It was only last year that Swiss watchmaker Ulysse Nardin unveiled their bold new engineering feat known as the Freak Vision.
It was a truly unique timepiece which heralded the first automatic movement to ever be implemented into the Freak collection complete with silicon components, but there was just one problem – the cost of innovation came in at an eye-watering AU$137,600 a piece.
One year on and we have the latest Freak X, a brand new model which borrows the blueprint of the Freak Vision and packs it neatly into a slightly more affordable package.
The defining feature of the Freak X is its unconventional tourbillon movement which utilises the escapement as part of the display. Ulysee Nardin call this the “baguette” movement which is essentially a carousel which turns once on itself every sixty minutes to indicate the hour. The central bridge acts as the minute hand.
The revised watch also now features a crown for time adjustment as opposed to last year’s Vision which relied on the bezel to set time.
In a nutshell, the Freak X is simpler, cleaner and bolder thanks to the omission of traditional hands, a dial and a smaller casing.
Ulysse Nardin will offer four variants of the model: a full titanium with PVD finish, a titanium with black DLC finish, a rose gold-titanium with black DLC finish and a Carbonium (carbon) matte finish paired with titanium with black DLC.
Specifications
Case: 43mm in titanium, titanium with PVD finish, rose gold, or matte-finish Carbonium
Dial Color: Black
Functions: Hours, minutes
Power reserve: 72 hours
Water Resistance: 50 meters
Strap: Calfskin or alligator strap
Australian Pricing
Freak X Ti Blue : $31,050 AUD
Freak X Ti Black : $31,050 AUD
Freak X Rose Gold : $44,350 AUD
Freak X Carbonium : $35,500 AUD