| LOT 86 |
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| "The Freak"
Ulysse Nardin, Le Locle, "The Freak", No. 339, Ref. 016-88. Made circa 2003.
Very fine and highly unusual, 18K pink gold wristwatch with 60-minute revolving
movement, Ludwig Oechslin's dual direct escapement, 7-day power reserve and Ulysse Nardin 18K
pink gold deployant buckle. Accompanied by a fitted box.
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| C. Three-body, solid, polished, stepped curled lugs, ridged bidirectional rotating bezel to set the time,
transparent rotating case back to wind the watch, the band with an applied brushed
plaque engraved "No. 339", sapphire crystals. D. Black, chapter ring with gold
radial Arabic numerals. Movement parts with brushed and polished gold
hour and minute pointers as hands. M. Cal. UN 01, gilt bridges, with
blued steel screws, rotating from the center, the lower bridge
indicates the hour while the upper bridge, fitted with the linear
wheel train and escapement assembly, revolves once every hour
indicating the minutes, the center axis pivoted in the sapphire
crystal, 32 jewels, dual direct escapement with 2 crystal
silicon impulse wheels, monometallic balance, shock
absorber, self-compensating flat balance spring, mainspring
underneath the movement spanning the case
diameter.
Dial and case signed.
Diam. 43 mm. Thickness 9 mm.
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Estimate: 25,000 USD - 35,000 USD
Estimate: 18,000 EUR - 26,000 EUR
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Grading system
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“The Freak”
is the brainchild of Dr. Ludwig Oechslin, as
interpreted by Ulysse Nardin's research and
production team. "The Freak" is a tourbillon
of 7-day duration, without hands or winding
crown. In most tourbillons, the balance
wheel assembly rotates once per minute in a
cage. In the "Freak", the whole movement
rotates once per hour, the drive wheel
meshing with teeth around the whole
circumference of the dial, a similar arrangement
mounted below driving the hour
wheel. The mainspring is located underneath
the movement and spans the entire diameter
of the case. The extra large size of the mainspring
provides the watch with a power
reserve of one week. Winding is accomplished
by turning the back of the case anticlockwise.
The “Dual Direct Escapement”
invented by Dr. Ludwig Oechslin, astronomer,
mathematician and master watchmaker.
Among his many inventions for
Ulysse Nardin are the "Perpetual Ludwig"
and the "Trilogy" of astronomical wristwatches.
The “Dual Direct Escapement” consists
of 2 impulse wheels transmitting the energy
directly to the balance wheel; they each
rotate in the same direction and connect
alternately with the balance. Using the
technology of the CSEM (Centre Suisse
d'Electronique et de Microtechnique), the 2
wheels at the center of the “Dual Direct
Escapement” are plasma-engraved out of
single-crystal silicon, the material from
which computer chips are made.
This technique offers the greatest hardness
coupled with low weight.
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Important Collectors' Wristwtches, Pocket Watches & Clocks
26-09-2007 |
Sold including buyer's premium:
41,300 USD |
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