Introducing The Freak [X Gold Enamel]: Mechanical Mastery Meets Métiers d’Art

The Freak isn’t just a watch. It’s a superwatch—a true pioneer. The first to embrace silicon components and one of the few to turn its movement into the very mechanism that tells time. No hands, no dial, no crown—just radical innovation, wrapped in daring design. Now, with the new Freak [X Gold Enamel], Ulysse Nardin brings this avant-garde spirit into dialogue with one of watchmaking’s most time-honoured decorative crafts: enamel. The result? A bold celebration of technology and tradition—made possible by the brand’s in-house enamelling specialist, Donzé Cadrans.

A New Chapter in the Freak Legacy

When the original Freak launched in 2001, it broke every rule of traditional watchmaking. Named internally as a codename by then-owner Rolf W. Schnyder, the name stuck—and rightfully so. The Freak had no crown, no hands, and no conventional dial. Instead, the bezel set the time, the caseback wound the movement, and the entire movement rotated to indicate the minutes and hours.

But it wasn’t just the design that made headlines. The Freak was also the first watch to use silicon in its movement—a lightweight, highly durable, and anti-magnetic material that has since become essential in modern horology. With over 20 patents to its name, the Freak has grown into an icon of mechanical creativity. In 2023, the Freak One even took home the “Iconic Watch Prize” at the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève. The Freak X, launched in 2019, brought this mechanical daring to a wider audience. With a slimmer profile and the addition of a crown for easy time-setting, it retained the DNA of the original while becoming more wearable for everyday use.

Mechanics in Motion

The Freak X continues the legacy with its flying carousel movement—a complication where the entire movement rotates around its own axis, indicating time without the need for traditional hands. A pointer attached to the rotating disc shows the hours, while the movement itself marks the minutes, completing a full revolution every hour.

In this Freak [X Gold Enamel] edition, the 43 mm case is crafted from blue PVD-coated titanium with rose gold accents. The movement features a rose gold-coloured minute bridge and hour markers with white Super-LumiNova® for legibility. The watch offers a 72-hour power reserve and is fitted with a blue alligator strap featuring rose gold stitching and a matching folding buckle. But what truly sets this limited edition apart is its dial—a rotating disc enhanced with Guilloché-Flinqué decoration and several layers of deep blue enamel, adding hypnotic depth to the watch’s signature carousel display. Just 120 pieces will be made.

The Soul of Enamel

The art of enamelling has roots going back over 3,000 years, with applications in ancient Egypt, China, and the Roman Empire. In watchmaking, it became a hallmark of luxury and craftsmanship in the 17th century. Known for its vivid, lasting colour, enamel cannot fade over time—unlike traditional paint or coatings. But it’s also one of the most demanding techniques in the métiers d’art.

Ulysse Nardin has played a key role in keeping this craft alive through Donzé Cadrans, a Le Locle-based enamelling workshop founded in 1972 by master artisan Francis Donzé. Acquired by Ulysse Nardin in 2011, the atelier specialises in traditional techniques like Grand Feu, Cloisonné, Champlevé, and Guilloché-Flinqué. With a small team of just eight artisans—some with over 30 years of experience—Donzé Cadrans produces roughly 1,200 dials a year for Ulysse Nardin and select others.

A Moving Challenge

While Donzé Cadrans is celebrated for its static enamel dials, the rotating disc of the Freak X presents a more complex challenge. Unlike a standard dial, this is a working component of the movement itself, complete with screw fittings and a constant rotational function. The material used for the disc—22-carat rose gold (a blend of 91.7% gold and 8.3% copper)—is chosen for its exceptional thermal stability, necessary for withstanding the intense heat of kiln-firing.

Before enamelling, the disc is engraved with a subtle sunray pattern that enhances its visual depth. The enamel itself is made by crushing raw compounds into a fine powder, then blended with water to form a paste. This paste is applied by hand and fired in a kiln at over 800°C. The process is repeated for three to four layers, each enhancing the depth and richness of the blue hue. Final polishing is done by hand, taking up to an hour. Every step risks imperfections—cracks, bubbles, colour variation—and often a piece must be redone from scratch. Enamelling is a true test of patience and precision.

Time, Crafted by Hand

Each Freak [X Gold Enamel] dial takes a full day—about eight hours—to complete. No two are exactly alike. Each piece carries subtle differences in tone and texture, giving it a soul of its own. In a world increasingly driven by automation, this is artistry at its most human. A seamless blend of 17th-century beauty and 21st-century innovation—alive in motion, luminous in colour, and unapologetically bold.