Review of the Ulysse Nardin Freak S

What We Know

It's hard to overstate how much of an impact the Freak had when it was introduced in 2001, with an emphasis on high-tech silicon and a lack of conventional hands or dial. The new Freak S "Nomad" takes its place in that same linage, with a mix of futuristic carbon fiber and titanium on the case and 18th-century handcraft with a guilloché hour plate in sand-colored CVD, giving a mix of past and future in one impressive watch.

The new Freak S "Nomad" has the iconic "Freak" display, with a large central flying carousel rotating around its axis and acting as the minute hand while the guillochéd hour disc rotates underneath. That flying carousel features a double oscillator with silicon balance wheels and escapements coated in DIAMonSIL, an ultra-high-tech form of diamond-coated silicon for precision and durability. This is all placed inside a lightweight titanium case with an anthracite PVD-coated titanium bezel, which is used to set the time (after the bezel is unlocked by the titanium locker at 6 o'clock). The case flanks are made of carbon fiber, which is shaped to become the watch's lugs. The watch, with its automatic "Grinder" system, measures 45mm and should be about 13.7mm, judging by the past release of the Freak S.

There's really nothing else out there like the Freak, and the new Freak S "Nomad" runs $148,300 and is limited to 99 pieces.

What We Think

Last year, the folks at Ulysse Nardin took me on a historical tour of the evolution of the Freak. Twenty-three years on and the watch is still incredibly futuristic and impressive, but it's hard to imagine the reaction when it was first released. However, one of the double-edged swords is that the design is so refined that even with developments and aesthetic changes, it can be easy to recognize a Freak from a glance and dismiss it as something you've seen before. How much really changed?

In this case, it seems like the watch is, at its core, a Freak S like we covered when it was introduced in 2022, but with some updates to the design language. To be fair, that's not a bad thing with a fascinating watch like the Freak.

The original Freak S probably deserved more attention than it got, with a UN-251 caliber movement of the Freak S that had some bonkers features, like an inclined double oscillator and a vertical differential. The more muted colors from the case – titanium case, anthracite PVD-coated titanium bezel, and carbon fiber flanks and lugs – and the sand guilloché pattern on the hour disc go together much better with the futuristic design than the past run of gold Freaks. The flying carousel/minute is also a mean-looking anthracite PVD. Still, it looks more legible in the provided pictures than in past releases, though maybe not so much as the Freak X. Unfortunately, there are no photos of the watch being worn, but I'll check out the new Freak S Nomad in person in a few days, so I'll let you know what it looks like.

The Basics

Brand: Ulysse Nardin
Model: Freak S "Nomad"
Reference Number: 2513-500LE-4A-GUI

Diameter: 45mm
Thickness: 13.70 mm
Case Material: Titanium case and locker, anthracite PVD-coated titanium bezel, carbon fibre side plates, Anthracite PVD-coated titanium case back with open sapphire
Dial Color: No dial, Sand-coloured CVD with diamond-shaped guilloché hour disc
Indexes: Hour on the edge and minute on the bridge
Lume: Anthracite PVD bridges with light blue Super-LumiNova®
Water Resistance: 30 meters
Strap/Bracelet: Grey rubber "ballistic" textured strap or grey openworked mat alligator leather strap with sand-colored calfskin leather inserts, both with titanium deployant buckle

The Movement

Caliber: Caliber UN-251 Manufacture
Functions: Hours, minutes
Power Reserve: 72 hours
Winding: Grinder® automatic winding system, blades technology
Frequency: Oscillations 2 x 18'000 vph
Jewels: 33
Chronometer Certified: No
Additional Details: Flying carousel movement rotating around its own axis, Two 20-degree-inclined oversized oscillators with silicon balance wheels, DIAMonSIL escapements