A talk show was held where you could see, touch, and learn about Ulysse Nardin's "Freak" watches! We thoroughly enjoyed their innovation!

Launched in 2001, Freak is a signature collection from Ulysse Nardin that claims "No dial, no hands, no boundaries." An event focusing on Freak was held over two days, on Saturday, November 11th and Sunday, November 12th, 2011. We will report on the events held on the 11th, when Masamasa Hirota, editor-in-chief of Chronos Japan and webChronos, gave a talk show, along with the history of Freak.

An event bringing together the masterpieces of Ulysse Nardin's "Freak" collection

　The "FREAK IMMERSIVE EVENT 2023" was held at the Grand Hyatt Tokyo on Saturday, November 11th and Sunday, November 12th, 2023. This event focused on Ulysse Nardin's signature collection, the "FREAK." The event brought together historic models from across the Freak line, including the first and latest models. Participants enjoyed the rare experience of actually touching and moving the Freaks through touch and feel.

　Also, on the first day of the two-day event, the 11th, Masamasa Hirota, editor-in-chief of Chronos Japan and webChronos, held a talk show in which he spoke passionately (!) about the evolution of Freak from its birth to the present day.

Talk show "Freak: The journey that changed the clock"

　The Freak is a collection launched by Ulysse Nardin in 01. The Freak concept is "No dial. No hands. No boundaries." The first Freak had no dial, hands, or crown, and instead featured a huge carousel in the center of the face, creating a striking style that made a huge impact on the watch industry.

　Hirota will explain the history of this freak from its birth to the present day.

What's so great about Freak?

　While the design itself has a big impact, Hirota emphasized that this collection will go down in watch history because it "changed the very definition of mechanical watches." There are three reasons for this. First, it was a pioneer of movements that made extensive use of gears. Second, it was the originator of the "Mega Tourbillon." Third, it was the first mechanical watch to use silicon parts.

Balancing stability and innovation

　A major feature of the Freak, which continues to this day, is the central carousel. The movement itself functions as the hands, rotating once per hour. The huge carousel, with its balance, escapement, and gear train located on the front side, created a striking impression, but it was also heavy and required a large amount of torque to rotate. For this reason, Ulysse Nardin used silicon parts to lighten the escapement in the Freak, and installed a huge mainspring on the entire back cover, connecting it to the axis of this mainspring to rotate the carousel.

　As such, the Freak was revolutionary in both design and mechanism, but a completely new mechanism carries risks in terms of performance and reliability. For this reason, the Freak continued to be improved even after its launch. Hirota described this process as "towards stability," and explained how it evolved.

　Improvements began with the escapement. The Dual Ulysse escapement (then known as the Dual Indirect Escapement), which is still featured in current models, was born in 05. Diamond was used as the escapement material, replacing silicon, which was prone to breaking and vulnerable to temperature changes at the time. Because diamonds were expensive, in 07 the Diamonsil material was developed, consisting of silicon coated with a diamond film. While simultaneously improving functionality and reliability, the Freak also pursued new mechanisms. Hirota explained the progression of innovation, showcasing the Freak Innovision, which featured an automatic winding mechanism using a silicon glider, and the Freak One, released in 23, which maintained the Freak's innovative spirit while further enhancing its practicality, while also showcasing the various models available at the venue.

　The participants listened intently to Hirota's talk and took photos of the screen on which the PowerPoint presentation was being displayed, making it clear that the talk show showed a strong interest in freaks.

Touch & Feel lets you see and touch rare models!

　Although it is not a limited edition, the production numbers are not particularly high, so it is rare for watch enthusiasts to have the actual watch available. However, at this event, many of the first-generation models and the successive models that Hirota talked about in his talk show were on display. This was sure to be an irresistible event for not only Ulysse Nardin fans, but also mechanical watch enthusiasts.

　The models available range from historical masterpieces that demonstrate the "progress of innovation" such as the "FREAK Diamond Heart," "FREAK Vision," "FREAK Lab," and "FREAK Diavolo," to the current "FREAK One" and "FREAK X."

　One watch that has attracted particular attention is the Freak One, which was released in 2023. It is still fresh in our memory that it recently won the Iconic Watch Award at the GPHG (Geneva Watchmaking Grand Prix) 23.

　Equipped with the patented glider automatic winding system developed in 17, and using not only silicon but also diamond for the escapement material, this watch is like a culmination of the innovative technologies that Ulysse Nardin has realized with its Freak watches up to now. As it is quite rare to have the opportunity to hold one in one's hands, participants enjoyed operating it and trying it on.

　During the touch and feel session, participants were seen enjoying conversation with each other, including Hirota. I think participants were able to fully experience Freak's innovativeness by handling the products until the event ended at 16pm.

　The number of participants this time was limited, and participants were selected by lottery from among applicants, and were invited to participate. We hope that Ulysse Nardin will continue to hold events like this in the future, providing many fans and watch enthusiasts with the opportunity to experience Freak's innovative work.