Switzerland · 2001
Silicon Escapement Parts
Partially verifiedSilicon brought etched, magnetism-resistant escapement parts and balance springs into mainstream mechanical watchmaking.
Ulysse Nardin's Freak of 2001, a watch with no dial, hands or crown, was by the maker's account the first mechanical watch with silicon escapement wheels.
Background
In 2001, Ulysse Nardin introduced the Freak, a timepiece characterized by the absence of a dial, hands, and crown. According to Ulysse Nardin, this watch was the first mechanical timepiece to incorporate silicon escapement wheels. Ulysse Nardin utilizes silicon for its components due to its specific physical properties, including durability, lightweight nature, and resistance to magnetism.
The manufacturer maintains an affiliate laboratory, Sigatec, which specializes in the development and production of these silicon components. These components are created from synthetic silicon wafers using a deep engraving process known as etching. To improve stability, these components undergo a thermal oxidation process that forms a surface layer of silicon dioxide.
Written from the sources listed under Sources (makers, museums, auction houses and specialist publications are paraphrased, not reproduced); each statement was checked against the cited text, and claims a maker makes about its own work are attributed to it.
How it works
- The Sigatec manufacturing process allows for the production of balance wheels, hairsprings, and escapement parts with a precision of plus or minus two microns.
- The components are manufactured from monocrystalline silicon ingots to ensure material homogeneity.
Later history
- Ulysse Nardin patented Diamonsil, a diamond-coated silicon surface treatment, in 2007.
- Silicon is currently considered commonplace within the horological industry.
Impact on watchmaking
- Ulysse Nardin — The maker of the 2001 Freak and DIAMonSIL.
- Nivarox Balance-Spring Alloy — The alloy hairsprings silicon now competes with.
How to verify this yourself
Check the cited museum record or maker's archive first; for patented work, confirm the number and date from the specification itself (Espacenet covers most European, US and Japanese patents) rather than from secondary retellings.
Manufacturers known to have used it
- Ulysse Nardin
- Several Swiss manufacturers since the mid-2000s
Related photographs
No confidently matched photograph of this subject has been found yet. These photographs show a closely related record, and are not examples of the type described on this page.
Sources & references
- The Incredible Journey of the Freak, Ulysse Nardin, retrieved 2026-11-02 (paraphrased; text © the publisher)
- Silicon Technology, Ulysse Nardin, retrieved 2026-11-02 (paraphrased; text © the publisher)
- Ulysse Nardin, The Incredible Journey of the Freak; Silicon Technology
Where sources disagree, the disagreement is stated rather than resolved silently.