Ulysse Nardin Shrinks and Sharpens the Freak X for a New Generation

Ulysse Nardin’s Freak has never been a conventional watch, and that’s still the point.

For the collection’s latest chapter, the brand has reworked the Freak X into a smaller, more wearable and more technically ambitious watch, while keeping the strange mechanical theatre that made the family famous.

The result is a second-generation Freak X that feels less like a facelift and more like a careful reset.

At a glance

A more wearable Freak X without losing the idea

The Freak X has always been the more approachable member of Ulysse Nardin’s most experimental family.

When it arrived in 2019, it translated the original Freak idea into something easier to live with, adding a conventional crown and a more compact format while retaining the collection’s dial-free, hand-free character.

This new generation takes that premise further.

The case is now 41mm across, down from 43mm, with a shorter 47.3mm lug-to-lug measurement and a slimmer 10.35mm profile before the raised crystal is factored in.

Those numbers matter on a watch as visually open and mechanically expressive as the Freak X, because the design already has enough presence without needing extra diameter.

Ulysse Nardin has also moved from the previous modular case architecture to a monobloc construction.

Steel models use 80 percent recycled steel, while the collection also includes a rose-gold version for buyers who want a warmer and more traditional precious-metal expression.

A new glassbox sapphire crystal gives the watch a broader visual aperture, making the movement architecture feel closer and more exposed on the wrist.

The familiar screwed plaque on the left side of the case remains, preserving one of the visual signatures that separates the Freak X from more conventional sports-luxury watchmaking.

The UN-232 calibre changes the mechanical character

The most important update sits inside the watch.

Ulysse Nardin has replaced the previous UN-230 movement with the newly developed manufacture calibre UN-232, a more compact and modular movement created specifically for this generation of Freak X.

The architecture has been designed with future executions in mind, including more decorative treatments and métiers d’art-style variations.

That flexibility matters for a watch family that has often been used as a platform for Ulysse Nardin’s more experimental materials, finishing and dial-side ideas.

The escapement is also a significant step forward.

For the first time in a Freak X, Ulysse Nardin has fitted DIAMonSIL technology, which combines silicon components with a diamond-like surface treatment intended to increase hardness, reduce friction and improve long-term durability.

The watch retains an oversized silicon balance wheel and silicon hairspring, components that have become closely associated with modern Freak models.

These parts are produced by SIGATEC, the silicon specialist co-founded by Ulysse Nardin.

The most visible change from the back is the new rose-gold micro-rotor.

It replaces the previous traditional winding rotor and allows the movement to be more compact while adding a warm visual counterpoint to the otherwise technical movement finishing.

The calibre UN-232 is made from 216 components, beats at 21,600 vibrations per hour and offers a 72-hour power reserve.

Finishing, water resistance and daily use get a lift

The new Freak X isn’t only smaller and more mechanically sophisticated.

It has also been made more practical.

A screw-down crown raises water resistance from 50 metres to 100 metres, giving the watch a stronger everyday brief than its predecessor.

That’s a useful change for a watch intended to bring Freak architecture into more regular rotation rather than keep it as a safe-bound curiosity.

The finishing has been visibly elevated as well.

The movement now combines satin-brushed, polished and grained surfaces, with hand-bevelled details on the oscillator bridge and time-indicating elements.

Applied hour indices replace the previous markers and are filled with Super-LumiNova for better low-light legibility.

Ulysse Nardin has also added a quick-release interchangeable strap system across the new collection.

For the first time in the Freak X line, one of the launch models is offered on an integrated steel bracelet, widening the watch’s appeal for buyers who want the mechanical eccentricity of a Freak with the practicality of a bracelet watch.

Three launch references and permanent-collection pricing

The new-generation Freak X arrives in three versions.

The Freak X Grey pairs an 80 percent recycled steel case with a grey sandblasted hour disc and a light brown calfskin strap.

The Freak X Blue also uses the recycled steel case, adding a blue gradient satin-brushed hour disc and the new integrated steel bracelet.

The Freak X Gold moves to a rose-gold case, a black sandblasted hour disc and a black alligator strap.

All three models join the permanent collection rather than being positioned as limited editions.

Details & Specifications

The new Freak X Grey is priced at CHF 33,500 or EUR 37,500, while the Freak X Blue on bracelet is priced at CHF 34,500 or EUR 38,600.

The rose-gold Freak X Gold is priced at CHF 52,000 or EUR 58,200.

For collectors who liked the Freak X concept but found the previous generation a little too large or not quite refined enough, this second generation makes a persuasive case by improving the fundamentals without diluting the watch’s oddball identity.