Ulysse Nardin Freak X OPS

Since releasing the original Freak, replica watch brand Ulysse Nardin has used the collection to push the boundaries of time display and use of materials. When the Freak X debuted a few years ago, the brand created what it called an “everyday Freak,” with a traditional crown and a lower price point. It recently added Freak X OPS to the Freak X series. I’ve always found this line interesting and was excited to use it myself.

As with all other Freak models, the distinction between the traditional dial, hands and movement is almost indistinguishable. Green luminous hour markers extend outward from a track with machined gear teeth and meet a slanted machined metal scale ring with minute markers. The time is displayed by “hands” extending from the movement itself, most of which can be seen from the front of the watch. The visible silicon escapement beats at 21,600 vph as the entire mechanism rotates over time. The assembly is located beneath the boxed sapphire crystal and consists of 405 parts. Despite the massive mass of this mechanism, the UN-230 in-house movement offers a 72-hour power reserve (helped by the self-winding rotor visible through the sapphire case back).

The hour indicators protrude from the center, while the one-hour orbital rotating tourbillon forms the balance of the minute hand. You might think that this complication would make reading the time difficult, and you’d be right. Although the green tips of the indicators have lume applied to them, they are still quite dark during the day, and the lume isn’t particularly bright either. The hour hand may also be obscured by the tourbillon at certain times of the day. I do think I’ll get used to it over a longer period of time, but this isn’t a tool watch. It is more like a piece of mechanical art that can tell time.

I do find this app to be nicer looking than a typical skeleton replica watch. It has an extreme sense of depth for a watch that’s not too thick, and I still found it sharper than many such watches. Plus, because it has a solid dial, there’s no arm hair amplification that often occurs in other dialless watches.

While I find reading the time inconvenient, I do find the Freak X OPS a pleasure to wear. The first thing you notice when you pick it up is how light it is. The outer shell (complete with numbered side panels) is made from the brand’s “Magma” carbon fiber. The watch’s tactical-looking green and black pattern (made from a mix of carbon and green resin) surrounds an internal titanium skeleton. The green nylon hook and loop strap further reduces weight and makes the watch more comfortable to wear. It’s very light but still has the feel of a solid build quality.

At 43mm wide and 13.88mm thick, the Freak X is no small watch. However, its dark color and feathery weight make it visually constricted. It feels like it wraps around the wrist rather than sitting on it.

Ulysse Nardin Freak X OPS is not cheap for most people. That being said, it’s priced lower than the original Freak but still offers a tourbillon, a visible movement, and a novel time display. I love watches right out of the box and unique colors and case materials, so I could immediately see the appeal of the Freak X OPS. While I wouldn’t consider this to be someone’s only watch, I find it to be a compelling alternative to more obviously sporty watches from more popular brands. It’s unique, but not as eye-catching as a Hublot.

Franck Muller presents the Round Grand Central Tourbillon watch

The Round Grand Central Tourbillon places the tourbillon at the center of the watch, presenting a pure and breathtaking spectacle. Following the recent launch of the Curvex™ Grand Central Tourbillon watch, Franck Muller presents the Round collection. With a diameter of 46 mm, the new watch demonstrates the brand’s mastery of the art of watchmaking in the purest tradition. The Round Grand Central Tourbillon won the Best Watch of the Year Award in the Tourbillon category from the well-known Italian magazine L’Orologio.

Equipped with an automatic movement manufactured entirely in-house by Franck Muller, this watch is equipped with an offset micro-rotor that can provide a power reserve of up to 4 days, presenting a pure and balanced design. The combination of solemnity and technicality adds to the charm of this timepiece with all the characteristics of family heritage.

The complication of this collection is that the watch had to be completely re-conceived in order to redistribute the parts around the tourbillon. To achieve a layout that is both striking and surprising, Franck Muller designers and watchmakers also had to invent an innovative system to display the time at the center of the fashion replica watches. He/They did, placing the hour and second hands around the frame of the tourbillon to accentuate the beauty of the timepiece.

Purity and balance are the guiding principles of the collection. Developed especially to accentuate the tourbillon, the guilloché pattern, inspired by the hobnail pattern, creates an impression of movement on the dial. The timepiece offers a classic and elegant finish, with a sapphire crystal and a narrow bezel to complement the beauty of the dial. In order to focus more on the magnificent view displayed by the tourbillon, the center of the sapphire crystal mirror is arched. Through the perspective of the case back, you can appreciate the pure traditional finishing, such as Geneva pattern. Franck Muller fake