Everyone has their favorite brands, but not every brand is equally loved.
I have my favorite brands to wear (e.g. Laventure, Fortis, Straum, NOMOS), my favorite brands to praise (Glashütte Original, WH&T, Czapek, and so on), and my favorite brands that I admire because they played a major role in the formation of the copy watches for sale collecting hobby (Swatch, Rolex, and Ulysse Nardin, to name just three major brands).
Although I believe that the Freak, launched by Ulysse Nardin in the early 2000s, is an enduring classic watch that changed the nature of haute horlogerie, I don’t own one. Partly due to lack of funds, but also because I’ve never really settled on “the one.”
This year, at Watches & Wonders 2024, Ulysse Nardin released a watch that I, and many other analysts, voted as the best product of the show. This watch tops my list of the top five Ulysse Nardin watches of 2024, but that’s not the end of the story.
The brand has a long history of groundbreaking watchmaking and relentless innovation, with many extremely diverse collections in its catalog. At a cursory glance, it’s understandable if someone is wondering what on earth they just browsed, as models like the Marine Torpilleur Moonphase and Blast Tourbillon Dragon look more like they’re from different planets than the same brand. However, it’s a journey worth taking by digging deeper and understanding that all of this seemingly disparate craziness makes sense within a universe that the brand has carefully created and patiently developed. Because at the end of the day, it’s hard to overstate what Ulysse Nardin means to our industry. high quality fake watches
- Ulysse Nardin Freak X 43mm “Magma” 2303-270/MAGMA-BQ
While this version of the Freak X isn’t the most affordable of the Freak collection, it blends “affordability” (for a Freak) with the all-around innovation that the brand is known for (by which I mean, the incredible Magma-style case is just as interesting as the movement, which is still the star of this watch). Given my past work with Norwegian brand Straum on the Jan Mayen collection, and especially the Beerenberg Volcano special edition for Fratello, it’s perhaps not surprising that I gravitated towards this bold color scheme and backstory.
- Ulysse Nardin Classico Manara In-House 40mm 3203-136LE-2/MANARA.08
I hesitated to commit to anything in the Classico collection because, to be honest, I personally don’t go to UN for this. However, it would be remiss to ignore the brand’s long history of creating luxury erotic watches, so I chose this interesting dial, showing a mermaid getting very familiar with the inner thigh of a bottomless woman who, one must assume, is very good at holding her breath.
Aside from the unparalleled rendition of this lesbian scene by Italian erotic comics artist Miro Manara, it also oddly fits the brand image of Ulysse Nardin, which is famous for its association with superhuman free divers.
While this type of watch isn’t for everyone, I thought it was necessary to make everyone aware of the United Nations’ commitment to these dying arts. Plus, if you’ve decided that you only buy wholesale replica watch with perverted sharks on their dials, this watch has to be high on your wish list.
- Ulysse Nardin Marine Torpilleur Moonphase Aventurine 1193-310LE-3A-AVE/1A
This is an example of some of the brand’s more traditional pieces, and also features a stunning aventurine dial. I prefer this dial to the others in the Torpilleur collection because I think it sits more compact and refined on the wrist, unlike the admittedly beautiful enamel dials, which I feel give an impression of bulky size that I’d rather avoid. - Ulysse Nardin Diver NET Azure 1183-170-2B/3A
With 95% recycled steel as its primary material (above the 60-80% average, given that all steel is at least partially recycled), the U.N. Diver NET Azure attempts to do its bit for a brand that is committed to giving back to the ocean, which has been an integral part of its identity since the beginning. While we still have a long way to go before the luxury watchmaking industry reaches an acceptable level of carbon responsibility, it’s good to at least see brands moving in the right direction. - Ulysse Nardin Freak S Nomad 2513-500LE-4A-GUI/3A
In my opinion, this is the best Freak ever made. The combination of the German silver dial, the gold-toned carbon case and the iridescent blue/purple colour of the movement’s twin oscillators is indescribable. To me, it’s the perfect blend of art and science, and more than anything, it’s something I believe watchmaking should strive to achieve.