Ulysse Nardin

After a search of close to 9 months for Le Freak, I finally managed to find one last Friday from a gentleman of a seller from Hong Kong… A White Gold original 42.5mm NON-upgraded Freak with the rectangular shaped teeth escapement (I think that part is called the escapement).

 

 

Le Freak…. oh, before I go on, here’s a link for some audio accompaniment J …

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S6EVsVMyVhY&feature=related

 

… represents quite a departure for me in several ways:

 

It is a great departure from my more classic acquisitions over the past year.  By any standard of comparison, Le Freak, represents a bold step in a new direction not just because of the bold design of the case and carrousel (?) tourbillon hand, but also due to the pioneering use of new materials at the time.  It’s also my largest watch so far at 42.5mm which I was trying hard to keep under my cuff the while of last working Friday and today and also the first time I have bought another piece from the same brand.

 

The look of the Freak, which I contend suffers no middle ground (either you love it or find it an ugly clunky thing), somehow called out to me when I first laid eyes on it but because it’s so different from what I am used to in traditionally cased watches with comparatively simple hour and minute hands, I had to take a lot of time to see it again and again and again to ensure I wasn’t going through some kind of weird faddish mood.  However, this fear was easily dispelled over the months and in fact grew to become an acquisition obsession despite my trying to distract myself with the acquisition of other pieces in the meantime.  Speaking to many authorities here whom many of us are familiar with many times over and over again (who btw did very little to talk me out of it LOL) also re-affirmed my desire for the Freak.  I mean, just look at her.

 

 

 

BTW, the Freak is not known to react well to fluids of any sort so I was really careful in setting her down on the side of my little lava water feature.

 

I also got the next few pics from the net to appreciate better her lovely hands.  Far from the ordinary but so sexy. 

 

 Reminds me of some of Botero’s works in a “freakish” way….

 

Botero against the Singapore business district skyline

 

 

Botero at the Singapore Esplanade

 

 

 

Botero at the Singapore River

 

 

I first toyed with a RG Freak from the first owner in Singapore of such a piece who was kind enough to let me try on his piece a couple of times.  I subsequently managed to try on some other RG pieces and each time, I found myself a tad hesitant, not due to the general daring design but due to the fact that the Freak being what it is, (it’s by no means  a subtle piece) and being encased in a solid block of Rose Gold just maybe pushed it a tad beyond my comfort level for attention.

 

So when the opportunity came up 2 weeks ago to acquire a mint condition, full set, single owner, non-upgraded White Gold Freak, I decided to take the leap of faith and just move for it despite not having had the opportunity to see the White Gold version on my wrist.  This of course after I received endorsement from my second son who will be the eventual owner of this Freak J

 

From the images on the net, the WG version seemed much more understated (that is as understated as the Freak can be) than the RG piece and maybe even a tad “washed-out” but when I took possession, my first reaction was, apart from tingles in my stomach, “Wow, so damn nice!”. On my 4^th day of ownership now and I have no doubt it was the right choice of case material for ME.

 

So far, my Freak also does not seem to be plagued by the poor time keeping that some seem to have reported and this is very consistent with what Bernard and the nice gentlemen at the UN service centre in the US told me about it…. That many of the first generation Freaks with the original escapements do indeed do run well and it is only those that perhaps have escapements unfortunately contaminated by dust or other like particles may face some issues.

 

But a word for future original (and maybe even the current batch) Freak aspirants…. Don’t expect a perfect watch that keeps time accurately.  The Freak as I have been warned is one that seems hell bent on making a ruse of COSC standards and has actually earned as part of its reputation to break all boundaries when it first appeared, the keep exceptionally bad time. LOL!

 

So why then Le Freak and especially for me who was willing to suffer a 3.5 month layout of my Dato at Lange for running 17 secs fast a day?  I don’t know…. I just know that for some reason, the calling was very strong and although still on my honeymoon with her…. I just love her!

 

For me, I accept this (albeit it took rationalizing over the months) of the Freak and take it for the bold efforts to push the boundaries or traditional watch making.  It also symbolizes a morphing of my taste in watches (which scares me some LOL) away from the conservative as look for pieces that posses a different representation of time.  The Freak for me is a step in that direction and is definitely consistent with what I have in mind for my first acquisition next year.

 

So as a time keeper, she is definitely not perfect but as a collector’s piece in my novice opinion…. Le Freak is Imperfectly Perfect!

 

 

C’mon sing it…..Ahhhhhh Freak Out!  Hope you enjoyed the extremely retro music as well. J

 

 

Note : All Botero pics taken off the net as is the close-up of the hands in the middle.  The rest are with my Sony Ericsson W995 so do excuse the quality

 

And once again, let me welcome you in the Freeeeakie Family.

Indeed you can't compare it with any other watch, and I'd even say that it is the mother of all the Concept Watches!

Now that you own the Freak, I highly recommend the reading of the U.N book " Making of a Master Piece " , you will learn a lot abput the Story behind this watch, and some other U.N marvels.

About the accuracy, please check on yours, as it seems to be very accurate the 5 first days, and then to gain a lot ( around 30 secs per day )...

You will also notice that in fact, you have almost 10 days of power reserve...

Thanks for this enthusiastic and very interesting reading, my friend.

Best,

Nicolas, another Freakie Fan.

I take pleasure in winding her every day.

I will try to get my hands on the book you mentioned.  In the meantime, the previous owner tells me to adjust the time ONLY when the watch has stopped but the manual say ONLY when it is wound.

I am also told turning the bezl anti-clockwise to adjust the time backwards (for whatever reason) will damage the watch?

finally, so the silicium is used for the escapement which is the dark blue/black wheels?

Merci,

Arthur

On mine, the escapement teeth seem dark blue, almost purple.



As for the other points, I will have to check what the manual says...

Best,

Nicolas

The manual doesn't prohibit to wind the watch whenever you want, first.

Then, about setting the hour or the minutes, the manual doesn't say that you have to turn the bezel clockwisev or anticlockwise.

It says that turning the bezel will not damage the watch.

Best,

Nicolas This message has been edited by amanico on 2009-10-05 04:26:00

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Congratulations on your acquisition.  I have had my original Freak #29 in white gold as one of the first buyers many years ago.  While it isn't an everyday piece for me, I've never had a problem with it.

 

 

Perp, Freak and Chronometer...

Very representative of U.N " Savoir Faire ".

Superb.

Best,

Nicolas

What is the piece on the right of the Freak?  I thought it was a Kari at first glance.

The San Marco Gigante in Platinum with Anthracite dial.

hope you enjoy yours for a long time!  These watches are absolutely fascinating!

 

tempusfugit

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wear it in the best of health... some relations say hi...





cheers
raph

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This is it - the "original" Freak! I agree with your choice of the metal colour, since for me, the white gold Freak looks a bit more like "everyday" than the massive pink gold case of the other variant. I wish you a lot of fun with it!

Regards,
Marcus

And always in the eyes of the beholder

Another Freak says hello.

Arthur, you may find that your passion for this watch only grows with time.  I know I have found that.  When I first got mine my feeings were mixed with "oh my God, what have I done?" and pure excitement.  As time has gone on, each time I wear it I am more and more fascinated with it and proud tobe an owner.  Face it, while it is no wall flower, almost no one on the planet, outside of this Forum and other WIS gatherings, knows what the heck this watch is or why it is so special.  One of the joys is that secret you have on your wrist when you wear it.   

From what I know of the operation of the Freak, you may adjust the time whether the watch is running or not, and you may do it in either direction. I cannot recall what the manual says, but if you adjust the time in one direction (backward, I think) it depletes the power reserve, and if you adjust the time in the other direction it winds the watch and increases the power reserve.  So, it is okay in either direction. Also, you cannot really overwind it.  I understand your fondness for widning teh freak -- it is like winding no other watch, right?

What I think is also interesting about these original Freaks is that they all behave slightly differently.  Mine keeps very good time, as Nicolas said for the first 5-6 days and then it starts to slow down.  My total power reserve is somewhere north of 7 days,but by that time the watch is not keeping accurate enough time for me not to re-wind it.  Each Freak has its own personality, which is one of the charms of such a piece. 

I hope you will enjoy yours for many years to come.  It is an enormously satisfying watch. 

Cheers,

respo

 

This message has been edited by respo on 2009-10-05 06:43:11 This message has been edited by respo on 2009-10-05 06:44:03

LOL.  I know what you mean about htis being special.  I've worn it 4 days in a row.

hey finally you found it. did you get it from james?

and its perpetual half brother, 'Ludwig', another first.

its a purchase you will never regret as i havent. i'm wearing mine now and have been since sunday. i went to a dealers today (yes i left the house and went out!!) and showed it to the owner who nearly collapsed with joy. as a long time Omega dealer his words were 'this is just exquisite'. i was with my mate who's a plumber dressed in a boiler suit and told the AD it was my work watch

best

Graham

I can hear my other pieces crying out for some love LOL

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NEVER set the time until you have wound the watch!!

you can set in any direction, but it MUST be running first. apart from that you can do what you like with it, apart from get it wet, bang in on anything hard, lose it, have it stolen etc etc

best

Graham

Not written in my manual.

Intuitively, I first wind the watch, then set the hour...

Damn, sometimes, intuition is good!

Best,

Nicolas

You really should read it, it is veeeery interesting, and as a U.N fan, I'm sure you'll find a lot of informations.

Best, my friend.

Nicolas

Thanks for sharing that information.  I will look in my manual, but I don't think I have that amendum in mine either.  Like Nicolas, I think I typically wind the watch and then set the time, especially for this watch because in winding the watch it would be too easy to accidentally adjust the time if one has already set it, as I am sure you have already discovered.

Thanks again for the update.

respo

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