Ulysse Nardin, in collaboration with Ali Bin Ali Luxury unveils the Freak X, Qatar Watch Club Exclusive Edition
This is the first collaboration between Ulysse Nardin and the Qatar Watch Club, the Doha-based enthusiasts opted for a Freak X, one of Ulysse Nardin most daring and avant-garde models.
This project came to life following a close collaboration between the Ulysse Nardin Middle East team, the Ali Bin Ali Luxury and the Qatari watch aficionados. Ulysse Nardin and the Qatar Watch Club share common passions, love for the sea, thirst for exploration and spirit of adventure.
“The Qatar Watch Club is a group of watch enthusiasts but more importantly watch connoisseurs. They appreciate and understand watchmaking which made the creation process smooth. We are thrilled to see this edition come to life and be worn by watch aficionados” , commented Teresa Garin, General Manager of Ulysse Nardin Middle East & Indian Subcontinent.
“In an already fruitful and long term collaboration between Ali Bin Ali Luxury and Ulysse Nardin, we are proud to be part of the launch of this very exclusive limited edition in cooperation with the Qatar Watch Club”, highlighted Awn Zureikat, COO of Ali Bin Ali Luxury.
“We are happy to announce our first edition with Ali Bin Ali Luxury and Ulysse Nardin added to our portfolio of previously launched 2 watch editions. It’s been a great journey starting from initial meeting, designing phase and now the launch of the watch. Ulysse Nardin creations always fascinated us since the beginning and were honored to be able to collaborate with the brand for a very special edition of Freak-X”, said Jassim Al Sayed. Chairman of Qatar Watch Club.
The FREAK X, the little cousin of its “Freak antecedents”, stands out as the entry point into the FREAK collection. Though many of the same aesthetic and functional elements are in place, it pushes out into uncharted territory. The sizing is tighter - 43mm instead of 45mm - but it is easier to read and operate. It has a crown for time correction, which breaks with one of the most iconic aspects of the crown-less FREAK VISION or FREAK OUT models, which correct time by the bezel. The “baguette” movement is still a carrousel, turning once on itself every hour to indicate the time. It is simpler, bolder, and has fewer wheels. It has no dial and no hands - the central bridge acts as a minute hand and one of the wheels indicates the hours.
Inside and clearly visible beats one of the FREAK’s most outstanding innovations: a super-light balance wheel in silicium, extra-wide, with nickel flyweights and stabilizing micro-blades. The movement itself, the new UN-230, is a fusion of the manufacture calibers UN-118 and FREAK VISION UN-250.The case, nicely rounded with curved lines, is wholly new, and seriously transformative.
In terms of design this limited edition features a Titanium case coated with Black DLC, the dial is Black with Green touches on the Wheel & Hours and indexes. This limited edition comes with two straps, one black rubber strap with leather stitching and the other in green alligator with white stitching.
The Freak X Qatar Watch Club is a limited edition of 10.
QATAR’S MARITIME HISTORY AND EXPLORATION
Qatar is perhaps best known today for its national airline, Qatar Airways, but, historically, it was the sea, not the air, that connected Qataris with the wider world. Then, as now, most Qataris lived along the coast, their towns facing the sea and the far shores of the Gulf and the Indian Ocean beyond. It was the sea from which most Qataris derived their livelihoods, through overseas trade, fishing, and pearl diving. Before the 1930s, pearling dominated Qatar’s pre-oil economy, employing nearly half of all Qataris. This deep connection with the sea had a profound influence on Qatar’s history, heritage, and identity. Today, this connection is celebrated at Qatar’s annual dhow festival every November – the only such festival in the world.