Limited to just 15 pieces in North America, the $190,700 Freak [S Howlite] pairs a rare geological disc with one of Swiss watchmaking’s most complex mechanical movements.
Prehistoric materials and minerals are more likely found within the confines of a museum than a watch dial, but Ulysse Nardin is pioneering a new approach with the latest iteration of its famed Freak Watch.
The Freak Watch has assumed many forms over its 25-year history, notably omitting the traditional dial, hands and crown in favor of horological works of art crafted from materials like gold enamel or forged carbonium. Billed as a “true UFO in the traditional Swiss watchmaking industry,” the timepiece takes on a life of its own, particularly when Ulysse Nardin collaborates with other avant-garde watchmakers like Urwerk. The Freak design itself boasts 17 different caliber options and is protected by 35 patents, a high bar to clear for any new watch to surpass. “The Freak [S Howlite] continues this story by bringing together one of Ulysse Nardin’s most advanced mechanical architectures with a natural material never before used by the manufacture,” the watchmaker said.
The new Ulysse Nardin Freak [S Howlite] is groundbreaking in several key ways, offered in an ultra-limited run of just 15 timepieces, each one exclusive to the North American market. But it’s within the dial itself where Ice Age-adjacent history meets modern-day horology, as the Freak [S Howlite] features an hour disc composed of material formed over millions of years. The “Freak S” design builds off the original Freak concept, centered on a movement where approximately 95% of its components are in motion at any given time. The assembly is similarly a work of constant movement, as a single Grandes Complications watchmaker handles the process from start to finish.
As is often the case with other feats of horological mastery from Ulysse Nardin, studying the Freak [S Howlite] is like unlocking a watch within a watch: The movement itself tells the time, in this instance. The 373-component caliber UN-251 movement (boasting a 72-hour power reserve) uses a flying carousel rotating around its own axis, with the carousel making one full rotation every 60 minutes.
Oversized silicon oscillators are inclined at 20 degrees, connected by the company’s vertical mechanical differential, which extends across six gear planes (three times as many as used in a traditional mechanical movement). As a result, the company’s proprietary Grinder system is “the most advanced automatic winding system to date” on the market, Ulysse Nardin adds.The effect creates “spectacular three-dimensional architecture,” the horologist notes, carrying on the stunning look of a watch without a dial.
Just as impressive is the use of the gray-to-black and white mineral howlite, which is soft and delicate, and must be fashioned into wire-thin discs before being polished and varnished. First discovered in Nova Scotia in 1868 by Canadian geologist Henry How (its namesake), Ulysse Nardin searched for pure white howlite with distinctive veining to stand out within this latest work of haute horology. The material makes up the hour disc, delivering a suspended effect for the many harmonious components of this horological masterwork. The entire movement is enclosed with a durable titanium case, offering “a robust yet lightweight construction that protects the movement while enhancing wearability and long-term performance.”
Even now, there may prove to be an as-yet-undiscovered mineral lying dormant that will one day be featured in the next legendary Ulysse Nardin Freak timepiece. For a privileged few, the Ulysse Nardin Freak [S Howlite] is available now for $190,700.
