The new Blast with a mosaic dial.

 

The company Ulysse Nardin which pioneers the application of silicon technologies in watchmaking presented the Freak X in early 2019: the most affordable Freak model in the collection.

 

The designers used their signature orbital carrousel tourbillon to highlight its connection with the collection's original prototype, and reminded us of the silicon revolution with the Freak X Silicium Marquetry version.

 

The Freak first introduced in 2001 used an escape wheel made of monocrystalline silicon. Later they used silicon to piece together a mosaic on the dial for the Freak X Silicium Marquetry.

 

 

The idea seems to have gone down a treat, so they carried it over to the Blast Free Wheel Marquetry presented for the 2023 Geneva Watch Days. Silicon marquetry has now been used to decorate the dial of a model from the Blast line, which features watches with openworked components in their movements.

 

The silicon marquetry serves as a backdrop for a flying tourbillon that "floats" up over it, along with toothed wheels in the gear train, and elements of the winding system. Silicon has also been used to decorate the barrel found at 12 o'clock.

 

Ulysse Nardin | Blast Free Wheel Marquetry
Ulysse Nardin | Blast Free Wheel Marquetry

Silicon has actually proven itself to be a great decorative material. It has a rich blue hue that gleams in the sunlight. A total of 103 interlocking pieces were used for the dial.

 

The mosaic has been pieced together from details with both matte and mirror-polished surfaces of different thicknesses ranging from 0.3 mm to 0.35 mm. The varying thicknesses and texture give the dial a visual sense of depth.

 

The open sides of the watch offer a window into the full depth of the movement. They're shaped from sapphire crystal, which merges almost seamlessly into the faceted lugs and caseback. The case of the Blast Free Wheel Marquetry is made of white gold and measures 45 mm in diameter.

The caseback reveals the silicon plate of caliber UN-176. This manually wound movement with the Ulysse Anchor Constant Escapement consists of 249 components, and it ensures a week's worth of power reserve.

 

The unconventional indication at 4 o'clock allows you to keep track of it. It goes without saying that the escape wheel, anchor, and balance wheel are of course all made of silicon.