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What's it like to wear a starship on your wrist with the Ulysse Nardin Freak S Nomad?



I've previously discussed how I consider the Freak S to be Ulysse Nardin's most impressive creation to date. Its defining feature is that the brand designed the entire movement to resemble a starship. At the watch exhibition earlier this year, Ulysse Nardin also launched the all-new Freak S Nomad, a Freak S Walker watch. While continuing cutting-edge watchmaking technology, it also inherits the finest finishing techniques dating back to the 18th century, featuring a stunning dial engraved with machined detailing.

Not long ago, the Freak S Nomad was nominated for the prestigious GPHG Award for Extraordinary Mechanical Watch, but unfortunately, it didn't win. However, in my opinion, it's Ulysse Nardin's most significant creation of the year, and the best of the year, precisely because it has ushered in a new trend in the watch industry that blends tradition and modernity.

The FREAK S NOMAD remains 45mm in diameter, but the materials differ significantly from the rose gold model first introduced in 2022. The bezel and main case are now crafted from gray-plated titanium, complemented by a carbon fiber upper case. This innovative material combination actually enhances the technological feel of this interstellar spaceship even more than the original rose gold model. A closer look at the carbon fiber case reveals that to avoid the monotony of the predominantly black carbon fiber, Ulysse Nardin has incorporated several gold textures into the material, echoing the dial design.

High-end watches often face the challenge of daily wear, often spending significant time in safes and watch cabinets. However, the FREAK S NOMAD is no exception. Despite its generous 45mm diameter and 16.65mm thickness, thanks to the use of innovative lightweight materials like titanium and carbon fiber, as well as Ulysse Nardin's ergonomically optimized lug design, it offers exceptional wearing comfort from the very first touch.

The FREAK S NOMAD Fancy S Walker watch also maintains a no-dial, no-hand, no-crown design. This crownless design not only streamlines the case sides, but also allows the bezel of the flagship Fancy series model to be adjusted by unlocking the 6 o'clock dial below the bezel and rotating it to adjust the time.

Without a dial, the dial of the watch is essentially the FREAK S NOMAD's central barrel cover. However, this time, Ulysse Nardin has replaced the aventurine starry barrel cover of the first model with a striking gold-toned, traditionally crafted, engine-turned dial.

For each watch, Ulysse Nardin's master engine-turners spend three hours, continuously carving 240 times on a rose lathe to create the intricate, interlaced, curved diamond pattern. The barrel cover is then treated with a dune-colored CVD coating. When light shines on the "dial," each diamond pattern reflects a captivating radiance. While the gold guilloché dial exudes traditional charm, the FREAK S NOMAD watch also exudes a sense of technology.

Ulysse Nardin designed the entire carrousel movement to resemble an interstellar spaceship, integrating it with the gold dial. The two elements echo the watch's design theme, reminiscent of an interstellar battleship just landed on a planet of rolling sand dunes. The massive carrousel mechanism rotates once an hour, with the minute hand representing the ship's bow and the hour hand indicated by the rotating hour markers underneath. The movement's twin balance wheels and escapement are integrated into the carrousel, while the rear section acts as the spaceship's propeller. A differential connects the two silicon balance wheels, averaging the deviations between the balance wheels and further enhancing the watch's accuracy and reliability.

The carrousel function of the FREAK S watch, a special complication movement that defies gravity and is just as complex and expensive as a tourbillon, has been reviewed by watchmakers abroad. Whether it's the double balance wheel design or the differential, the fundamental design concepts are as old as other watchmaking technologies, having been invented and applied long ago. However, Ulysse Nardin has made these technologies unique and revitalized by incorporating silicon into the Freak S. This embodies the essence of Ulysse Nardin's watchmaking, an ultimate pursuit of precision.

The UN-251 movement is also equipped with the Grinder® automatic winding system, boasting exceptional winding efficiency. This component is also molded from silicon and enhanced with DIAMonSIL diamond-silicon crystal technology. Grinder winding is a unique winding mechanism throughout the watchmaking industry. This is also due to the low friction and constant elasticity of silicon, as well as the four symmetrical pawls. The silicon grinding system sensitively detects the slightest wrist movement, converting kinetic energy into energy storage in the watch movement. As Ulysse Nardin has long touted, the grinding system's winding efficiency is up to twice that of traditional winding mechanisms, and the movement can provide 72 hours of power when fully wound.

Ulysse Nardin currently offers two strap options for the FREAK S NOMAD Walker: a gray "ballistic" textured rubber strap and a matte gray skeletonized alligator leather strap, both with titanium buckles.

The most appealing aspect of the FREAK S NOMAD Walker is that it allows you to see the connection between past and future, the collision of tradition and innovation. The FREAK series, already a representative of 21st-century watchmaking technology, revolutionized the watchmaking industry with its silicon-based materials. The FREAK S NOMAD, furthermore, features a carrousel movement crafted from this material. This pioneering watchmaking technology, coupled with the inherently technological feel of a modern, cutting-edge design, seamlessly blends with the interplay of light and shadow created by the traditional movement. The two complement each other, revealing the beauty of traditional craftsmanship amidst this cutting-edge style. Furthermore, the complexity of the movement, whether carrousel, silicon, or double balance wheel design, is inherently driven by the pursuit of ultimate precision.