Ulysse Nardin is making a mighty splash at Bondi Beach’s iconic Icebergs swimming pool on May 25, 2023. The Swiss watchmaker, in an exclusive partnership with The Hour Glass, has chosen the Australian seaside and its Icebergs Pool as the location to celebrate the latest addition to its iconic Freak collection, the Freak ONE. First unveiled at Watches and Wonders in Geneva in March 2023, the Freak ONE will be available through Ulysse Nardin’s exclusive partnership with The Hour Glass.
The first Freak of 2001 was an unlikely iconoclast: a wild creation in a land of convention and conservatism. Because it had no dial, no hands, and no crown, there was only one name for it: Freak.
The Freak changed the perspective on watchmaking: it marked the first instance that a movement was deconstructed to express time on its own. The Freak was also the first wristwatch to incorporate a natural escapement with silicon parts, thereby ushering in the age of silicon in watchmaking.
Freak ONE is the quintessence of Freak: as the direct descendent of the original Freak 2001, it features its three signature characteristics: no crown, no hands, and no dial. Movement is king as it tells time.
The most thrilling element of the new Freak ONE is the oversized and highly complex, aerodynamic, and inertia-optimized balance wheel crafted entirely from one piece of silicon, and a lever escapement executed in DIAMonSIL (a patented form of diamond-coated silicon). This is the result of Ulysse Nardin’s unrivalled expertise in silicon technology and represents the single most advanced oscillator in the watch industry.
The Freak ONE is also the first Freak with an integrated rubber strap, made of 30 percent recycled rubber from production waste by BIWI, a local Swiss Jura based rubber straps manufacturer. It becomes Ulysse Nardin’s flagship watch and the Manufacture’s center of gravity as it defines its new independence.
The Freak has always been ahead of its time, appealing to explorers and collectors with a taste for the avant-garde. More than twenty years later, the Freak ONE writes a new episode merging perfectly with the marine environment, dear to the history of Ulysse Nardin.
With this launch Down Under, the iconic timepiece meets its aquatic equivalent, at the Icebergs Pool in Sydney. First opened in 1929, the unheated pool – practically in the ocean – is naturally filled and refilled with seawater (hence the name “Icebergs”, called so for its cool temperature). Its name derives from the waves that periodically crash into it from the beach directly below, thrilling swimmers. The Icebergs Pool was a natural choice for Ulysse Nardin as it also echoes its commitment to protecting the Ocean.
With the support of The Hour Glass, Ulysse Nardin is thrilled to present its newest addition to the iconic Freak collection in such an unconventional and iconic place. “Since 1846, Ulysse Nardin built its unique reputation as the unrivalled supplier for Marine instruments across oceans. Since then, it revolutionized watchmaking by carrying cutting edge technologies into fine watchmaking with silicon regulating organs in the Freak collection. We are absolutely delighted to be able to present this timepiece in such an emblematic location. The first global Freak event post Watches & Wonders and a premiere for Ulysse Nardin in Australia!” says Patrick Pruniaux, CEO of Ulysse Nardin.
In its relentless quest for groundbreaking innovation, the well-established Swiss Manufacture allows Freak to write a new chapter in the watchmaking history.
It’s now time to get ready to dive into Freak!
ABOUT ULYSSE NARDIN – MANUFACTURE OF FREEDOM
Ulysse Nardin is the independent Manufacture producing advanced timepieces for explorers in pursuit of freedom.
Founded by Mr. Ulysse Nardin in 1846, the company owes its reputation to its links with the sea: its onboard marine chronometers are among the most award-winning and reliable ever designed.
A pioneer in innovative technologies and the use of high-tech materials such as silicium, Ulysse Nardin is one of the few integrated manufactures with the in-house expertise to produce its own high-precision components and movements. In 2001, the Maison changed the face of contemporary watchmaking by launching the first Freak.
Today, in the Swiss towns of Le Locle and La Chaux-de-Fonds, Ulysse Nardin remains devoted to its quest for watchmaking perfection in four collections: Freak, Blast, Diver and Marine.
As of 2022, Ulysse Nardin and sister Maison Girard-Perregaux have formed an independent collective of high horology Manufactures.
ABOUT THE HOUR GLASS
At The Hour Glass, our mission is to advance watch culture. Known for our thoughtfully curated selection of brands, a passion for designing uniquely immersive retail experiences and our team of highly knowledgeable watch specialists, we strive to become the primary port of call for all watch enthusiasts and collectors alike.
Everyday across our combined network of 50 boutiques in the Asia Pacific region, we are poised to further your appreciation of watches and ready to guide you in your hunt for a superlative timepiece.