Mesmerizing “dial” of new Ulysse Nardin Freak X

Black and white: classic colors for an avant-garde model.

In 2011, Maximilian Büsser and Friends released Horological Machine No. 4, Razzle Dazzle. Its titanium case resembles the fuselages of 20th century warplanes with their rivets and morale boosting nose art. Despite drawing inspiration from the same military design of warplanes and warships, Ulysse Nardin Freak X Razzle Dazzle is much more fancy looking.

The name, Razzle Dazzle, not only brings to mind the dazzle the geometric pattern on the dial may cause in a viewer, but is also a reference to the Dazzle camouflage used extensively during World War I. The idea of applying complex patterns of geometric shapes in contrasting colors to warships is credited to the British marine artist Norman Wilkinson.

The intention was not so much to conceal the Royal Navy ships but to mislead the German U-boat commanders about a ship’s course and so cause them to take up a poor firing position. Wilkinson was put in charge of a camouflage unit in the Royal Navy and developed multiple different patterns, one of which was used for RMS Olympic, a twin ship of notorious Titanic.

The pattern was also applied to aircraft. Dazzle attracted the notice of artists such as Pablo Picasso, who claimed that Cubists like himself had invented it. Indeed, some traces of Razzle Dazzle can be found in his works, especially those centered around harlequins. After proving its worth in war and finding its way into the avant-garde, the hypnotic pattern is now enjoying a newfound popularity with the watchmakers Ulysse Nardin.

The new model keeps up the interest in the Ulysse Nardin Freak X collection, in which timepieces have no dial and no hands - the central bridge, or Carrousel Tourbillon, acts as a minute hand. The new model utilizes the same concept thanks to the automatic movement UN-230, which the watchmakers call a successor to the UN-118 and FreakVision UN-250 calibers. All the latest Freak X models in a 43 mm case use caliber UN-230 with a large silicon balance wheel, nickel adjusting weights and self-regulating micro-blades.

The same diameter is adopted for Ulysse Nardin Freak X Razzle Dazzle, whose glazed case is made of light titanium with black DLC. The exhibition caseback lets the wearer catch a glimpse of the oscillating weight of a 72-hour power reserve movement. The watch is shipped with a black or white strap, with only 30 pieces in the limited edition.