By Kien Lee
The definitive pinnacle of the Freak collection has arrived, marking a historic moment for a Manufacture built on an obsession with precision. As Ulysse Nardin celebrates a 180 year legacy, the [Super] Freak emerges as the result of a quarter-century of research and four intensive years of development.
It stands alone as the most complicated time-only watch ever created and introduces a configuration never before seen in watchmaking: the world’s first automatic double tourbillon that also serves as a carousel.
This mechanical masterpiece is powered by the entirely new in-house caliber UN-252, a powerhouse composed of 511 individual components. Its minute bridge features two titanium flying tourbillons, each inclined at 10 degrees and rotating in opposite directions. Despite the extreme complexity of this architecture, the bridge weighs just 3.5 grams, allowing the regulators to appear as if they are floating within the case.
To synchronize these twin tourbillons, Ulysse Nardin integrated the world’s smallest differential, measuring a mere 5 mm. This miniature mechanism transmits energy to a newly patented gimbal system, a technology historically used to stabilize marine compasses. At just 4.8 mm, this gimbal ensures flawless energy transmission to the watch’s first-ever seconds display, maintaining the precise rhythm of the carousel as it turns once per hour.
Efficiency is guaranteed by the patented Grinder automatic winding system, which is recognized as the most advanced in the industry. By capturing even the slightest wrist movement, it generates the immense energy required to power the double tourbillons while providing a three-day power reserve. The movement further utilizes DIAMonSIL technology—diamond-coated silicon—to ensure the escapements can withstand 155 million impacts per year with unmatched durability.
Craftsmanship remains at the heart of this high-tech machine, with over 70% of the movement finished by hand. The 44 mm white gold case houses a transparent blue hour disc made of Nanosital, a polycrystalline material that reveals the kinetic engine beneath. Limited to only 50 pieces, each [Super] Freak is assembled from start to finish by a single master watchmaker, ensuring that the legacy of innovation remains personal and profound.
