Revving Up Time: Ulysse Nardin's Bold Collaboration With Gumball 3000

In a collaboration that shatters convention, Ulysse Nardin, the award-winning Swiss watch manufacture behind the Freak and the eccentrics behind Gumball 3000 are coming together to mark the 25th anniversary of the world’s most rock-and-roll rally. Introducing the Freak X Gumball 3000 Limited Edition—a watch for the bold and the brave.

This limited-edition watch will be produced in just 150 pieces, with each Gumball 3000 driver having the option to personalise theirs with a dedication plate featuring their specific team number, celebrating the 25th anniversary of the rally. Since 1999, Maximillion Cooper has led a convoy of mavericks on a 3,000-mile odyssey that transcends speed and style. Gumball 3000 isn’t about the destination—it’s about the ride, the challenges, and the stories created along the way. The 2024 edition roars through Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand and Malaysia before culminating in the electric atmosphere of Singapore’s F1 Grand Prix. 

Amongst Ulysse Nardin’s wildest creations is the Freak that epitomizes the impact of the Maison on modern high horology. Launched in 2001, the Freak shocked the watchmaking world in the way it defied and reconfigured centuries-old norms, fomenting a revolution on three fronts — design, mechanical and material. With no hands, no dial, no crown, its design was revolutionary: it was the first wristwatch wherein mechanics and aesthetics were virtually indistinguishable and where movement design was an extreme exercise in aesthetics. The Freak was aptly named as it bore little resemblance to anything ever worn on the wrist. It was a watch whose primary purpose was to convey an emotional or an artistic expression of time.

Sharing his thoughts on this collaboration Matthieu Haverlan, Managing Director at Ulysse Nardin, stated, “Gumball 3000 and Ulysse Nardin share a mutual passion for challenging conventions in the pursuit of the wildest adventures whether on the road of life or in the art of telling time. For the 25th anniversary, we wanted to create something as daring and unique as the rally itself. The Freak X Gumball 3000 is the perfect embodiment of this spirit - it is our way of celebrating the individuality and adventure that makes Gumball 3000 so legendary.”

So with two brands that embody an unconventional spirit, their partnership is bound to be legendary. Each watch will initially be offered exclusively to drivers of Gumball 3000’s 25th anniversary rally this September, providing Gumballers an opportunity to immortalise their once in a lifetime memories with a timepiece that matches the team number of their rally car. The special edition watch, limited to just 150 pieces, is a striking fusion of cutting-edge high horology and Gumball’s unmistakable rebellious energy. The watch features a bold, personalised display case-back etched with the iconic Gumball 3000 logo, a lightweight forged Carbonium case, and iridescent Gumball orange Super-LumiNova on the hour markers - completed with vivid Delugs orange rubber strap.

Maximillian Cooper, Founder of Gumball 3000, commented, “Celebrating 25 years of Gumball 3000 is a huge milestone, and partnering with Ulysse Nardin to create something truly special felt like the perfect way to mark it. Each driver will have the opportunity to customize their Freak X watch to match their team number, making it a tribute to the spirit of individuality and adventure that defines our rally. Just like Gumball, the Freak X breaks the mold—it’s bold, unconventional, and engineered for those who aren’t afraid to push boundaries.”