Introducing The New Ulysse Nardin Freak S Enamel

Since its debut in 2001, the Ulysse Nardin Freak has stood as a symbol of mechanical rebellion. The original Freak broke every rule by eliminating the dial, hands, and crown, allowing the movement itself to tell time. It was also the first watch to incorporate a silicon balance wheel.

More than two decades later, the Freak remains a canvas for the brand’s most daring ideas. The Freak S, launched in 2022, pushed boundaries even further with its twin inclined balance wheels and radical architecture, a design that later evolved into the Freak S Nomad and Freak S WOS editions. Today, the story takes a new turn with the Freak S Enamel, a model that revisits traditional craftsmanship through the art of flinqué enamel.

The watch is housed in a titanium case measuring 45 mm in diameter and 16.65 mm in thickness. The mix of brushed and polished finishes accentuates its technical contours, while the domed sapphire crystal ensures perfect visibility of the movement. As with all Freak models, the bezel is used to set the time, and the caseback is used for winding. Water resistance is rated at 30 meters.

The dial is available in either deep red or vibrant turquoise, with flinqué enamel discs set over an engine-turned guilloché base made from 18k white gold. Each base is hand-engraved with a radial pattern before being coated in layers of translucent enamel and fired several times at high temperatures to achieve its luminous depth.

Produced in-house by Donzé Cadrans, the enamel workshop acquired by Ulysse Nardin in 2011, these discs are not static decorations but part of the movement itself, rotating as the watch keeps time. A raised ring surrounding the guilloché plate creates the illusion of a larger central carousel, where a luminescent pointer indicates the minutes and the rotating disc beneath displays the hours.

Inside the watch beats the in-house Calibre UN-251, one of Ulysse Nardin’s most sophisticated mechanical achievements. This automatic movement features two 20-degree inclined silicon balance wheels connected by a vertical differential that harmonizes their oscillations. The system is powered by the Grinder automatic winding mechanism, which uses four pawls to efficiently capture even the slightest wrist movement. Operating at a frequency of 18,000 vph (2.5 Hz), the calibre offers a 72-hour power reserve.

The red enamel version is paired with a white ballistic rubber strap, while the turquoise model comes with a grey strap. Both are secured with a titanium folding clasp. Each variant is limited to 50 pieces and priced at CHF 153,000, approximately AED 705,200.

For more information, visit Ulysse Nardin’s official website.