individual, bearing a pattern never to be repeated.

Once the crystal forms are complete, a warm rose gold PVD treatment is applied, bathing the ruthenium in a sunset glow. The surface is further enlivened through the meticulous hand-application of black shading, which deepens the contrasts and heightens the textural play. Such interventions transform the dial into a living artistic object, by its nature impossible to duplicate. It is more than decoration—it is a synthesis of next-generation craftsmanship and raw visual drama.

The rotating hour disc itself operates with quiet authority, positioned beneath the orbital movement and functioning as the hour hand. Its rotation, taking twelve hours to complete, animates the passage of time with fluidity and grace. The absence of numerals and markers creates a stage for contemplation, inviting attention to the material narrative and the changing interplay of hues across the ruthenium terrain.

Technical prowess

Encased within the Freak X Crystalium is Ulysse Nardin’s calibre UN-230, a masterpiece of high horology endowed with 214 components and 21 jewels. This automatic movement, crafted entirely in-house, with the artistry of SIGATEC’s silicon laboratory, is engineered for both spectacle and soul. The movement’s flying carrousel architecture stages a mechanical theatre: the minute bridge, acting as the minute hand, suspends the silicon balance wheel and escapement in mid-air, completing a full rotation each hour.

Silicon, long a hallmark of the Freak, is employed for the escapement, hairspring, and balance wheel, elements that lend extraordinary resistance to magnetism and fatigue. The technical precision of silicon, coupled with its physical lightness and aesthetic transparency, reflects an era in which watchmaking’s pursuit of performance is indelibly linked to material science.

The calibre operates at a frequency of 3 Hz, with an oscillation rate of 21,600 vibrations per hour, a calmly beating heart that belies its complexity. Power is stored for 72 hours, granting the wearer both resilience and independence. The openworked automatic winding system is visible on the caseback, revealing the movement’s bones and sinews in all their engineered glory. Black varnish finishes accentuate the bridges, harmonising the internal drama with the watch’s external palette.

Light and suptle

The Freak X Crystalium is housed in a black DLC-coated titanium case, lean and resolute at 43 millimetres in diameter. Titanium’s molecular tenacity and low weight confer both comfort and durability, while the deep-black Diamond-Like Carbon coating provides a shield against scratches and a canvas for the interplay of dark and light. The matching bezel, sculpted with a precision worthy of the movement it protects, encircles the Crystalium dial without distraction.

Caseback and side-parts are also rendered in black DLC titanium, underscoring the watch’s unified architectural vision. Water resistance is rated to 50 metres, a symbolic assurance for daily wear. The watch’s tactile theatrics continue with a ballistic-textured black rubber strap, stitched in rose gold for visual contrast, or an alternative black alligator strap. At the buckle, black ceramic and DLC titanium echo the case’s material story.

Unconventional, pioneering

Ulysse Nardin’s Freak X Crystalium is an invitation to embrace the unknown, where daring technology and high art meet in the crucible of independent watchmaking. It is through such pieces that the maison, founded in 1846, asserts its role as both a disruptor and a poet, forever advancing beyond the boundaries that once confined horology.

In this watch, the crystalline beauty of ruthenium is not only a technical achievement but a romantic gesture, a promise that each revolution of the disc is a revolution of the imagination. The Freak X Crystalium is, in every detail, a fusion of legacy and lunacy, a statement that to pursue innovation is to chase the horizon in the dark, knowing that the outcome will always be something gloriously unpredictable. For those who seek not only a watch, but an adventure, the Ulysse Nardin Freak X Crystalium points the way.

Ulysse Nardin Freak [X Crystalium] Technical Specifications

Reference 2303-270-4A/3A / 2303-270-4A/1A – limited to 50 pieces 40’000 CHF (incl. 8.1% VAT) / 42’700 EUR (incl. 21% VAT) / 37,130 GBP (incl. 20% VAT)

Movement

• Calibre UN-230 Manufacture
• Automatic movement
• Hours, minutes
• Self-winding system
• Flying carrousel movement rotating around its own axis
• Silicon escapement, hairspring and balance wheel,
• crafted entirely in-house at our dedicated silicon lab, SIGATEC
• Black minute bridge with black varnish
• 214 components / 21 jewels
• Frequency 3 Hz, oscillations 21’600 V/H
• 72 hours poer reserve

Case

• Diameter: 43 mm
• Black DLC titanium case and side-parts
• Black DLC titanium bezel
• 50 m water resist
• Caseback:
  • Black DLC titanium case-back
  • Open worked automatic winding system

Dial

• Rose gold colored Crystalium with black shading hour disc
• Hour indicators in black with black varnish

Strap & Buckle

• Black rubber “ballistic” textured strap with rose gold stitches
• Black alligator strap with rose gold stitches
• Black ceramic and black DLC titanium folding buckle