“I AM OBSESSED WITH HOW OUR PRODUCT IS BEING USED. YOU WANT TO MAKE SURE THERE IS MAXIMUM CONSUMER EXPERIENCE”

Patrick Pruniaux CEO, Ulysse Nardin

A brand like Ulysse Nardin doesn’t beg to be heard across entire oceans; its presence is simply felt. Freak, which launched in 2001, propelled Ulysse Nardin onto the horological radar with its unconventional design aesthetic. Bereft of conventional hands, dial and crown, it featured a flying carrousel, a movement that revolved on its own axis every hour, and a separate indicator for hours. More importantly, it was also the first watch to boast ultra- resilient, amagnetic silicon parts, with its Dual Direct escapement paving way for even more technological advances in years to come.

“Ulysse Nardin is a brand for people in the know, for connoisseurs,” says Patrick Pruniaux, who joined the Kering Group in September 2017 as chief executive officer of Ulysse Nardin. “I’d say it’s for someone who aspires to have one of the best watches in the world, while finding the balance between having that status symbol without being too showy or in your face.”

Before Ulysse Nardin, Pruniaux spent nine years working for TAG Heuer and then three at Apple, where he was part of the Special Projects team that launched the Apple Watch. He thinks it might have been at Apple that he picked up his fixation with consumer behaviour.

“I am obsessed with how our product is being used,” he says. “To buy a product and keep it in a drawer is a pity. You want to make sure there is maximum consumer experience. We’re exploring the different aspects of that field to ensure clients always derive joy and fun when they buy products from us.”

Despite Ulysse Nardin’s technological triumphs – the Grinder winding system that debuted in this year’s Freak Vision, the Ulychoc shock absorption system from 2015, and the in- house Anchor Constant escapement from 2014, among others – it remains a brand known mostly to watch enthusiasts.

Says Pruniaux: “When we do something great, we sometimes don’t talk enough about it. We are just always more focused on a permanent quest for improvement. I’m more worried about things we don’t do right yet than the results, which may or may not be a good illustration of the work we’ve done. You can achieve success without being good at what you do, and you could fail despite being very good, so I’m more obsessed with what we do well and what other things we need to improve on.”

Pruniaux says he’s proud of the way the new # Freakmeout campaign has come together, and the excitement created around the brand, especially with the debut of its Freak Out collection debut in Kuala Lumpur in August, where entertainment came in the form of pulsating dance beats and appropriately bizarre contortionist acts. The # Freakmeout campaign is represented by a solo shark in an urban jungle, seemingly out of its element yet able to traverse the unfamiliar ground effortlessly.

“I think # Freakmeout represents to some extent what people want: to be surprised, to see something different and fresh,” he says. “The Freak epitomises what Ulysse Nardin stands for – a sense of freedom and innovation that combines daring ingenuity with undeniable style.”

Likewise, a brand new quartet of watches preserves the Freak DNA and is powered by the signature baguette- shaped flying carrousel movement, the manual- winding calibre UN- 205 with a proprietary dual silicon escapement and a generous seven- day power reserve. The latest expression of the Freak family comes in four variants, all cased in titanium: Blue Gold, Out Of the Blue, Black Gold and Full Black. The latter’s case comes with a black PVD surface treatment.

“It’s really down to us now,” says Pruniaux. “We have the power to grow and accelerate ahead of other brands, but having said that, we shouldn’t be a mainstream brand. We probably need to very marginally increase our awareness among others, to make sure when they’re aspiring to own manufacture watches, especially with our values, they pick us.”