Ulysse Nardin Freak 28,800VpH Luxury Watch Review

www.thewatchbox.com This one's a high horology superstar. With too many innovations to list and a look that defies classification, the original Ulysse Nardin Freak may be the most aptly-named watch since the Rolex Submariner. For 2005, this 44.5mm white gold Ulysse Nardin Freak 28,800 VpH embodied a major overhaul of 2001's 42.5mm game-changer. When unpacking the singular features of the Freak, it's best to start with the obvious; the freaking movement is the *minute hand*. To be precise, it's a carrousel - and definitely not a tourbillon. The two often become confused since each mechanism aims to solve the fundamental problem of imprecision due to positional variation. Both mechanisms rotate the escapement to equalize gravitational effects on the escapement. But while the tourbillon draws power for the escapement AND its rotating carriage from the same drive train, the carrousel separates the two. Invented by the Dane Bahne Bonniksen [Tim: not in Germany- pardon my video blunder to this effect!] during the 1890s, the carrousel also boasts durability advantages over the traditional pocket watch tourbillon. When a carrousel is halted or slowed, the escapement remains unaffected and continues keeping time. This prevents the balance wheel from having to be stopped and restated in the process of setting the time. As a result, timing precision does not suffer during time-setting. Moreover, since the Freak's carrousel assembly serves as the minute hand for the watch, physic