The beauty of technology is coming: Ulysse Nardin Freak retrospective In the 1970s, no one could have predicted that mechanical wristwatches would be in such demand 50 years later. While the marketing genius of a group of brilliant individuals kept the commercial viability of mechanical watches, the technical sophistication of Ulysse Nardin sparked a counter-revolution that changed the face of watchmaking forever.
When the brand launched the Freak in 2001, it was a revolution in design, mechanics and materials while staying true to tradition. Its original design came from Carole Forestier-Kasapi, who saw the tourbillon as a new way to tell time. In fact, her conception of a rotating movement surrounded by a giant mainspring won her the 1997 Abraham-Louis Breguet Foundation Prize, most notably beating British watchmaker Derek Pu Derek Pratt, who just became the first natural escapement in a winner's tourbillon watch. Her proposal eventually underwent a complete reconfiguration under the direction of Vatican watch restorer Dr. Ludwig Oechslin. Among other things, he relocated the mainspring below the gear train on the back of the watch, giving it a power reserve of one week.
The Freak is aptly named, as it bears no resemblance to anything ever worn on the wrist. This is the first watch in which mechanics and aesthetics are almost indistinguishable, and the design of the movement is the ultimate practice of aesthetics. It marked the first time a movement had been deconstructed to express time in its own right, and thus enabled a new watchmaking language that celebrated mechanics, a language that would largely embody independent watchmaking today.
Before the Freak, watchmaking was a treasure trove of ancient traditions, and watches only connect us emotionally to those traditions. They are usually constructed in two dimensions, with the mainspring and balance occupying the same plane on the edge of the baseplate with a hand-swept dial on top. Freak, however, shocked the world as it challenged and reconfigured centuries-old norms and brought a depth of knowledge that can only be inspired by innovations that surprise and awe. It has no proper dial and no hands. Instead, mounted on the massive mainspring barrel is a linear gear train that makes one full revolution per hour and doubles as the watch's minute hand.
In this construction, the hour wheel arbor is mounted on the mainspring barrel, and when the barrel is unrolled, the hour wheel is driven against a fixed peripheral rack. It is held in place by a bridge that acts as an hour hand. At the same time, the hour wheel drives the central pinion, which in turn drives the entire gear train, acting as the minute hand, resting against the upper fixed peripheral rack. The movement thus dispenses with a crown and a keyless mechanism; the mainspring is wound simply by turning the caseback, and the time is set by turning the bezel, since the peripheral frame is fixed to the inner circumference of the bezel. In addition, the Freak was also the first watch to feature a natural escapement, invented by Abraham-Louis Breguet in 1789. Characterized by two counter-rotating wheels, the natural escapement is called a natural escapement because each pulse is transmitted directly to the balance wheel with each vibration, which makes it different from all Known watch escapements are different and do not require lubrication. The Ulysse Nardin Double Direct Escapement solved the tolerance problems Breguet was facing at the time by replacing traditional metal with precisely shaped silicon components produced by deep reactive ion etching (DRIE). Thus, the Freak was the first watch to feature silicon components, thus ushering in the silicon age in watchmaking. The Ulysse Nardin Dual Direct Escapement solved the tolerance problems Breguet was facing at the time by replacing traditional metal with precision-formed silicon components produced by Deep Reactive Ion Etching (DRIE). Thus, the Freak was the first watch to feature silicon components, thus ushering in the silicon age in watchmaking. The Ulysse Nardin Dual Direct Escapement solved the tolerance problems Breguet was facing at the time by replacing traditional metal with precision-formed silicon components produced by Deep Reactive Ion Etching (DRIE). Thus, the Freak was the first watch to feature silicon components, thus ushering in the silicon age in watchmaking.
The properties of silicon make it an extremely beneficial material for watchmaking. It is one-third as dense as steel, and its operating inertia is lower, meaning far less energy is required to move silicon parts, allowing the movement to run with greater efficiency. Second, it is harder than steel and has perfectly smooth surfaces, allowing interacting parts to work together without lubrication and with minimal surface wear over time. Third, it can be fabricated with extreme precision and complex geometries by DRIE without further intervention after formation. Fourth, it is also highly elastic and therefore shock resistant as it snaps back to its original shape instantly when impacted. Last but not least, it is also anti-magnetic,
The first silicon escape wheel was produced for Ulysse Nardin by the Swiss Center for Electronics and Microtechnology (CSEM), a Swiss research institute specializing in microelectromechanical systems (MEMS). Not only that, the double direct escapement system in the Freak fantasy watch cleverly integrates Breguet's two-stage escapement wheel structure into one plane. Each escape wheel has 25 teeth, of which every fifth tooth is slightly protruding and has a pointed point, while the remaining teeth have a flat point. The tooth with a flat point is used to drive the next escape wheel, and the pointy tooth contacts the rotation stop, transmitting the impulse directly to the balance wheel at each oscillation.
Freak 28'800 V/H: The Evolved Freak [2005]
The Freak 28'800 V/h, commonly known as the second generation, was launched in 2005 with an upgraded escapement called the Dual Ulysse Escapement.
The new escapement has 18 identical teeth, with hooked tips resembling shark's teeth, nestled on the edge of the improved detent instead of the first generation's 25 teeth per escape wheel, 5 of which extend to match the The brake is engaged. Since all teeth are now functionally touching the bung, the scan angle per scale is reduced and the mechanism is therefore more stable. Since it takes less time to rotate at a smaller angle, the new movement can accommodate high-frequency balance, thus increasing from 3Hz to 4Hz, or 28,800vph, which is where the model name comes from.
In addition, the circular balance was also replaced by a free-sprung balance with four adjusting screws recessed into its periphery and a silicon balance spring. In addition to the escapement, the Freak 28'800 V/h also introduces a locking plate to prevent accidental turning of the bezel.
Freak Diamond Heart 28'800 V/H: Experimental Freaks [2005]
2005 also saw the introduction of the experimental Freak Diamond Heart 28'800 V/h, introducing the first escape wheel and hairspring etched from synthetic diamonds by DRIE. Synthetic diamond has the same desirable properties as silicon, namely low density and a low coefficient of friction, but is harder than silicon, making it more durable. The parts are produced by GFD (Gesellschaft für Diamantprodukte mbH) in Germany, which specializes in growing synthetic diamonds using chemical vapor deposition. However, mass production proved impossible due to high costs.
Subsequently, Ulysse Nardin began a joint venture with Mimotec in 2006 to form Sigatec, a manufacturer specializing in silicon parts DRIE and metal parts LIGA (Lithographie, Galvanoformung, Abformung), enabling them to produce lightweight precision parts. , corrosion resistant and non-magnetic on an industrial scale and make it available to other sectors of the industry.
Freak Damonsier: Advanced Freak [2007]
Ultimately, Ulysse Nardin and GFD found a less complicated solution to incorporate synthetic diamond – DIAMonSIL (or diamond-coated silicon), which is obtained by producing a layer of diamond on a silicon substrate. The new material, which is essentially reinforced silicon, has all the qualities of silicon, including diamagnetism, low density and the ability to be fabricated precisely, but with improved surface hardness to ensure durability.
The result was presented at Freak DIAMonSIL in 2007, featuring a Ulysse double escapement made of DIAMonSIL. The escapement has reached its peak thanks to new materials that not only offer high energy transmission efficiency, but also have a surface hardness suitable for extended service life.
Innovision 1: Radical Freaks [2007]
In 2007, Ulysse Nardin also launched the InnoVision 1, a Freak thoroughly committed to the vision of a silicon-driven future. Not only did it show the world the enormous potential of silicon to offer better shock resistance, better rate stability, and higher efficiency—qualities that undoubtedly benefit the end user—but it also showed the world how complex Three-dimensional manufacturing helps watchmakers. The movement has a richer silicon material than the Ulysse double escapement system, including a silicon bridge for the double escapement wheel and a bi-material bridge for the gear train, which consists of a central plate made of silicon with two sides It is a nickel-phosphorus outer bridge fabricated using LIGA. The use of silicon eliminates the need for jewellery, allowing greater freedom in the design of the movement, while using silicon bearings on the lower bridge of the gear train, requiring no lubrication and no oil cups. In addition, it features silicon integral shock protection integrated into the balance shaft pivoting on a silicon disc. Silicon's elasticity allows the disk to bend and instantly return to its original shape when subjected to a shock.
Most notably, the concept watch also introduces three-dimensional silicon components. In its infancy, silicon parts were mostly etched as flat, planar parts. But the most critical parts of the oscillator in InnoVision 1, namely the escapement brake and safety pin, the balance roller and impact pin, and each escapement wheel and its pinion, are made of silicon as a single unit on two levels. In addition to being able to be manufactured to extremely fine tolerances, these multifunctional single components reduce assembly time.
Monster Diablo: Complex Monsters [2010]
The Freak Diavolo was the first Freak watch to feature a flying tourbillon, the tourbillon of tourbillons from an operational standpoint. At launch, it was equipped with the most powerful balance ever seen in a tourbillon watch, with an inertia of 8mg.cm2 and a frequency of 4Hz, while maintaining an impressive eight-day power reserve.
Usually, when a tourbillon cage is added, inertia and frequency must be affected, affecting dynamics and making room for the cage. In the long run, the workhorse ETA 2892 is not a tourbillon and therefore does not have to overcome the additional inertia of the frame, yet has the exact same inertia and frequency. This speaks to the strengths of the Freak's inherent architecture, which accommodates a powerful mainspring, while the silicon used in the escapement helps reduce inertia, ensuring more efficient power transmission to keep the balance oscillating.
The tourbillon frame also doubles as a second hand, allowing the time to be read on the semicircular seconds bridge, bringing more practicality to the watch.
Freak Cruisers: Freaks of the Sea [2013]
In 2013, Ulysse Nardin launched the Freak Cruiser, the first Freak watch to be water-resistant to 30m, a fitting tribute to the nautical ties the brand has cultivated. The case has been enlarged from 42mm to 45mm, the iconic bezel (the groove that looks like a bottle cap in the original) has been improved with a larger wave-like notch, and the top of the bezel has a slender zigzag decoration.
Cruiser also saw one of the most notable aesthetic improvements to the movement. The bridges for the gear train and balance wheel are now more stylish, with slender openworked anchors that no longer obstruct the view of the gear train.
FreakLab: Calendar Freaks [2015]
The 2015 FreakLab did what no other Freak had done before, and that was the addition of a date complication. After all the groundbreaking advancements the Freak has brought, it's fun to restore some normalcy with complications that are present in almost every other modern mass-produced watch.
The FreakLab's date wheel is visible through an aperture at four o'clock. Since there is no crown and winding stem in the watch, the date is set by turning the bezel counterclockwise, and the time is set by turning the bezel clockwise. Notably, the balance wheel is now located in the center of the watch, making it very similar to a typical minute hand. However, the basic architecture of the movement remains the same.
Additionally, the brand has launched its own silicon anti-shock system called UlyChoc, continuing to showcase its expertise in manufacturing silicon components. Whereas a typical Incabloc shock absorber system consists of a base, chateau, balance jewel, capstone and shock spring, the UlyChoc incorporates a silicon spring around the chateau housing the jewel and capstone. When impacted, the elasticity of silicon allows the rhinestones to move in their setting to absorb the shock, but re-center immediately.
