Ulysse Nardin introduces a new colour for its Freak S Enamel timepiece: the turquoise blue and deep ruby red, produced in limited quantities of 50 watches each. In addition to these colours, Ulysse Nardin has added guilloché-flinqué enamel rotating hour discs created at its own in-house enamelling workshop, Donzé Cadrans, in Le Locle. These discs undergo multiple firings at 800°C to produce their final depth of color and glossy finish. The rotating hour disc is integrated into the movement’s rotation mechanism, and therefore does not simply serve as decorative element.
The Calibre UN-251 has six gear trains and features two silicon balance wheels tilted at 20°. The vertical differential ensures that the rate difference between the two balance wheels is averaged, thereby increasing the precision due to the minimum differential in current watchmaking technology as stated by Ulysse Nardin. The patented Grinder automatic winding system maximises the efficiency of energy transfer, which contributes to the 72-hour power reserve.
The 45 mm case is made entirely of titanium, providing a lighter weight and greater resistance to corrosion compared to other materials. The case design is also characteristic of the Freak collection, where the movement itself rotates to show the hours, whilst a hand indicates the minutes. Unlike most timepieces, there are no dials below the mechanical elements, so all the technical parts can be viewed from the front.
The turquoise blue model comes with an anthracite ballistic rubber strap with a textured pattern; the ruby red model comes with a white ballistic rubber strap. Both models have a titanium folding clasp that matches the material of the case. The ballistic texture provides a good grip, as well as a visual effect, on the rubber compound.
The Freak S Enamel continues the tradition of combining high complication functions with artistic dial designs by Ulysse Nardin. Although the disc is used in the mechanical operation of the timepiece, it still requires very precise traditional craftsmanship to create the enamel, requiring both aesthetic perfection and mechanical precision. Due to the risk of cracking or colour variation during the firing process, producing the timepieces at the required tight tolerance for the rotating assembly makes them particularly difficult to manufacture.
Both turquoise blue and ruby red versions of the Freak S Enamel cost CHF 153,000 via Ulysse Nardin boutiques and official dealers. Due to the 50-piece limit per colour, they represent a collectible variant of the Freak S series.
