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The Development of an Icon of Modern Horology: The Freak, by Jean-Christophe Sabatier (with Special Guest)

  • HSNY at the General Society Library 20 West 44th Street New York, NY, 10036 United States (map)

Jean-Christophe Sabatier, Chief Product Officer at Ulysse Nardin (Le Locle, Switzerland)

Video recordings of lectures are available immediately to HSNY members, and the general public with a two-month delay.

HSNY's November 2022 lecture will take place in person at the General Society Library. Doors open at 6PM ET, lecture to begin at 7PM ET. RSVP is required.

The lecture video will be available to members immediately, and to the general public following a two-month delay.

The Freak by Ulysse Nardin is unique by name and by the promises it carries in terms of design and technical content. The Freak has seen many iterations since its inception in 2001, gathering inspiration from the ever-changing cosmos.

At the November 2022 lecture, Jean-Christophe Sabatier, Chief Product Officer at Ulysse Nardin, will share how the Freak has been a significant contributor in establishing the brand as an independent integrated manufacture. Sabatier will also discuss its history, cutting-edge components and more.


About Jean-Christophe Sabatier

Jean-Christophe Sabatier is head of the product department at Ulysse Nardin, in Le Locle. Responsible for the brand’s product range from design of new collections to market distribution, Jean-Christophe and his team draw up designs for new products, decide on their positioning, and help to keep the spirit of creativity and innovation going – values dear to the Maison. Jean-Christophe is a project management expert responsible for a team of ten people, including artists, designers and project managers.

 With years of technical endeavors in automotive and sports industries under his belt, Jean Christophe entered the watchmaking sector in 2002 as marketing and communications director of Baume et Mercier. In 2011, he started at the Kering group, as director of the Watches sector at Boucheron. Finally, in March 2016, Jean-Christophe arrived at Ulysse Nardin as product director.

Special Guest: With twenty-five years at the bench under his belt, Ulysse Nardin’s Head Watchmaker Kris Endress joined the team in 2009 after being introduced to the Ulysse Nardin Freak a few years prior. Having fallen in love with the uniqueness of this piece, Endress turned down several offers from other companies to move his family to Switzerland to work for Ulysse Nardin.

With an affinity for technical content and creation, Sabatier and Endress have enjoyed working closely for the last six years continuing to revolutionize the art of horology at Ulysse Nardin.