Ulysse Nardin: Freak ONE OPS

For Dubai Watch Week, Ulysse Nardin has created the Freak ONE OPS, a Freak ONE, but with a twist. The new piece measures 44mm in diameter and is cased in black DLC titanium, complemented by a khaki green palette that informs the special sunray-patterned barrel cover and the watch’s integrated rubber strap pairing. 

The material story continues in the bezel, which is made of Carbonium, an innovative material with exceptional strength-to-lightness properties that’s produced using the same carbon fibres found in state-of-the-art aircraft wings and fuselages. In fact, Carbonium® is made using offcuts from the aircraft manufacturing process, reducing its environmental impact by 40 per cent compared to other carbon composites. The manufacturing technique is organic, meaning the marbled finish found in the Freak ONE OPS’s bezel is unique to each watch. 

Given the watch has no dial, the in-house Freak ONE OPS’s calibre UN-240 with 90 hours of power reserve is clearly visible, its flying carousel simultaneously relaying the minutes indication as it rotates on its own axis. Also on display are the oversized oscillator and balance spring, both in captivating blue silicon, recalling the existential role silicon has played in the Freak’s unconventional legacy. The hour and minute indicators and hour markers are coated in a beige Super-LumiNova® that glows green in low-light conditions. 

There’s a choice of two integrated straps: one in black and khaki “ballistic” rubber, and an alternate two-tone rubber strap, also in black and khaki. Both have black DLC titanium and black ceramic folding clasps. The straps tell Ulysse Nardin’s environmental story, too. They’re made using 30 per cent recycled rubber from production waste. (Price €. 67,500)