Join the CEO of Ulysse Nardin, Patrick Pruniaux, and the Founder of Revolution, Wei Koh, as they discuss how the Freak changed watchmaking history and how its latest iteration, the Freak ONE, continues to champion irreverent horology.

The Freak by Ulysse Nardin was originally invented by Ludwig Oechslin in 2001. It was truly a freak because it told time very differently from any other watch of its era, and this was way before the futuristic watches trend. Oechslin placed the balance of the Freak on the front instead of hiding it at the back, and its movement rotated on the surface of the dial to indicate the time. Furthermore, the original Freak comprised surprisingly few components and was the first watch to incorporate a highly efficient silicium escapement.

Ulysse Nardin presented the Freak ONE at Watches and Wonders 2023, which has a high-efficiency winding system with four blades. Turning its bezel sets the time and turning the case back winds the watch. As a tribute to Oechslin’s silicium innovations and the first Freak, the 2023 Freak ONE has a balance wheel made from one single piece of silicon, and a lever escapement made of DIAMonSIL.