The Freak, first launched in 2001 completely changing the face of watchmaking, continues to push the boundaries. With no dial and no hands, the movement is king as it tells the time. Indeed, it was the first time that a movement was deconstructed to express time on its own. With the new Freak X Enamel Blue, Ulysse Nardin’s independent integrated manufacture merges ancient métiers d’art and cutting-edge technology. In-house know-how, maintained by Ulysse Nardin’s craftsmen, blends perfectly with The Haute Horlogerie.
The particularity of the new Freak is undoubtedly its enamel dial. A decorative technique perpetuated and
transmitted over generations of craftsmen; enamelling is today only used on watches produced by the most prestigious watchmakers. This technique is rare in all its process, considering the delicate work of the enamelled in all the gestures, from the preparation to the application of the enamel. As it requires talent, knowledge and experience, only very few craftsmen can master it.
The Manufacture of Donzé Cadrans in Le Locle, owned by Ulysse Nardin, preserves this excellence know-how. The dial of this novelty is first treated according to the guilloché technique. Thanks to the geometrical lines realized this first ancient technique applied gives a modern touch to the dial. Several layers of water-based enamel are then applied to this base. Indeed, the enamel is first crushed in a mortar with a pestle, and then water is added. Several layers of colour dry between them in the oven at a temperature of about 800 degrees and between each layer, only one minute of cooling is needed. Three to four layers of coloured enamel and at least five oven cycles are necessary before applying a final layer of translucent enamel, called «fondant». This layer is essential because the result of the process depends on it.
As the guardian of specialized enamelling techniques, Ulysse Nardin is once again playing a role in the past, present, and future of Haute Horlogerie. The expertise and mastery of ancient métiers d’art, such as enamel, meld with the Freak’s innovative and disruptive emblems and codes.
The Freak X Enamel Blue features an automatic movement, manual winding and setting via a crown. The UN-230 Manufacture movement is equipped with a flying carrousel that turns on itself once every hour to indicate the time. The balance wheels and escapement are in silicon, of which Ulysse Nardin is master since 2001. Featuring a grey titanium case and case back, it has a 72-hour power reserve and a diameter of 43 mm. For a price of CHF 38’000.- (1’435’000 THB), it is available in a blue alligator leather strap with white stitching and a titanium folding clasp.
In a limited and exclusive edition of 50 pieces, the Freak X Enamel Blue celebrates the 15th anniversary of PMT The Hour Glass in Thailand, an exclusive partner of Ulysse Nardin. “We sincerely value our partnership with Thailand’s most leading luxury watch retail group” says Patrick Pruniaux of Ulysse Nardin. “We truly heralded a new era in mechanical watchmaking, using silicon. Bringing enamel, an ancestral know-how, together with cutting-edge technology, was a real challenge, and the meticulous work done on the Freak X Enamel Blue is mind-blowing”.
The piece will be available through PMT The Hour Glass and its network in the entire region.
Ulysse Nardin Freak X Enamel Blue Technical Specifications
Reference 2303-270LE-3AE-THG/3A, 38’000 CHF / $40,100 / 1’435’000 THB
Movement and functions
- Caliber UN-230, automatic movement
- Hours, minutes
- Flying carrousel movement rotating around its own axis
- Oversized oscillator
- Balance wheel and Escapement in Silicium
- Index & bridges in white Superluminova
- Blue enamel on a guilloché hour disc (bottom of the movement)
- 206 Components / 21 Jewels
- Power reserve: 72
Case
- Grey titanium
- Diameter: 43 mm
- Case back: Sapphire crystal
- Water resistance: 50 m
Strap & Buckle
- Blue alligator leather strap with white stitching
- Titanium deployant buckle
MANUFACTURE OF FREEDOM
Ulysse Nardin is the Manufacture inspired by the Ocean, 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.
To underscore its commitment to its favourite environment, Ulysse Nardin is active in supporting the preservation of the Ocean, focusing on two major areas: encouraging upcycling to reduce marine plastic pollution and developing scientific knowledge concerning the preservation of the sharks, its emblem.
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: Marine, Diver, Blast and Freak.
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.