The story of Ulysse Nardin’s Freak is as unusual as its name, which, while it may sounds out of place, on closer inspection it is perfectly suiting. This watch takes on an usual personality as a timepiece that forgoes a dial, a crown, and hands.

When unveiled in 2001 under the direction of then owner Rolf Schnyder and watchmaker Dr. Ludwig Oechslin, it pretty much broke all conventions of fine watchmaking. At the same time, it established benchmarks with innovative technologies and creative design. Since it was developed without the basic elements of a wristwatch, it was given the name “Freak,” but with a highly positive implication.

The time was set using the bezel, the winding was accomplished by turning the case back, and the time was displayed by a leisurely rotating one-hour tourbillon. In addition, this avant garde statement piece introduced the first silicon escapement into the world of watchmaking. The eight magnificent executions produced since then boast a whopping 20 patents.
The Freak One unveiled at Watches and Wonders this year deliberately goes back to its roots and boasts some technical highlights from the Freak’s 20-plus year pedigree. Featuring the knurled bezel of the very first Freak, the open-face gear train of the 2013 Freak Cruiser, and the constant force of the 2018 edition, the Freak One is a best-of of its predecessors. In addition, the watch’s pace is set by the silicon hairspring introduced in ...