get ready to RRRRUUUUUMMMMMBBBBLLLLLLEEEE!!!!!

the ultimate shootout with the ultimate watches ;) a versus battle ... ulysse nardin's freak takes on a... FREAK! freakin hell...

FREAK 1.5 vs FREAK 2 !!! fight!

the winner will win the hand of this lovely lady freak ;)

so onto it then... what are the differences between the 2 beasts?

1. Upper bridge with balance wheel assembly and revolutionary escapement

a. Minute hand pointer is different

b. Spokes of the 3 branches are different shapes. for the freak 1, the 1st and 2nd spokes connect. the blued screws at the end of the spokes are also bigger on the 1. aesthetically the 1's design cues win over the 2's for me.

c. Different color silicium wheels and different sizes for the escapement.

d. the freak 2 doesn't have the gold base below so u see the blue of the dial through which is a nice touch...

FREAK 1 wins overall as the differences in a. and b. are more imp

Note as mine is the 1.5 the escapement has been upgraded and is keeping very good time through the 7 days power reserve. i heard that the original 1's escapement have a fair bit of problems though but it ranges from piece to piece.

2. & 5. Main spring barrel and hour hand pointer

Other than the different style of the pointer, the gear train for the hour hand pointers now sits underneath the brand label and not under the hour hand like in the freak 1.

FREAK 2 wins. it was a close tie but I'll give it to the Freak 2 for the interesting hour indicator

3. The Brake - the brake is a good to have so that wearers do not accidentally adjust the time. but having owned the freak 1 for a period of time now, i would tink it totally unnecessary. so its a negative as it takes away from the cleaner look of the freak 1.

FREAK 1 wins

4. Bezel - bottle cap bezel vs a flat bezel with bottle cap ridges on the sides - this is more obvious in the metal. the 1 wins out in this respect having a bezel with more character.

FREAK 1 wins

6. is the different buckle clasps (not shown) and the different backs (shown below)...

FREAK 2 wins on the clasp. the winding for the backs are the same...

7. Case size difference - 42.5 vs 44.5mm. having tried on the 2, the size fits me as well and it sits comfortably for me. however it may not suit smaller wristed folks.

Tie. some like it big some like it small, both fit well on my wrist.

8. Fonts differ - Note its most and not all. the most obvious one being the arabic numerals for the hours. the 1 looks a bit more serious and the 2 more playful. i prefer the 1s fonts personally.

FREAK 1 wins for me... but the Freak 2 is has a slightly more playful look which some may prefer

9. Dial color - the blue of the freak 1's dial is slightly richer and darker than the freak 2... not sure if this is due to aging of the dial though so no winner in this category.

the Freak 2 is a beautiful watch and my take is that it would be a great watch to own if you are Freak-less. but for me as I have the 1.5, its not a purchase consideration thankfully :) BUY EITHER ONE I SAYS... my try at some better shots of the 2...

end of day all Freaks are good :) a wrist shot of both

to read more about the winner of this shootout click here ... oh and it now claims its prize for the nite ;) the lady with a heart of bling... le freak diamond heart...

ice cool...

hope u enjoyed the short comparo report :) cheers, raph