Ulysse Nardin

As is so often the case with technical developments that start from scratch, the first-generation Freak also had some shortcomings. These were mainly problems with the stability of the escapement and the plain balance, which gave the watch an appearance that hardly corresponded to the conceptual level of the development carried out according to the rules of haute horlogerie, which could only irritate connoisseurs of the art of watchmaking. The Freak 28’800 V/h Ref. 020-88 (and in rose gold Ref. 026-88), the second generation watch launched in 2005, overcame these problems. The stability of the escapement was achieved by modifying the escapement so that the impulse wheels no longer act directly on the balance. In the new design, the escapement was called the Dual Ulysse escapement. In addition, the frequency of the balance was increased to 28,800 revolutions per minute and a free-sprung balance with a variable moment of inertia and 4 adjusting screws was installed, which is more suitable for a luxury watch than a simple plain balance.

However, the technical and esthetic shortcomings of the first generation of the Freak did not have a catastrophic effect on the functionality of the watch. Of the total production run of this model, which we estimate at 350, possibly even 400 pieces, the majority had no technical problems. However, when first-generation Freak watches ended up in Ulysse Nardin's official service workshops or at the manufacture, their movements were modified. This was not what we would call a recall. The modification was done by replacing the balance and escapement modules, regardless of whether the watch was serviced because of a problem with the escapement or for other reasons, including normal maintenance. We prefer to refer to the modernized Freak as Freak 1.5, an intermediate version between the original first generation Freak and the second generation Freak 28’800 V/h – Freak 2.

Of course, the modification was not carried out by Ulysse Nardin if the customer insisted on keeping the original balance module and escapement. This scenario is confirmed by the irregular distribution of modified Freak 1.5s among all first-generation watches, and our research allows us to conclude that the proportion of Freak 1.5s among all first-generation watches is about half. We admit that this proportion could in fact be higher, as we have no information on how long Ulysse Nardin continued this modification.

From a functional point of view, the Freak 1.5 is superior to the Freak 1, while from a collector's point of view, the original version can be considered more attractive precisely because of its original design. Of course, the Freak 1.5 is also 100% authentic, as the watch was modified by the brand itself. So if you are planning to buy a first generation Freak, you should take this information into account. The watch version is literally recognizable at first glance, even in a photo: the balance wheel of the first generation watch consists of two parts, the regulator arm and the hairspring stud to which the hairspring is attached, and the balance wheel has two arms, while the 1.5 generation watch has a hairspring stud and a balance wheel with four arms. Additional features - the second generation impulse wheels have identical teeth with a notch at the top of each tooth, and there are also four adjusting screws in the recesses next to the arms of the balance.

In addition to this acquired variant, the Freak 1 has four other variants that are not related to the late service modification. First, for some unknown reason, Ulysse Nardin used two versions of the inner cover of the mainspring barrel in the Freak 1: with wide and narrow arms. These arms form openings through which the owner of the watch can judge the state of the winding by the state of the coils of the mainspring – a kind of power reserve indicator. If the coils are in the middle of the mainspring barrel, the watch is wound, and vice versa.

Secondly, the Freak 1 has a hole for the barrel stem in the center of the outer case cover (a decorative cover with a ray motif, a nautical anchor emblem and an opening for the winding status), which is visible through the sapphire crystal caseback. In some examples, this hole is drilled directly into the outer case cover, while others have a pressed-in bushing. We were unable to find any correlation between these variants, and this information can probably only be provided by the brand.

This first-generation Freak is a modernized version of the original design, the so-called Freak 1.5. Among the features that are important to collectors is that this watch has a barrel version with wide arms and a bushing for the barrel stem.