Since 2001, the Ulysse Nardin Freak has embodied the brand’s boldest ideas, breaking from convention through its orbital carousel construction and pioneering use of silicon. Over the years, it has taken on many forms, from highly complex to artistically playful, always remaining a platform for innovation. In 2019, the Freak X brought Ulysse Nardin’s vision into a more streamlined and relatively accessible form, with the addition of a crown for the first time, yet without losing the Freak’s disruptive soul. Since then, we have seen it dressed in aventurine, guilloché enamel, silicon marquetry and even razzle-dazzle patterns. The latest Freak X Crystalium merges its avant-garde mechanics with new materials, where science becomes decoration and every piece is unique.
The 43mm case is crafted entirely in black DLC-coated titanium, from the bezel to the caseback, creating a dark architectural frame that highlights the spectacle at its centre. That spectacle is the Crystalium hour disc, made from ruthenium, one of the rarest platinum-group metals, and born from a vapour-deposition crystallisation process that takes several days. Much like frost forming on glass, the metal crystallises into fractal-like patterns, impossible to reproduce and shimmering with complexity.
Each disc is a singular piece of material art, enhanced by a rose-gold PVD treatment and hand-applied black shading to deepen the play of light. Beneath the carousel architecture, the disc rotates once every twelve hours, acting as the hour hand, while the minute bridge above, carrying the oscillator, completes one full revolution every hour, doubling as the minute hand.
As the earlier versions of Freak X, the new Crystalium edition relies on the in-house calibre UN-230, a 21,600 vibrations/hour frequency automatic movement built from 214 components with a 72-hour power reserve. It has a silicon balance wheel, escapement and hairspring, all developed at Ulysse Nardin’s SIGATEC laboratory.
The Ulysse Nardin Freak X Crystalium is worn on a ballistic-textured black rubber strap with rose-gold stitching, with an optional black alligator strap offered in the same configuration, both secured by a folding clasp in DLC titanium and ceramic. Prices are at CHF 40,000, EUR 42,700 or GBP 37,130, including VAT.
For more information, please visit Ulysse-Nardin.com.
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