The Ulysse Nardin Super Freak watch will stun your soul.
The Ulysse Nardin Super Freak watch will stun your soul.
To celebrate the 25th anniversary of this iconic timepiece, a multitude of world firsts have emerged.
The turn of the century, 2000, marked a revival for the watchmaking industry. Major brands finally recovered from the quartz crisis of the 1970s and the somewhat bizarre transitional period of the 1980s and 90s. The new millennium signified a fresh start for watchmaking, ushering in the modern era—brands regained confidence, moved beyond convention, and embraced bolder innovation and experimentation in product creation.
Part of the impetus for this revival came from material innovation, and one pivotal moment laid the foundation for the subsequent surge of progress. In 2001, Ulysse Nardin launched the Freak watch, completely transforming the watchmaking landscape.
In terms of materials, the Freak was the first to use silicon in its movement, particularly in the escapement wheel. Despite initial controversy, this material is now a staple for almost all major watchmakers.
A Bizarre Story
However, the replica Freak watch is far more than just a materials experiment. It was an experiment in time display itself—without a traditional dial, hands, and crown. Instead, it uses a rotating carousel tourbillon to indicate the minutes, with the entire movement positioned above the dial, rotating once per hour.
The watch is timed by opening the lever at 6 o’clock and then rotating the bezel. Ulysse Nardin has once again set a world record.
This year marks the 25th anniversary of this milestone for the brand and the watchmaking industry. To celebrate this occasion, Ulysse Nardin has taken a classic timepiece to a whole new level with the Super Freak collection.
The Most Complicated Pure Time Display Watch Ever
The model’s tagline (the subheading of this section) is somewhat counterintuitive, but it’s not surprising for the creators of the Freak and now the Super Freak.
The historical charm of pure chronograph watches lies in their simplicity. Do we really need the most complicated pure chronograph watch ever? Of course not. But the watch world today doesn’t need much more. Even for basic timekeeping functions, we no longer need wristwatches. Yet, we still love, are fascinated by, and even obsessed with them. So why not design the most complex pure chronograph wristwatch ever? www.chronowrist.ru
With the Super Freak, Ulysse Nardin once again achieves several world firsts: an automatic double tourbillon (also functioning as a rotating tourbillon), the smallest gimbal system using a newly patented technology, and the smallest vertical differential. Indeed, the true highlight of the Freak watch has always been its movement.
This new in-house movement, UN-252, was independently created by a complicated watchmaker and comprises 511 parts. Its seven-plane structure creates a stunning three-dimensional effect, with 97.46% of the movement’s components in motion; only 13 of the 511 parts are fixed.
This new in-house movement, UN-252, was independently created by a complicated watchmaker and comprises 511 parts. Its seven-plane structure creates a stunning three-dimensional effect, with 97.46% of the movement’s components in motion; only 13 of the 511 parts are stationary.
The bridges (composed of 327 parts) house two titanium flying tourbillons, each tilted 10 degrees and rotating in opposite directions, completing one revolution every 60 seconds, while the flying disc rotates once per hour. The energy required to drive these two tourbillons far exceeds that of traditional displays, thanks to Ulysse Nardin’s patented grinding system.
Notably, this timepiece features the world’s smallest differential, measuring only 5 millimeters and composed of 69 parts, including eight ceramic ball bearings manufactured with micron-level precision. This micromechanical device plays a crucial role in the watch’s performance, evenly regulating the rotational speed of the two tilting tourbillons while simultaneously transferring energy to the newly patented gimbal system.
Without this mechanism, differences between the regulators would cause the watch to run too fast or too slow. By synchronizing the performance of the regulators and adjusting energy distribution, this mechanism ensures the watch’s accuracy, stability, and reliability. This exquisitely crafted mechanical marvel requires 60 hours of handcrafting followed by five days of testing to validate its chronograph performance. Its case is crafted from 44mm white gold.
For reference, this timepiece is slightly smaller than the 45mm case of the previous most complicated watch, the Freak S. It also features a grey rubber ballistic strap with white stitching and a white gold folding clasp. wholesale watches replica
