Ulysse Nardin Unveils the Freak [X Crystalium] at Geneva Watch Days 2025

In 2001, Ulysse Nardin redefined watchmaking with the launch of the Freak, a timepiece that broke every convention of traditional horology. No hands, no dial, no crown—just a movement that tells the time. This groundbreaking “superwatch” ushered in the Modern Horology Era, setting a new standard for innovation. Now, at Geneva Watch Days 2025, Ulysse Nardin pushes the boundaries further with the Freak [X Crystalium], a limited-edition masterpiece that fuses cutting-edge mechanics with high-tech decorative artistry—limited to just 50 pieces worldwide.

The Freak’s story began in the 1980s under the visionary guidance of Dr. Ludwig Oechslin. While the watchmaking industry leaned heavily into quartz technology, Ulysse Nardin took a different path, creating the Astrolabium Galileo Galilei—a mechanical marvel capable of mapping the night sky, earning a place in the Guinness World Records as the most complicated watch ever made. This spirit of bold innovation culminated in the 2001 debut of the Freak, the most complicated time-only watch in history and the first to incorporate silicon technology. With over 20 patents, the Freak sparked a revolution in 21st-century horology, introducing high-performance, ultra-precise timekeeping that rippled across the industry.

The Freak X, introduced in 2019, brought this maverick DNA into a more accessible form, adding a crown for winding and setting while retaining the iconic one-hour flying orbital carousel. The Freak [X Crystalium] builds on this legacy, blending avant-garde mechanics with a groundbreaking material innovation: the Crystalium rotating hour disc.

At the heart of the Freak [X Crystalium] lies its most striking feature—a rotating hour disc crafted from Crystalium, a material that redefines decorative artistry in watchmaking. The process begins with ruthenium, a platinum-group metal 10 times rarer than platinum, prized for its durability and luster. Through a meticulous, multi-day vapor-deposition crystallization process—akin to frost forming on glass—ruthenium transforms into a fractal-like crystal structure. Each disc is unique, with shimmering textures and microscopic complexity that cannot be replicated.

To enhance its visual impact, the Crystalium disc is finished with a warm rose gold PVD coating and hand-applied black varnish for subtle shading, creating a dynamic interplay of light and depth. This is not mere decoration but a bold leap into next-generation craftsmanship, merging scientific precision with raw aesthetic expression.

The Freak [X Crystalium] is powered by the in-house automatic calibre UN-230, featuring a silicon balance wheel and escapement crafted at Ulysse Nardin’s dedicated SIGATEC silicon lab. The movement itself is a mechanical theater, with a flying carousel where the bridge serves as the minute hand, completing a full rotation every hour. The Crystalium disc, acting as the hour hand, rotates once every 12 hours, its pointer positioned beneath the movement. This seamless integration of engineering and aesthetics creates a mesmerizing display of time in motion.

Housed in a black DLC-coated titanium case with a matching bezel, black hour indicator, and minute bridge, the watch exudes a bold, modern presence. A ballistic-textured black rubber strap complements the design, providing a perfect backdrop for the radiant Crystalium disc, which glows with rose gold hues and intricate visual depth.

The Freak [X Crystalium] embodies Ulysse Nardin’s ethos of mechanical daring, material innovation, and fearless exploration. It is a testament to the brand’s independence and its relentless pursuit of what’s next in watchmaking. With only 50 pieces available, this timepiece is not just a watch but a manifesto—a singular fusion of advanced horology and high-tech artistry that redefines the future, one revolution at a time.