Ulysse Nardin – FREAK [S PURPLE ENAMEL] 45 mm Titanium Edition - 2026
A High Horology Masterpiece
At Ulysse Nardin, we think differently, and we believe that progress happens when we explore beyond what is possible. Since 1846, the Maison has been advancing watchmaking through pioneering technology and unmatched craftsmanship. That spirit of innovation found its most radical expression in 2001, when Ulysse Nardin unveiled the Freak, a creation that defied every rule: no dial, no hands, no crown, but a movement that rotates to tell the time. Conceived by Dr. Ludwig Oechslin, mathematician, astronomer, and visionary watchmaker, the Freak also pioneered the use of silicon, transforming radical engineering into a bold statement of creative freedom. A true revolution in 21st-century watchmaking, the Freak has, twenty-five years later, become an icon among collectors and a true laboratory on the wrist, driving continuous experimen tation across 35 patents and 17 calibers. In 2023, the Freak’s influence was recognized by the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG), which awarded the Freak [ONE] the Iconic Watch Prize.
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A MARVEL OF
HIGH ARTISTRY
In 2026, Ulysse Nardin celebrates 180 years of legacy and 25 years of the Freak. Continuing the celebration of these two milestones, the Maison introduces the Freak S Purple Enamel, the final Freak S in titanium to feature an enamel hour disc, limited to just 50 pieces.
A High Horology Masterpiece
The Freak S is one of the boldest expressions of the Freak concept, and the world’s first automatic watch with dual oscillators. First introduced in 2022, it pushed the collection into a new mechanical dimension with an unprecedented three-dimensional architecture, with six distinct gear planes. Approximately 95% of the movement’s components are in motion, creating a constantly evolving mechanical spectacle.
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Bringing such an architecture to life requires exceptional expertise. Each Freak S Pruple Enamel is assembled from start to finish by a single Grandes Complications watchmaker at the Ulysse Nardin Manufacture in Switzerland, demanding the precision, patience and savoir-faire reserved for the Manufacture’s most complex creations.
No Hands
The Freak S has no traditional hands. Instead, the movement itself indicates the time. Comprising 373 components, the Manufacture caliber UN-251 is a flying carousel movement rotating around its own axis.
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True to the Freak principle, the entire carousel completes one full rotation every 60 minutes, indicating the minutes via a pointer positioned at the tip of the baguette-shaped movement.
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Its three-dimensional architecture incorporates two oversized silicon oscillators, each inclined at 20 degrees and featuring silicon balance wheels, balance spring and DiamonSil escapements. They are connected by Ulysse Nardin’s vertical mechanical differential — the smallest of its kind in the world.
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To accommodate this complex mechanism, the Freak S extends across six distinct gear planes, compared with the two typically found in conventional mechanical movements, creating its spectacular three-dimensional architecture.
No Dial
The Freak S has no conventional dial. Instead, a rotating hour disc with a pointer, which completes one full rotation every 12 hours beneath the flying carousel, serves as the hour indication.
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For this last limited edition in titanium, Ulysse Nardin introduces a Guilloché-Flinqué enamel hour disc in purple, made in-house at Donzé Cadrans.
No Crown
Faithful to the original concept, the Freak S has no crown. Time is set by unlocking the safety lock positioned at 6 o’clock and rotating the bidirectional bezel.
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To wind the watch, it must first be turned over. Using both thumbs, the wearer rotates the caseback counterclockwise, transmitting energy directly to the barrel via the base of the Grinder® winding system, the most efficient and advanced automatic winding system, developed and patented by Ulysse Nardin.
The World’s Smallest Differential
At the heart of the Freak S beats a component never seen at this scale in horology: the world’s smallest vertical differential. Composed of 47 precision-engineered parts, including six ceramic ball bearings and engineered with micron-level precision, its mission is to average the rate of the two inclined oscillators, delivering unmatched accuracy and enhanced stability.
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Originally invented in 1827 by the watchmaker Onésiphore Pecqueur to guide early steam-powered vehicles, the differential was not originally intended for watchmaking. Yet nearly two centuries later, Ulysse Nardin reimagines this historic concept, integrating a differential gear entirely built on ball bearings within a mechanical movement, an unprecedented feat in the world of Haute Horlogerie.
In-house Silicon and DIAMonSIL® Technology
Silicon’s journey in watchmaking began with Ulysse Nardin in 2001 with the Freak. More than two decades later, although many other prestigious watchmakers have since adopted the avant-garde material, the Freak remains at the forefront of this revolution.
Lightweight, flexible, low-friction, and fully anti-magnetic, silicon offers clear performance advantages, enhancing precision, durability, and long-term reliability.
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Inside the movement are ten in-house silicon components, including the balance wheels and hairsprings, along with the DIAMonSIL escapements, a fusion of silicon and diamond coating patented by Ulysse Nardin in 2007. With the added hardness of diamond on the escapements, designed to withstand over 150 million impacts per year, this advanced material significantly increases resistance to friction and shock. This level of robustness is essential, especially as the Freak S escapement operates at 18’000 vibrations per hour.
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Produced at Sigatec, the brand’s silicon lab in Sion, Switzerland, these components reflect over 20 years of proprietary expertise and innovation.
The Most Advanced Automatic Winding System Ever Developed
Supplying energy to two oscillators is a challenge that Ulysse Nardin met with the development of the Grinder® system, the most advanced automatic winding system to date. First introduced in 2017 through the Freak InnoVision 2 concept watch, Grinder® was engineered specifically to meet the high-energy demands of a dual-oscillator movement, without sacrificing efficiency or power.
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The result is an impressive 72-hour power reserve, made possible by a system that captures and converts even the slightest wrist movement into usable energy. Echoing the principles of hybrid automotive technology, Grinder® recovers kinetic energy from motion to keep the Freak S running at peak performance.
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Its efficiency is rooted in a low-frequency movement of 2.5 Hz, combined with friction-reducing ceramic ball bearings, ensuring seamless energy transmission and lasting mechanical reliability.
Advanced Housing
The Freak S Purple Enamel is housed in a 45 mm case made from one of the most advanced materials in contemporary high watchmaking: titanium. Renowned for its use in aerospace and high-performance engineering, titanium is approximately 45% lighter than steel yet offers exceptional strength. Its natural properties, corrosion resistance, hypoallergenic composition, and durability, make it an ideal choice for a watch built to endure extreme conditions while maintaining comfort on the wrist.
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The entire case architecture, including the main body, bezel, locking mechanism, and case back, is crafted from titanium to ensure structural integrity without unnecessary weight. The result is a robust yet lightweight construction that protects the movement while enhancing wearability and long-term performance.
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Completing the piece is a purple calfskin leather strap with white stitches, paired with a titanium folding buckle.
A Marvel of High Artistry
The Freak S Purple Enamel combines cutting-edge mechanical innovation with one of the most exquisite decorative techniques in watchmaking: enamelling.
Among the rare métiers d’art still practiced today, enamelling holds a special place at Ulysse Nardin. This ancient craft, perfected over millennia by civilizations from Egypt to China, became associated with horology in the 17th century. Renowned for its depth, vibrancy, and permanence, it offers a richness of colour that never fades, unlike traditional surface treatments.
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The new edition of the Freak S features a rotating hour disc enamelled in purple and is crafted entirely in-house at Donzé Cadrans, the Manufacture’s dedicated enamelling workshop. Founded in 1972 by master enameller Francis Donzé, making it Switzerland’s oldest enameling workshop, the atelier began collaborating with Ulysse Nardin in the 1980s, and was acquired by the Maison in 2011 to ensure the continuity of this expertise. Donzé Cadrans is a benchmark in the field, mastering techniques such as Grand Feu, Cloisonné, Champlevé, and Guilloché-Flinqué.
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While Donzé Cadrans is renowned for its expertise in traditional, static enamel dials, the Freak S presents an entirely different challenge. The Guilloché-Flinqué rotating hour disc is not purely decorative; it is an active part of the movement. A mechanical component, constantly in motion, built with precise tolerances and fitted with multiple screw points. Every step must account for movement, balance, and structural integrity, without compromising visual perfection.
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To meet these demands, Ulysse Nardin uses 18-carat white gold (130 palladium, 120 silver, 750 gold) chosen specifically for its thermal stability. Only with this composition can the disc endure the extreme heat of repeated kiln firings without distortion.
Before enamelling begins, the disc is stamped with a signature pattern, designed in-house to intensify the visual rhythm of the rotating carousel and its twin silicon oscillators. The enamelling process itself is both science and art. Raw solid compounds are washed, ground by hand using a traditional mortar and pestle, and reduced to an ultra-fine powder. These pigments are then blended, a process that demands deep knowledge of chemistry, reactivity, and color theory. Water is added to form a pigment paste, which is applied to the disc and fired at approximately 800°C. This is repeated across three to four layers, each one enhancing the tone, texture, and intensity of the enamel. After the final firing, the surface is manually polished, a delicate, hour-long operation that reveals the enamel’s full depth and luminosity.
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Every step of the enamelling process carries inherent risks, bubbling, cracking, or uneven firing can result in having to start the entire piece over from scratch. This demanding discipline allows no shortcuts and requires an extraordinary combination of patience, precision, and time, which is why enamel remains one of the most challenging materials to master in Haute Horlogerie.
The outcome, however, is an enamel surface that is not only beautiful, but also remarkably durable. The Freak S Purple Enamel is therefore more than a technical achievement, it is a timepiece that unites cutting-edge engineering with a centuries-old craft, advancing both to unprecedented heights.
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TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
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Reference: 2513-500LE -7AE-PURP/0A
Material: Titanium case, locker, bezel and caseback
Open sapphire caseback
Diameter: 45 mm
Perceived height: 13.66 mm / overall height: 16.65 mm
Water-resistant to 30 meters
DIAL
Hour disc
Guilloché-flinqué hour disc
Coated with purple enamel
Made in-house at Ulysse Nardin’s workshop, Donzé Cadrans
MOVEMENT
Manufacture caliber UN-251
Automatic movement
Two 20-degree-inclined oversized oscillators with silicon balance wheels
DIAMonSIL® escapements
Vertical differential with ball bearings
Grinder® automatic winding system, blades technology
Number of parts: 373
Number of jewels: 33
Frequency: 2 x 2.5 Hz / oscillations 2 x 18,000 V/H
Power reserve of 72 hours
Complication:
- Double Oscillators
- Flying Carousel
Hours, minutes
Flying carousel movement rotating around its own axis
STRAP
Purple calfskin leather strap with white stitches
Titanium folding buckle
🔴Price: (incl. Swiss VAT) 💰
- CHF 153’000 (8.1% VAT incl.)
- EUR 171’200 (21% VAT incl.)
- GBP 142’010 (20% VAT incl.)
- USD 174’400 (tax excluded)
WARRANTY Five years
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Ulysse Nardin SA
Marketing Department
Rue du Jardin 3
2400 Le Locle
Switzerland T :+4132 930 74 00
F :+4132 930 74 21
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