When I think of Ulysse Nardin, what immediately comes to mind is the sea. That’s because the brand has always had strong links with nautical themes. Two of its five collections are exclusively nautically-focused – the Marine and the Diver – while the other three collections certainly draw inspiration from it.

That is certainly the case here with the latest additions to the Freak collection. The so-called Freak Vision Coral Bay timepieces are one-off pieces, which were launched at SIHH 2018. With them, the Swiss brand introduced many novelties.

Ulysse Nardin’s Freak Vision Coral Bay

A lot of that has to do with the use of silicium – a material adopted from the electronics industry – applied here within the in-house UN-250 automatic movement. Delivering 50 hours of power reserve, it boasts silicium all over, including the oscillator, self-regulating micro-blades, and the silicium-finished gear train.

The movement is packaged in a sleek 45mm platinum case that retains a relatively thin profile. And as impressive as the case and movement are, the dials of the two unique watches definitely steal the show.

Again drawing inspiration from techniques used in the electronics industry, the brand has used a special bonding technique to finish the dials of the Freak Vision Coral Bay.

Thousands of 24 carat gold threads have been used to create their delicate dial patterns. We can also appreciate the intricate blue and yellow gold coral reef patterns on the watch movement’s barrel spring bridge.

The beautiful micro-painted Freak dial

The new wristwatches also stand out thanks to the miniature painting technique applied on the spring barrel bridge. Each motif requires no less than 20 hours of painting time to complete by a master artisan, who uses lacquer colors to depict miniscule details using extremely fine brushes under a magnifying glass.

Adding harmony to their overall look, the timepieces have two bar tack loop stitches on their straps in matching yellow gold or coral red. Similarly, we see a gear train bridge and escapement bridge in matching blue or coral red.

While the special edition Freak Vision Coral Bay timepieces are impressive in their own right, the added good news is that Ulysse Nardin is open to other colour possibilities, which are available on demand.