One of This Century’s Most Important Watches Gets a Lot More Wearable

The Ulysse Nardin Freak debuted in 2001 and now ranks as one of the most important and influential watches of this century. The Freak’s main calling card comes from its avant-garde design that lacks a traditional dial and hands, as it instead uses the movement itself as the time display.

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The Freak’s wild design may not have kicked off a major trend across the industry, but the watch was still a game-changer thanks to its use of silicon in its escapement. The lightweight, durable and amagnetic material has since become standard in the luxury watch industry, but the Freak was the first watch to feature it.

2026 marks 25 years of the Freak, and Ulysse Nardin is celebrating all year long with the “Year of the Freak.” Back in April, we saw the most ambitious Freak yet with the launch of the Super Freak. Now, UN is working on the other side of the spectrum with an overhaul of its “entry-level” Freak X that’s the most practical Freak ever made.

Little Freak

Ulysse Nardin

First launched in 2019, the Freak X was always intended to be a more practical Freak. It had a smaller case at 43mm, it ditched the crownless design for a traditional crown and it came in at a lower (but still quite high) price point.

But the problem was, for me anyway, that the watch was still too big. While it may have been the smallest Freak, 43mm across isn’t exactly small. That’s an oversized watch, which means you still needed pretty big wrists to pull off the Freak X.

Now, Ulysse Nardin has finally addressed this issue with the Freak X New Generation. Its case is 2mm smaller in diameter, clocking in at a much more reasonable 41mm. The lug-to-lug distance has also come down considerably from 49.6 mm to 47.3 mm.

Ulysse Nardin

It’s also thinner, with the case (without the crystal) dropping from 13.9mm to 13.6mm tall. A new box sapphire crystal is responsible for 2.9mm of that height, but it gives a better view of the movement and shouldn’t affect the perceived thickness of the watch.

Speaking of the movement, it’s a brand-new calibre that has allowed this size reduction. The new Calibre UN-232 automatic has all the Freak hallmarks you expect, with its signature rotating carousel tracking the minutes and rotating hour disc, along with an oversized balance wheel and hairspring made of silicon and “DiamonSil” diamond-coated silicon escapement.

All of the key components on the dial side are hand-beveled, and the power reserve is a full three days. The movement’s thinness is due in part to the new oscillating mass, with a rose gold micro-rotor that’s set into the movement replacing the traditional rotor of the previous generation. It’s the first micro-rotor on any Freak.

Ulysse Nardin

The case, in addition to being smaller, is also now a monobloc design. This brings more structural rigidity to the watch and also helps it achieve double the water resistance compared to before. With a water resistance now of 100m, you can pretty much wear this watch anywhere without worry.

Lastly, another huge practicality upgrade is the addition of a brand-new interchangeable strap system. This allows you to seamlessly switch between a steel bracelet, rubber strap or leather strap without the use of any tools, with nine options available at launch. The bracelet, which is all-new, also features an on-the-fly micro-adjustable clasp with 2mm of travel on each side.

Ulysse Nardin

Availability and pricing

At launch, there are three versions of the new Freak X: two in steel with a gray or blue dial, and one in solid rose gold with a black dial. Prices aren’t cheap at over $40,000, which is an increase of several thousand over the previous generation, but this remains the “entry-level” Freak.

Bringing up the rear is the Freak X Grey on a leather strap, which retails for $41,200. The Freak X Blue on a steel bracelet goes for $44,200. And the Freak X Gold on alligator leather tops out the range at $64,000.

I’ve always loved the Freak X, but found it too big for me to wear comfortably. So it’s safe to say that this new version will be added to my grail list, somewhere near the top.

Ulysse Nardin

Ulysse Nardin Freak X New Generation

Specs

Case Size	41mm
Movement	Ulysse Nardin Cal. UN-232 automatic
Water Resistance	100m

• $42,400 at Ulysse Nardin

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