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The Freak universe is ever widening and ever wilder. A new quartet of Freak Out timepieces is on the Ulysse Nardin launch pad, ready to rocket Team Freak out into the great unknown. Get your Freak on!
Fasten your seatbelts: the Freak is no longer a single timepiece. It’s an entire collection! After the FREAK VISION launch at SIHH 2018 and the new FREAK VISION CORAL BAY, four new FREAK OUT timepieces, each armed with the in-house manual-wind caliber UN-205, are now joining the most maverick collection in Haute Horlogerie. All the game-changing Freak Out oddities are in place: no crown, dial or hands, a “flying carousel” tourbillon (the baguette movement rotates on its own axis) and super-light silicium technology.
Freak architecture replaces traditional anchor and anchor wheel with two silicium impulse wheels in the center. Both wheels have 18 engaging teeth, each activating an alternator that transmits its energy to the balance staff — first in one direction, then the other. Requiring no lubrication, the structure ensures that force is always released in the direction of the balance rotation, thereby minimizing friction. The silicium hairspring beats at 28,800 vibrations per hour (4 Hertz) and is only very slightly disturbed. The amount of disturbance is reduced to a minimum thanks to the low lift angle.
Located between the lugs above the lower strap, a small lock is used to liberate the rotating bezel. This simply and precisely adjusts the hours and minutes when turned in either direction. The barrel, which offers a 7-day power reserve, is wound using the rear caseback bezel mounted on ball bearings.
Unlike the earlier Freak Cruiser model in gold, the new FREAK OUT collection is forged from titanium, opening the Freak universe to a wider audience. Also new is the restyled case and bezel—borrowed from the Ulysse Nardin InnoVision 2 Concept Watch—and the matching bar tack loop stitchings on the sailcloth straps.
Meet the new Freak Out Quartet:
ULYSSE NARDIN FREAK OUT FULL BLACK
The Freak Collection’s sportiest model to date, and the first with a full black PVD surface treatment. Hyper-masculine, with red stitching on the black sailcloth strap, and a gear-train bridge in silver.
ULYSSE NARDIN FREAK OUT BLACK GOLD
Black out freaky with a gold gear train and gold stitches for a more elegant look, at once sporty and chic.
ULYSSE NARDIN FREAK OUT OF THE BLUE
In iconic Ulysse Nardin blue, a homage to the Manufacture’s deep historical links to the nautical realm, with silver strap stitches and a silver gear-train bridge.
ULYSSE NARDIN FREAK OUT BLUE GOLD
UN marine blue matched with the rich luster of gold on the bridge and stitches. Urban, sporty, ready for business.
About Ulysse Nardin – Artisans of individuality
Founded by Mr. Ulysse Nardin in 1846 and a proud member of the global luxury group Kering since November 2014, Ulysse Nardin has written some of the finest chapters in the history of Haute Horlogerie. The company’s earliest renown came from its links to the nautical world: its marine chronometers are among the most reliable ever made, still sought by collectors around the world. A pioneer of cutting-edge technologies and the innovative use of materials like silicium, the brand is one of the few with the in-house expertise to produce its own high-precision components and movements. This exceptional level of watchmaking excellence has earned Ulysse Nardin membership in the most exclusive circle of Swiss watchmaking, the Fondation de la Haute Horlogerie. Today, from its sites in Le Locle and La Chaux-de-Fonds in Switzerland, the brand’s continuing quest for horological perfection centers around five collections: the Marine, the Diver, the Classic, the Executive and the Freak. www.ulysse-nardin.com
