Ulysse Nardin unveiled two new versions of the Freak One Wednesday featuring two artisan dial treatments: enameling and guilloché. Each reference is limited to 99 pieces.
The Ulysse Nardin Freak One Blue Enamel and Guilloché watches
Ulysse Nardin
Ulysse Nardin says applying these artisan finishes is as much a technical process as it is an artistic one. Unlike a traditional dial, the hour disc of the Freak One is an integral part of the movement and a defining component of the Freak architecture. It rotates as part of the movement and incorporates multiple screw fittings.
It is the first time the hour disc of the Freak One has been enhanced with decorative arts.
Ulysse Nardin Freak One Blue Enamel
For the Freak One with a blue enamel dial, the process begins by cleaning the disc with soap and scrubbing it with a sponge to remove oils and dirt. The disc is crafted in white gold for its thermal stability, as it must withstand the intense heat of repeated kiln firings at about 1,500 degrees Fahrenheit.
To create the enamel, glass compounds are crushed and ground by hand into a fine powder known as frit. The powder is then turned into a pigment paste and applied to the disc in a thin, even layer before being fired in a kiln. The application and firing process is repeated multiple times until the layers of enamel develop depth, intensity and radiance. If a slight bubble or inclusion appears, the disc is discarded and the process starts again.
The Ulysse Nardin Freak One Blue Enamel
Ulysse Nardin
Once the final color is achieved, the disc is manually polished to reveal its brilliance. Ulysse Nardin says the intense blue enamel enhances the visual contrast of the Freak One’s unusual display, naturally highlighting its signature flying carousel at the center of the movement.
“The result is not simply decoration, but a demanding expression of high craftsmanship—where ancient savoir-faire meets the mechanical audacity of the Freak,” the watch brand says.
The blue enamel disc for the 2026 Ulysse Nardin Freak One
Photo ©Laurent Xavier Moulin www.laurentxaviermoulin.ch
The enameling is done by Donzé Cadrans, Ulysse Nardin’s in-house enameling atelier. The company was founded in 1972 in Le Locle by master enameller Francis Donzé and acquired by Ulysse Nardin in 2011. The company describes itself as the oldest enameling workshop in the Swiss watchmaking industry. The company also produces enamel dials for other Swiss watch brands.
The Ulysse Nardin Freak One Guilloché
The Freak One Guilloché presents a more nuanced expression of the distinctive Freak hour disc through a palette of neutral tones.
Its intricate diamond-pattern motif creates an interplay of depth, texture and reflection. After the original motif is created by an artisan, it is transferred onto production discs using a traditional stamping process known as flinqué. In this technique, the engraved metal is coated with layers of translucent or opalescent colored enamel and fired in a kiln. The process preserves the precision and character of the handmade pattern.
The Ulysse Nardin Freak One Guilloché
Ulysse Nardin
The diamond pattern is further enhanced with a sand-toned finish that Ulysse Nardin says “reveals its full character in the light.”
Both watches are housed in 44mm satin-finish and sandblasted titanium cases with open sapphire casebacks. They are completed with integrated white rubber “ballistic” textured straps.
The caseback of the Ulysse Nardin Freak One reveals the patented Grinder winding system
Ulysse Nardin
Introduced in 2023, the Freak One represents a modern expression of the original Freak, a revolutionary timepiece introduced in 2001 that broke traditional watchmaking rules by featuring no dial, no hands and no crown. Its entire rotating movement served as the minute hand, and it was the first mechanical watch to use silicon escapement components. The Freak has served as Ulysse Nardin’s signature timepiece since the revival of the brand in 1983.
Faithful to the original concept, the Freak One has no crown. The time is set by rotating the bidirectional bezel, which locks into place at 6 o’clock when finished. For the 2026 edition, the bezel has been subtly refined and redesigned. Its geometry has been softened, with fewer pronounced notches, resulting in a more contemporary aesthetic while maintaining the contrast and visual impact that define the Freak, Ulysse Nardin says.
Ulysse Nardin Freak One 44mm titanium case and white rubber “ballistic” textured strap
Ulysse Nardin
While the original Freak had a manually wound movement, the Freak One is powered by the in-house UN-240 automatic caliber featuring the company’s patented Grinder winding system. To wind the watch, the wearer rotates the caseback counterclockwise, transmitting energy directly to the barrel. The system provides a 90-hour power reserve.
Other elements of the Freak architecture include a flying carousel movement that rotates around its own axis, a silicon oversized balance wheel and hairspring, a DIAMonSIL escapement made from a Ulysse Nardin patented high-tech composite material, rhodium-plated bridges, and hour and minute indicators with white Super-LumiNova.
As with every Freak, each Freak One is assembled entirely by a single watchmaker at Ulysse Nardin’s Manufacture. The watch consists of 229 components and features an architecture that remains in constant motion.
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