Ulysse Nardin and Urwerk have teamed up to create a new model that combines the Freak and Wandering Hour Satellite Display mechanisms that both companies are proud of. From the time display to the automatic winding mechanism, this model is full of unique features.
Text by Shinichi Sato
Edited by Yuto Hosoda (Chronos-Japan)
[Article published in the July 2026 issue of Kronos Japan]
A competition of unique mechanisms developed by each company
This is the latest collaboration between two companies that both possess high technical capabilities and create timepieces that focus on the appeal of mechanisms. Based on the Freak One, it combines Urwerk's Wandering Hour Satellite Display. Automatic (Cal. UN-241). 25 jewels. 21,600 vph. Power reserve of approximately 90 hours. Ti case (diameter 44mm, thickness 13.77mm). Water resistant to 30m. Limited to 100 pieces worldwide. Price: 18,898,000 yen (tax included).
The UR-Freak, a collaboration between Ulysse Nardin and Urwerk, has been announced. Ulysse Nardin is a pioneer in the use of silicon in escapements, and is a brand that promotes the appeal of mechanisms that incorporate advanced technology, such as the Freak, in which the movement itself rotates to indicate the time. Urwerk, on the other hand, focuses on creating new time display formats and produces timepieces that focus on the appeal of mechanisms. This collaboration between the two companies brings together the technology and philosophy of both companies.
The UR-Freak is based on the Freak One, winner of the Iconic Watch Award at the Geneva Watch Grand Prix 2023, and combines it with Urwerk's Wandering Hour Satellite Display. This system displays the time using a cube on one of three arms extending from a rotating carousel, located on a minute scale between 1 and 5 o'clock. As shown in the photo above, when the cube points to "7" and the end of the arm points to "40," the current time is 7:40. The watch's centerpiece features a silicon oscillator, a symbol of Ulysse Nardin's technological prowess. Its delicate design serves as the core of the Freak's mechanism and adds a subtle accent to the design. The Freak also retains its crown-less design, a defining feature of the Freak, and the time is adjusted using the bezel.
Based on the 44mm titanium case used in the Freak One, the bezel and case back feature Urwerk's iconic fluted finish, creating a special design that combines the design codes of both brands.
