The model that straddles the line between sporty and military style.
Baselworld is long gone, but a whole host of significant events are filling in for the trade show to ensure fans of watchmaking aren't deprived of novelties. The platform Ulysse Nardin chose to unveil their new version of the Freak was September's Watches and Wonders in Shanghai.
This is the first Freak that straddles the line between sporty and military style. The Freak [X OPS] is the latest reincarnation of the Freak X model presented in 2019. The company described this incarnation as revolutionary: not only was it the first member of this family of watches to be equipped with a winding crown, it was also the most affordable of all Freaks in the line.
For the Freak X, the engineers at Ulysse Nardin ditched the bezel for time-setting and the caseback system for winding in favor of a winding crown, reducing the case size to 43 mm and shortening the lugs. Apart from that, the manufacturer transitioned to a regular automatic caliber UN-230 movement.
In 2019, the Freak appeared in titanium, rose-gold and Carbonium versions. In 2020, a model was launched in the line called Freak X Magma, which had a case that married carbon fiber with red marbled epoxy resin. Its successor is here in 2023, Freak [X OPS].
This watch integrates carbon fiber with khaki-colored epoxy resin. This blend has also been used for the lateral elements and lugs flanking the case made of black DLC-coated titanium. Housed within the case is the same UN-230 movement with a 72-hour power reserve.
The revolving "flying carousel" mechanism with its silicon balance wheel and escapement are suspended by a bridge that plays the role of the minute hand. A second bridge serves as the hour hand. Indexes and hand tips are styled in khaki.
The military style is further emphasized by the textile khaki strap. The designers at Ulysse Nardin didn't forget about the environment when creating this novelty. A second version of the Freak [X OPS] comes with a black textile strap made of recycled fishing nets.