Ulysse Nardin has completely rebuilt the Freak X – and it’s now more wearable than ever
The new Freak X is smaller, tougher, and more technically advanced than ever – and it might just be the best daily-wear haute horlogerie watch on the market
The Freak X has always been the most wearable watch in Ulysse Nardin’s unconventional Freak universe. Now it’s been rebuilt from the ground up.
To mark both 180 years of the manufacture and 25 years of the Freak family, Ulysse Nardin has unveiled a completely reengineered Freak X. It took more than two years of development, and the result is smaller, smarter, and more polished than anything the line has produced before.
The flying carousel architecture, where the movement itself acts as the hands, completing one full revolution every 60 minutes, stays intact. But powering it is an entirely new in-house caliber, the UN-232.
For the first time in a Freak X, the escapement features DIAMonSIL treatment. This diamond-silicon surface coating dramatically increases hardness and wear resistance on one of the movement’s most heavily stressed components – one that endures more than 250 million impacts per year.
An oversized silicon balance wheel and silicon hairspring, crafted at Ulysse Nardin’s own SIGATEC laboratory, complete the picture. Despite the more compact architecture, power reserve is still 72 hours.
Perhaps most importantly, the case has been shrunk. It drops from 43mm to 41mm, and the lug-to-lug comes in at 47.3mm, down from 49.6mm. It’s slightly slimmer, too, at 13.6 mm.
For daily wear, the new Freak X should fit a lot more wrists.
Water resistance doubles from 50m to 100m thanks to a new screw-down crown.
The case construction has also shifted from a modular titanium architecture to a new monobloc built from 80-percent recycled steel (or full rose gold). This promises to improve structural rigidity and acoustic stability.
Finishing across the board is notably elevated. A rose gold micro-rotor adds warmth, and the oscillator bridge and time indicators are hand-beveled. Applied indices carry white Super-LumiNova.
A new quick-release interchangeable strap system opens up nine configurations, from an integrated 80-percent recycled steel bracelet to alligator leather and rubber options.
The new Freak arrives in three references: Freak X Grey in steel on leather, Freak X Blue in steel on integrated bracelet, and Freak X Gold in rose gold on alligator.
Pricing starts at US$41,200 / £31,100 for the Grey, US$42,400 / £32,030 for the Blue, and US$64,000 / £48,270 for the Gold.
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Spencer Hart
Buying Guide Editor 
