If you like watches with a bold presentation, Ulysse Nardin has exactly what the doctor ordered. Not to worry, because even though the brand specializes in avant-garde motifs, it never gets to a point where it’s garish. In the meantime, collectors should prepare to splurge more than usual because the Freak ONE arrives in two styles.
References 2403-500LE-3AE-BLUE/3A (Blue Enamel) and 2403-500LE-4A-GUI/3A (Guilloché) are considered by leading watch pundits as haute horlogorie. However, instead of going overboard with gemtones and classic design elements, it’s relying on bespoke timekeeping complications. What sets these two apart is solely the dials.
As the name hints at, each look should appeal to varying personal tastes. In fact, both appear to have an equal number of fans here at the office. Nonetheless, I would personally choose the Freak ONE in Blue Enamel just because it’s one of my favorite shades. These are paired with white/gray rubber straps and a deployant buckle closure system.
Anyway, the timepieces are shipping in a round 44 mm x 13.3 mm titanium case with sapphire crystals covering the dials and exhibition casebacks. Ulysse Nardin assures buyers these elegant accessories are robust enough for use in water with a water-resistance rating of 3 ATM. Elsewhere, it runs on an in-house UN-240 self-winding caliber with a 90-hour power reserve.
Despite resembling a typical two-hand configuration, the display is a flying carousel movement with a minute pointer. A coaxial hour indicator sits a level below. Applied baton hour markers appear on the flange alongside the Ulysse Nardin signature at 12 o’clock. To manually wind the Freak ONE, twist the case back. You won’t find a traditional crown either, but a twist of the bezel sets the time.
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Images courtesy of Ulysse Nardin
