Ulysse Nardin

iadxb
277

• Show profile
• Show other posts

Great question Ronald

I will try to explain, but I am not at all qualified to write detailed explanations on watch mechanisms; so any comments, additions and corrections by fellow Purists are most welcome.
Perhaps it is easier to start with the similarities between Freak X and the original Freak concept:
1- The escapement and the balance wheel are attached to a central plate that rotates on its own axis once per hour;
2- The same central wheel drives the plate carrying the hour indicator. There is a minor difference here since in original freak it is guided by teeth attached to the inner side of the caseband, while in Freak X it is guided by a static frame carrying the indices and the UN logo.
And, that seems to be it! The rest of the Freak X is a traditional automatic watch, under the dial you would find bridges, wheels, mainspring barrel(s), keyless works, etc. You wind and set set the watch using the crown in the usual fashion. The minute indicator is actually a HAND sculpted to look like the bridge of the Freak Vision watch.
The original Freak has no minute hand. The original Freak operates in entirely different way. The whole geartrain, bridges, wheels and all, is on the dial side, rotating around the dial once per hour and thus doubling as minute indicator. The entire backside under the caseback is occupied by a giant mainspring providing sufficient torque to power the watch for 7 days. There is no crown, you set the watch by turning the bezel and wind it by turning the caseback.
I hope this is helpful, I will try to find more elaborate accounts on the Freak and forward to you...

Site Info.