Ulysse Nardin Freak [ONE OPS]

When it was introduced in 2001, the Freak did more than simply shift expectations of Ulysse Nardin watches: it created a new paradigm in Swiss fine watchmaking.

Mechanical watches coming out of Switzerland at the time had hands that showed the time, a dial for them to sit on, and a crown set into the case flank to adjust them. But the Freak had none of these. With no dial, no hands and no crown, it re-set the industry’s mindset. Could unconventional watch design, backed by huge advances in mechanical movement creation, catch the eye of 21st century watch buyers?

You bet it could.

In the two decades since the Freak first appeared, it’s become a cornerstone of high-end contemporary watchmaking. Technologies it pioneered, chiefly in the use of high-tech silicon to mitigate the stresses placed on some of the watch’s moving parts, have defined industry norms. It may have sat outside the Swiss watchmaking comfort zone back then, but where the Freak went, everyone else followed.