Ulysse Nardin’s Freak should need no introduction—it has been turning heads since 2001, a paragon of flashy, fascinating mechanical watchmaking, consisting of a carousel movement that rotates once every 60 minutes and, thus, acts as its own hour hand. The Freak X, introduced in 2019, is Ulysse Nardin’s slimmer, somewhat simpler take on the complication—though all key elements, including silicon balance wheel, are still present—and it now bears witness to a new decorative methodology.
It is called Crystalium and, here, on the new Freak [X Crystalium] (RM198,000), it is the basis of the dial, which appears as a golden crystalline texture. It is, in fact, made up of crystals of ruthenium—a metal that is chemically similar to platinum—and formed by a cutting-edge vapour-deposition process that, indeed, builds these metal crystals. It lends itself as a unique, shimmering surface with a geological randomness. It is treated with a rose gold PVD finish to contrast the blacked-out mechanical and structural elements of the movement, as well as the black DLC titanium case, which measures 43mm in diameter.
This is the sort of next-generation experimentation—one that seeks to launch metiers d’art craftsmanship to new technological heights—that has defined much of Ulysse Nardin’s modern era. The manufacturing process of Crystalium is a demanding one, which means that the production of this watch is limited to only 50 pieces.
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