In 1981, Rick James penned his incredibly catchy disco anthem Super Freak, a few years before a young Ludwig Oeschlin would begin his apprenticeship in watchmaking, and two decades before he would release his own Freak in 2001.

Disco might be dead, but the Oeschlin’s most enduring invention is just getting better with age. Twenty-five years after the original Ulysse Nardin Freak shocked at and delighted at Baselworld, the brand has delivered the Super Freak, a technical tour de force full of sobriquets and superlatives that still, somehow, manages to live up to the hype. Ulysse Nardin says their Super Freak is the most complicated time-only watch ever made — a remarkable concept in and of itself. On top of that, it’s the world’s first-ever automatic double tourbillon (and a carousel to boot), it houses the world’s smallest gimbal system, and the smallest vertical differential. It’s also packed full of patents and top-tier watchmaking, but one of the most remarkable takeaways is that over 97% of the movement is in motion. This Freak truly is super.

The Ulysse Nardin Super Freak in white gold frames its hyper-kinetic UN-252 calibre within a 44mm case, delivering a wearable take on extreme horology

So it’s complicated — but what is it like as a watch? Well, first of all, it’s limited. There are only 50 Super Freaks being made. Beyond that, it’s quite wearable as far as hyperwatches go. The white gold case is 44m, a shade slimmer than the 45mm case of the Freak S, and great attention has been paid to on-the-wrist ergonomics, with the bezel locking system being re-engineered so that it’s smaller, cleaner and sleeker.

Really, though, this case serves as a frame for the work of art inside, the new caliber UN-252, the result of four years of R&D. While the entire movement comprises 511 components, that number is stacked towards the minute bridge, which has 327 parts (all of them moving). The twin titanium flying tourbillons rest at a 10-degree incline, and rotate in opposite directions, a regulated by a tiny differential, the world’s smallest at 5mm. This differential also transmits energy to a newly patented gimbal system, all of which ensures that the varying rates from the two tourbillons is precise, stable and reliable.

A sweeping view of the Ulysse Nardin Super Freak reveals its fully animated calibre, with twin flying tourbillons, differential, and gimbal system all in constant motion

Nestled between these mighty twin orbs of the tourbillons is the minute indicator, and just below the tip is another Freak first — a seconds display in the form of a direct-read cylinder. With so much going on mechanically (the concept motion of almost all of the calibre is a power drain, to say the least), one of the Super Freak’s greatest achievements is its energy efficiency. A key part of this is yet another patented system — the Grinder, a crownless winding system that allows the Super Freak three days of power reserve.

Detail of the Super Freak’s inclined tourbillon and direct-read seconds cylinder, underscoring the watch’s radical, hands-free time display

There’s plenty more tech to dive into on the Super Freak — the silicon and Diamonsil components, as well as the transparent blue Nanosital hour disc — all of which are continuing the Freak’s pioneering legacy when it comes to silicon technology, but once we go down that road, we quickly venture into PhD-required territory. Suffice to say that the Ulysse Nardin Super Freak, not only honours the legacy of Ludwig Oeschlin and the 25-year story of the Freak, but would also (we suspect), win over Rick James.

Tech Specs: Ulysse Nardin Super Freak

Movement: Caliber UN-252 Manufacture automatic movement
Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds
Case: White gold, 44 x 16.54mm, perceived height 12.2mm, water resistance 30M
Strap: Grey rubber ballistic strap with white stitches, white gold deployant buckle
Price and availability: CHF 320,000, limited to 50 pieces