Ulysse Nardin Shrinks the Freak X for Its 25th Anniversary

Ulysse Nardin’s Freak has never been a conventional watch, which is exactly why it still feels relevant 25 years after its 2001 debut.

For the anniversary, the brand has taken the more approachable Freak X and sharpened it into a smaller, more wearable series with meaningful mechanical updates rather than a purely cosmetic celebration.

The result is a 41mm Freak X that keeps the collection’s carousel display at the centre of the experience, while making the watch easier to imagine as a regular part of a serious rotation.

At a glance

A smaller Freak with fewer compromises

The Freak X has always been the more practical branch of the Freak family, introduced in 2019 as a compact, crown-operated alternative to the more radical bezel-controlled Freak designs.

This anniversary series pushes that idea further with a case reduced from 43mm to 41mm, a change that matters on a watch with this much visual architecture.

The lug-to-lug measurement is now 47.3mm, down from 49.6mm, while the case thickness is 10.3mm before the box sapphire crystal and 13.6mm with it.

Those numbers move the Freak X into a more widely wearable zone without stripping away the model’s identity.

Ulysse Nardin has also moved the steel models to 80 percent recycled steel, while the third version uses rose gold for a warmer and more traditional precious-metal expression.

A monobloc case construction and a new screw-down crown help lift water resistance to 100 metres, which is a useful gain for a watch that’s being positioned as the everyday Freak.

The UN-232 calibre brings the big mechanical news

The most important change sits beneath the familiar-looking display.

The new calibre UN-232 is an automatic movement that introduces micro-rotor winding to the Freak X for the first time.

As with other Freak designs, the movement architecture is part of the time display, with the central carousel acting as the minute indicator while the hour indication sits below it.

Ulysse Nardin has also brought in a DIAMonSIL escapement, a technology used to improve precision and durability by combining diamond and silicon expertise.

The movement runs at 21,600 vibrations per hour and offers a 72-hour power reserve, which gives the watch practical endurance beyond its visual theatre.

Its structure has also been made more modular, allowing elements such as the hour indicator disk to be changed more easily for future editions.

Three executions and a more flexible strap system

The anniversary Freak X arrives in three versions, each giving the same mechanical concept a different character.

The grey steel model comes on a leather strap, while the blue steel model is paired with a steel bracelet.

The rose gold version is fitted with a black dial and an alligator strap, placing it at the more formal end of the new trio.

Dial finishing separates the pieces further, with grained textures on the grey and black versions and a sunray-brushed finish on the blue edition.

All three models use a new interchangeable strap system, opening the door to leather, rubber and bracelet options depending on the version and owner preference.

That flexibility fits the broader direction of the watch, which is still unmistakably a Freak but now feels less like a special-occasion experiment.

Details & Specifications

The new Freak X anniversary series works because it doesn’t try to tame the Freak completely.

It keeps the strange, kinetic appeal that made the line important, then packages it in a size and specification that make far more sense for collectors who actually want to wear one.