Ulysse Nardin has been in undisrupted business for 178 years and following a major win at last year's GPHG awards and an impressive novelty launch at Watches & Wonders Geneva last month, the Swiss luxury watchmaker feels more current than ever right now. Last week Ulysse Nardin and retail partner Wempe chose the retro-futuristic NYC gallery of avant-garde lighting designer Apparatus as the location for an intimate gathering of press, collectors and enthusiasts, including Hodinkee editor Mark Kauzlarich.

Guests were first welcomed into the Red Room which was curated with Ulysse Nardin Freak museum pieces and novelties. The Red Room itself was an arresting interior fusing Ms. Vreeland's "Garden in Hell" with Mr. Kubrick's Space Odyssey which was fresh off a buzzy debut at NYCxDesign. Guests enjoyed cocktails and hors d'oeuvres before being ushered into an intriguing adjacent gallery for a convivial Q&A between Mark Kauzlarich and François-Xavier Hotier (known to most as "FX"), the president of Ulysse Nardin Americas. In addition to touching on the brand's origins in crafting award-winning marine chronometers, and its long tradition of producing top-tier examples of haute horlogerie, FX delved into the brand's unique approach to craftsmanship, and what's in store for the future after nearly two centuries as a Manufacture.

This conversation made for the perfect setup for the evening's biggest highlight: the global unveiling of the latest from Ulysse Nardin's OPS capsule collection. Building on the success of the Freak ONE OPS and Freak X OPS, both of which are highly sought after by collectors following their 2023 debuts, the new Diver NET OPS and Diver X Skeleton OPS bring the same tactical look and olive-green colorway to Ulysse Nardin's avant-garde dive watch lineup.

Talking about Ulysse Nardin's most groundbreaking pieces, of course, is no substitute for experiencing them in the metal, and Ulysse Nardin delivered the goods in top form. In addition to the new Diver NET OPS and Diver X Skeleton OPS, a selection of historical and contemporary timepieces, including the original Freak from 2001 and the recently unveiled Freak S Nomad, were available for guests to try on, photograph and admire. Guests were also offered the chance to observe an actual Ulysse Nardin Freak movement being crafted at a live Watchmaking Station, an experience made all the more elevated by the tastings of Louis XIII by Remy Martin cognac on offer.

For those unfamiliar with the legacy and lore of the Freak, the Q&A and watchmaking demo served as an ideal introduction. Launched in 2001, it created a new category as the first "hyperwatch" and has since been recognized as a modern classic of high-end watchmaking, with subsequent models earning accolades including a 2023 GPHG Iconic Watch Prize for the Freak ONE. This year at Watches & Wonders Geneva, Ulysse Nardin captivated a new generation of enthusiasts with its latest generation of the iconic watch, the Freak S Nomad. Featuring a sci-fi dual oscillator movement atop a handcrafted guilloché disc, the watch's artful combination of cutting-edge materials and traditional savoir-faire exemplifies Ulysse Nardin's distinctive aesthetic.

As an innovation and design leader in the luxury watch space, Ulysse Nardin makes a perfect match for Apparatus, both aesthetically and philosophically. Just as Ulysse Nardin curates a bold new experience at the intersection of traditional watchmaking and cutting-edge design, Apparatus specializes in creating modern interiors that combine midcentury inspiration with an array of sinuous shapes and luxurious textures. From the incense wafting subtly from brass orbs around the space to Apparatus' moody industrial-chic palette, the atmosphere was perfectly suited to highlight Ulysse Nardin's singular approach to watchmaking.

This event was produced in partnership with Ulysse Nardin.