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ULYSSE NARDINUlysse Nardin’s Freak: A Diamond(Without the Rough)By Dean L. BumpThe 21st Century has seen the most prolific burst ofhorological development and creativity ever recorded.During the last seven years, brands have shown breakthroughsin technology and design that have hithertobeen undreamed of, and the advancements in newmaterials has been unprecedented.Put Your Freak OnWith very little argument, the piece that was the catalyst in therace for new designs and materials is Ulysse Nardin’s “FREAK.”It was, in the words of the UN press department, “the pinnacleof both technological and artistic watch making.”Like Atlas’ brother, Prometheus, who stole fire from Zeusand brought it to man for his own uses, the door which theFREAK opened to the world of horology is only now being realizedand exploited by other ambitious brands.Debuting the original model in 2001, the FREAK broke allpreviously conventional rules for design. Time-reading, thewinding mechanism, the method of time-setting, and the materialsused within the movement were all avant-garde. Althoughcertain famous brands have recently boasted of theuse of silicium, the FREAK was actually the first commerciallyavailable watch with a silicium escapement, five years aheadof the pack.It was, and remains, the watch with the fewest parts. It hasa very large main spring beneath the dial, and the movementwith escapement floats and pirouettes above the dial. Whatregulates the motor is the breakthrough Dual Direct escapement,with a balance beating at a traditional rate of 3 Hertz,or 21,600 vibrations per hour. With watch collecting becomingThe Freak DiamonSilone of the fastest growing investment hobbies, there are manycollectors trying to find one of the original designs. However,with skilled labor in short supply, Ulysse Nardin has been hardpressed to meet the demands.One of Ulysse Nardin’s maxims is to continually improvethe models and technologies that it has. So, it was inevitablewith such a cutting-edge piece that Ulysse Nardin would offeran encore.Can We Get Any Freakier?The brand followed up the initial launch by unveiling the“FREAK 28,800” also known among collectors as the “FREAK 2”in 2002. What differentiated this new iteration of this “poetryfor the wrist,” as Rolf Schnyder, Ulysse Nardin’s owner, calls it,was the new Dual Ulysse, or Dual Indirect escapement. Thistime, the balance was sped up to a cadence of 28,800 vph, andthe escapement used two wheels made of nickel-phosphorus,rather than silicium.In 2005, Ulysse Nardin’s quest for ever-greater materials andprocesses led them to release the “FREAK Diamond Heart.” It,too, used the Dual Ulysse escapement, but instead of seeingthe dark glistening of nickel-phosphorus escape wheels, theLike Atlas’ brother, Prometheus,who stole fire from Zeus andbrought it to man for his ownuses, the door which theFREAK opened to the world ofhorology is only now beingrealized and exploited by otherambitious brands.new wheels were made of that most noble of materials - diamond,which made them almost transparent.Pierre Gygax, Ulysse Nardin’s technical director explainsthat the only problem with diamond wheels verses nickelwheels is that the manufacturing process is much slower, andthe cost is 1,000:1. Rolf Schnyder adds, “Diamond is anti-magnetic,needs no lubrication and lasts forever. The only barrierwith diamond is the extremely high cost.” So, how do you improveon the perfect? You reduce the cost of manufacturing.Enter the DIAMonSIL EscapementPartnering with Sigatec, a manufacturer of silicium parts, andGFD, a leading producer of components in diamond usingnanotechnology, Ulysse Nardin has once again given theworld yet another truly innovative and futuristic advancein watchmaking. This year the first commercially availablewatch with a synthetic nanocrystal diamond escapement“grown” on a silicium raw part is being offered by the companyfrom LeLocle.Instead of growing a large synthetic diamond and cuttingit to design specifications, now you have a pre-fabricatedform with the silicium wheel, and on top of IT yougrow your diamond coating. This means that it doesn’thave to be as thick or take as long or cost as much to manufactureparts that are essentially just as strong as the previousversion.The case, measuring 44.5 millimeters, with anti-reflectivesapphire crystals on both sides, is a visual feast for the eyes.The navy blue strap, dial and bridges contrast sharply, yet beautifully,with the platinum case, balance wheel, pointers, numbersand gears.Like the FREAK DIAMonSIL’s great-grandfather, the originalFREAK, the DIAMonSIL is unique in another way, too,besides materials and layout. It is, by design, a watch withouta case. Since the front bezel sets the time while the backbezel winds the mainspring - both of which are attached tothe carousel tourbillion mounted on the dial - you essentiallyhave one, large movement. Owners will be mesmerized at thewatch’s mechanical simplicity and austere beauty.Limited to just 28 pieces, the “Freak DIAMonSIL” is boundto be another pivotal piece in horology’s quest for the ultimatemovement construction and is another notch inUN’s catalog of accomplishments. n72 August 2007 www.hrwatches.comwww.hrwatches.com August 2007 73