Ulysse Nardin celebrates 25 years of the Gumball supercar rally

“Gumball 3000 and Ulysse Nardin share a mutual passion for challenging conventions in the pursuit of the wildest adventures whether on the road of life or in the art of telling time. For the 25th anniversary, we wanted to create something as daring and unique as the rally itself.” – Matthieu Haverlan, Managing Director of Ulysse Nardin

Ulysse Nardin, the Le Locle, Switzerland based timepiece brand, has unveiled the Freak X Gumball 3000, in celebration of the 25th anniversary of the iconic Gumball 3000 supercar rally.

Ulysse Nardin Freak

The Freak X Gumball 3000 is a version of Ulysse Nardin’s Freak, among the most unconventional designs in horology. It does not have a dial, hands, and crown, and was the first mechanical timepiece to feature silicon escapement wheels. Silicon is now widely used in watchmaking. There have been several versions of the Freak, each highly collectible. The thinking behind the Freak, along with its avant-garde design and impact on horology, makes it – especially the 2001 original – among the most iconic timepieces in horology.

Gumball 3000

The Gumball 3000 was founded in 1999 by Maximillian Cooper, a British entrepreneur. It is a 3000-mile supercar rally that travels through various countries.

“For 25 years, the eccentric endurance event has attracted an eclectic mix of visionaries: sheiks, rockstars, artists, and entrepreneurs, all united by a shared lust for adrenaline and adventure.”

The 2024 edition of the Gumball 3000 travels through Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Malaysia, before its destination of Singapore, just in time for their F1 Grand Prix, held during 20-22 September.

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First image: Regent Street, London. Second and Third image: Singapore.

“Celebrating 25 years of Gumball 3000 is a huge milestone, and partnering with Ulysse Nardin to create something truly special felt like the perfect way to mark it. Each driver will have the opportunity to customize their Freak X watch to match their team number, making it a tribute to the spirit of individuality and adventure that defines our rally. Just like Gumball, the Freak X breaks the mold—it’s bold, unconventional, and engineered for those who aren’t afraid to push boundaries.” – Maximillian Cooper, Founder of Gumball 3000

Freak X Gumball 3000

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Key Features

Movement 

– It is powered by Calibre UN-230, a Manufacture automatic movement designed and developed by Ulysse Nardin.

– It is a “flying carrousel movement rotating around its own axis.”

– Its balance wheel, escapement wheel, balance spring and anchor are all made of silicon.

– It features an oversized oscillator.

– It has 206 components and 21 jewels.

– It beats at a frequency of 21,600 vph or 3 Hz.

– It has a power reserve of 72 hours.

Functions

– Hours and Minutes.

“Its movement doubles as its minute hand, while the hour hand is a pointer set on a rotating disc that sits under the movement.”

– On its dial side (there is no dial), it features a black DLC hour disc.

– The 11 hour-markers are coated in white Super-LumiNova®.

– A minute scale, graduated in increments of 5 minutes each, is present on a flange on the inner case.

– The bridges – on the flying carrousel movement – are coated in orange Super-LumiNova®.

– “ULYSSE NARDIN” with the brand’s logo is displayed at 12 o’clock.

Case and Strap

– Its case is made of black DLC titanium, featuring a satin finish.

– Its side parts are made of lightweight forged Carbonium, featuring a matte finish.

– Its case diameter is 43 mm.

– It features a sapphire crystal on both the dial and caseback side.

– The Gumball 3000 logo is etched on the caseback.

– The case’s left side allows Gumball 3000 participants to personalise their timepiece with a dedication plate featuring their respective team number.

– It is water resistant up to 50 metres.

– It comes with an orange rubber strap, “Delugs® for Ulysse Nardin.” Delugs® is a Singapore based company specialising in aftermarket straps for timepieces. It is fitted to a black DLC titanium folding buckle.

Our Thoughts

This is a watchmaking – automotive collaboration done right, for reasons that are not so obvious at first. Sports cars, especially supercars, are creations of significant R&D and engineering, often beyond what exists in automotive technology at a given point in time. The materials, technologies, platforms, powertrains, transmissions, even fluids, must be completely rethought, often invented. This is true with the likes of Bugatti, Ferrari, Lamborghini, Porsche and Rimac, to name a few. Supercars such as the Bugatti Veyron, Ferrari LaFerrari, Porsche 918 Spyder do not just fall from the sky. Each represents 1000’s of hours of R&D and unconventional thinking. They debut innovative technologies, which later filter their way through to the wider automotive market.

It was the same with Ulysse Nardin’s Freak. It was unconventional, never done before, and the first timepiece to use silicon in its movements. It was an “extreme supercar” version of haute horology. Now silicon is widely used. What better than a version of the Freak to delight the Gumball 3000 participants!

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Ulysse Nardin’s Freak X Gumball 3000 is a great looking timepiece. Its bold colours, primarily black and orange, imbibe the exhilarating energy of the Gumball 3000 supercar rally. It is a timepiece that the Gumball 3000 participants will be fortunate to call their own, one as meaningful to them as the supercars they are so passionate about. 

Additional Details

Name: Ulysse Nardin Freak X Gumball 3000

Reference: 2303-270LE-2A-GUM/3A

Price: On Demand

It is a limited edition of 150 pieces. Priority will be given to Gumball 3000 participants, before general enquires will be considered.

Gumball 3000 participants will have the option to customise their Freak X Gumball 3000 timepiece with a dedication plate featuring their respective team number.

Please visit the Ulysse Nardin website to request an allocation. 

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