Why is Ulysse Nardin’s Freak X collection piquing the interest of new fans?

Ulysse Nardin revolutionised our understanding of time display when it first launched Freak, a watch with a central bridge that doubles as hands, and a rotating bezel to adjust the time in place of a crown.

But at Ulysse Nardin, there is always room to grow, even when it comes to the most far out of designs. The result, says CEO Patrick Pruniaux, is the new Freak X, a collection that has piqued the interest of a new set of Ulysse Nardin fans.

“People who are interested in a mechanical watch within the same price range [as the Freak X], who were previously not looking at things beyond the basic movement three hand watch, now know they know they can get something very interesting in terms of movement, design and material,” Pruniaux says.

Indeed, with the Freak X, the maison has adapted some of the key ingredients of its predecessor to a smaller case. Despite shaving 2mm off its diameter, the watch maintains its most important features. The new UN-230 movement continues to tell the time with hour hands anchored to a wheel and a central bridge that doubles as the minute hand; the balance wheel is crafted in lightweight silicon.

“We are bringing, at a different price point, a high level of innovation with the Freak X, not only with the skeleton movement but also with new material,” Pruniaux says.

The new material in question is Carbonium, an aeronautical-grade carbon fibre that is twice as light as conventional carbon composite, and said to be made of 95 per cent recycled material. The Freak X is also presented in rose gold, and titanium, now fitted with a crown for adjusting the time in place of a rotating bezel.