Ulysse Nardin unveils the Freak X Gumball 3000 – Edition 2

Press release

February 2026

In 2026, Gumball 3000 returns to North America with a bold route from Miami to Mexico City, the ‘Road to the World Cup’, crossing borders, landscapes, and cultures over seven days and 3,000 miles. For the third consecutive year, Ulysse Nardin and Gumball 3000 continue their collaboration, building on a shared mindset of performance and individuality.

Ulysse Nardin unveils the Freak X Gumball 3000 – Edition 2

Press release

February 2026

Ulysse Nardin unveils the Freak X Gumball 3000 – Edition 2

In 2026, Gumball 3000 returns to North America with a bold route from Miami to Mexico City, the ‘Road to the World Cup’, crossing borders, landscapes, and cultures over seven days and 3,000 miles. For the third consecutive year, Ulysse Nardin and Gumball 3000 continue their collaboration, building on a shared mindset of performance and individuality.

hen two independent worlds driven by performance and the refusal of convention move in the same direction, the result is not a crossover, but a continuation. United by a shared belief in pushing limits through innovation, precision, and self-expression, Ulysse Nardin and Gumball 3000 have built a long-term collaboration rooted in mindset rather than category.

More than a rally, Gumball 3000 has become a moving lifestyle platform, defined by epic journeys across the globe and a community that values individuality as much as performance. For the third consecutive year, the partnership continues with the Freak X Gumball 3000 – Edition 2 — a statement piece engineered around cutting-edge mechanics and high-performance design codes inspired by both worlds.

Since 1999, Maximillion Cooper has led a convoy of mavericks on a 3,000-mile odyssey that goes far beyond speed or spectacle. Gumball 3000 is not about the destination. It is about the drive, the challenges faced along the way, and the stories created in motion. Over the years, the rally has drawn an eclectic mix of visionaries — artists, entrepreneurs, athletes, and cultural icons — united by a shared appetite for adventure, the freedom to think differently, and an unstoppable desire to push beyond boundaries.

In 2026, Gumball 3000 returns to North America with a bold route from Miami to Mexico City, the ‘Road to the World Cup’, crossing borders, landscapes, and cultures over seven days and 3,000 miles. The rally brings together 100 carefully selected cars, supported by tourism boards, host cities, and global partners to create a rolling, large-scale festival of music, car culture, and live events. From Miami to Amelia Island, New Orleans, Austin, Monterrey, and San Miguel de Allende before reaching Mexico City, where official rally participants will receive a VIP hospitality ticket to the Opening Match of FIFA World Cup 26^TM taking place at the iconic Estadio Azteca. Each stop along the route becomes a stage, uniting people through a shared celebration of cars, music, and culture.

More than an endurance drive, Gumball 3000 is a lifestyle where performance meets creativity, and precision meets spontaneity. That same forward-driven mindset finds expression in the Freak X Gumball 3000 – Edition 2, a timepiece defined by radical architecture, mechanical innovation, and uncompromising performance. On the road or on the wrist, it reflects a shared commitment to pushing boundaries and moving forward without pause.

When it was launched in 2001, the Freak redefined the rules of watchmaking. It was more than a new watch; it reset the codes of watchmaking. No hands. No dial. No crown. The movement itself became the display of time. As the first “superwatch” ever created, the Freak did not simply look different; it functioned differently, ushering in a new era of modern horology.

The Freak also marked a decisive technological turning point as the first watch to introduce silicon components, opening the door to high-performance, ultra-precise, and magnetism- resistant mechanics. This breakthrough triggered a wave of innovation across the industry. With 35 patents to its name, the Freak remains one of the most influential timepieces of the 21st century, embodying Ulysse Nardin’s commitment to mechanical innovation and technological disruption.

The Freak X translated this maverick DNA into a more streamlined and casual form. While a crown was added for winding and setting, its signature architecture remained intact: a rotating hour disc completing one rotation every 12 hours to indicate the hours, and a flying carrousel held without an upper bridge, rotating once per hour to indicate the minutes.

The Freak X Gumball 3000 – Edition 2 expresses through the unmistakable DNA of the Gumball 3000 Rally, driven by movement, energy, and visual intensity. Its bold black and orange palette draws from Gumball 3000’s instantly recognisable codes, translating a culture of speed, individuality, and forward momentum into a distinctly high-tech horological expression.

At the heart of this aesthetic lies an hour disc in Carbonium^®, an ultra-high-performance material emblematic of Ulysse Nardin’s long-standing expertise in advanced materials. Crafted from ultra-light carbon fibre upcycled from the aerospace industry, Carbonium^® is inspired by patterns of Damascus steel. Produced by weaving carbon fibres with a vivid orange epoxy resin, it reveals a distinctive three-dimensional texture that ensures no two discs are ever identical. This singular material expression not only enhances the watch’s bold visual identity, but also reinforces its technical character, reflecting a modern, high-tech approach to contemporary mechanical watchmaking.

For the first time, the wheel is highlighted by an orange Super- LumiNova® ring, complemented by white Super-LumiNova^® details across the indexes and bridges. This enhancement sharpens legibility while amplifying the watch’s graphic and technical presence. The black DLC titanium case, paired with an open worked black rubber strap with orange inserts and stitching, completes a composition that is both lightweight and uncompromisingly performance driven.