The new release marks 25 years of the Freak collection with unusual mechanics and a natural stone that’s making its debut to UN. Limited to just 15 pieces for North America, the watch comes in a 45mm titanium case, keeping it lightweight despite its size. The main attraction is the white howlite hour disc, which has natural gray veining that gives every watch a slightly different look. The stone is sourced in Canada and cut and finished in Switzerland before being fitted into the watch. Like other Freak models, there’s no dial or set of hands. Instead, the movement rotates to display the time.
Inside is the in-house UN-251 caliber, a 373-component automatic movement with two silicon oscillators. The flying carousel, which carries much of the movement with it, rotates once an hour to indicate the minutes, while a pointer on the howlite disc tracks the hours. The movement also uses Ulysse Nardin’s DIAMonSIL, which combines silicon with a diamond coating to help reduce friction and wear. It’s powered by the brand’s Grinder winding system, which delivers a 72-hour power reserve. You set the time by unlocking the mechanism at six o’clock and turning the bezel. To wind it, you flip the watch over and rotate the caseback.
The watch comes on a white rubber strap with a textured surface and a titanium folding clasp. Each Freak S Howlite is assembled by a single Grandes Complications watchmaker at Ulysse Nardin’s Swiss manufacture, and production is limited to 15 pieces worldwide, all reserved for North America.
Source: Ulysse Nardin
