Ulysse Nardin introduces the Freak ONE OPS

In a world where many watches claim to be unique, the Freak truly is. Ever since it first debuted in 2001, the Ulysses Nardin Freak has stood as a bulwark against conventional timekeeping, and inspired an entire generation of avant-garde watchmakers to go their own way.

For Dubai Watch Week, Ulysse Nardin has debuted the Freak ONE OPS, giving this engineering marvel an almost tactical makeover in carbon and khaki. Coming in at 44mm, this watch is based on the Freak ONE, but the khaki palate, and Carbonium bezel give the watch a completely different aesthetic feel compared to the parent design.

Carbonium is an interesting choice; not only is it lightweight and strong, but it’s also a sustainably sourced carbon composite, and thanks to the manufacturing technique, every bezel will be unique.

As is normal for the Freak, the UN-240 manufacture movement is clearly visible from the dial. The flying carousel functions as the minutes indication as it rotates on its own axis.

There’s also the oversized oscillator and balance spring, both blue silicon, an important material in the history of the Freak. For power reserve, you’re looking at 90 hours, which is solid.

You’ve also got two options when it comes to the integrated straps. Firstly, there’s a black and khaki “ballistic” rubber strap, and an alternate two-tone rubber strap, also in black and khaki.

The Freak might be over 20 years old at this point, but it was well ahead of its time when it debuted, and in some ways, you could argue that we’re only just catching up with this visionary design today. This new Freak ONE OPS feels contemporary and cool, and ready for the future.

Movement: Caliber UN-240 Manufacture Automatic movement, 90 hours of power reserve
Functions: Hours, minutes
Case: Black DLC titanium case, Carbonium bezel
Strap: Integrated khaki & black ballistic rubber strap or rubber strap with Black DLC titanium and black ceramic folding buckle
Price: CHF 63,000