Q&A“The Word ‘Normal’ Doesn’t Exist For Us,” Says Urwerk’s Felix Baumgartner

What can you tell us about Urwerk’s recent Space Blade Among The Other UR offerings?

In addition to the UR Stardust, we presented the Space Blade in August 2023, during Geneva Watch Days. We had created it for the Only Watch charity auction. It’s a sculpture, which measures the kilometres travelled by the equator around the Earth. We are travelling 40,056km around the Earth every day, and this clock is calculating that distance travelled. Additionally, we have another indication that shows the distance travelled by the Earth around the Sun. This was a unique piece for the Only Watch auction, but we’ll come out with a limited edition of this Space Blade at Watches and Wonders Geneva 2024.

How did the idea of creating the Space Blade come about?

My father gave me a clock that indicated the equatorial distance travelled at certain point. This is placed in my atelier, and it inspires me every day. And it was also the motivation to take that idea further to inspire our customers and the people involved in the project.

Talk about the diamond-studded UR Satellite Stardust.

The Stardust is a very elegant version of the UR 100 collection. In addition to decorating the top of the case, so we decided to set diamonds on the dial, on the buckle, and on the crown. We were able to set 400 diamonds on the upper front of the case. What’s interesting about the setting is that they are the smallest brilliant-cut diamonds you can set. They are diamonds with 58 facets, so it’s a classical brilliant-cut stone and it’s the best quality that we could possibly get. Even more interesting is that the gem-setting is more expensive than the diamonds itself. And this lends the piece an incredible light play. When you step into the sun it gives a stardust effect, and that’s why we named the watch Stardust. You almost don’t see the diamonds anymore. You just see an incredible surface of shimmering light. This is also the first time we’ve put diamonds on a UR 100 case.

"The Stardust is a very elegant version of the UR 100 collection. In addition to decorating the top of the case, so we decided to set diamonds on the dial, on the buckle, and on the crown"

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"We were able to set 400 diamonds on the upper front of the case. What’s interesting about the setting is that they are the smallest brilliant-cut diamonds you can set"

₹97,70,000

Check Our Selling Price

"They are diamonds with 58 facets, so it’s a classical brilliant-cut stone and it’s the best quality that we could possibly get. The gem-setting is more expensive than the diamonds itself"

₹97,70,000

Check Our Selling Price

01

How do you come up with these ideas for variations, with materials, colours, gemstones, engravings, etc?

We love to work with artisans, hand, engravers. We work with several artists to re-create the UR 100. There are special engravers, and people who work with different materials, such as carbon, and so on. The setting of the diamonds is also done by one of the best artists here. These editions come out of collaborations with the best artisans that we can find.

"We love to work with artisans, hand, engravers. We work with several artists to re-create the UR 100." There are special engravers, and people who work with different materials, such as carbon, and so on."

There are special engravers, and people who work with different materials, such as carbon, and so on." Seen here is the UR-100V Time and Culture

In light of your recent 25th anniversary, could you offer some insight into how you think the brand is involved and what’s changed for you in those 25 years?

We are proud to look back on our continuing and consistent growth, in terms of style, aesthetics, volume, and partnerships that lead to success. We’re building something that is consistently growing, which continues with partners such as [Indian retail partners] Ethos. We are very proud to have built the brand with such partners.

This is a more conventional watch from Urwerk, but even this is far from fitting any archetype. This is the UR-102 Reloaded

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It also comes in this all-black version

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These watches were unveiled first at Watches and Wonders Geneva 2023

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What would you say have been the most important milestones that have shaped the brand over the 25 years?

It’s all been about craziness. It’s been about believing in contemporary watchmaking. It’s about believing in the existing rules. You have to know the rules first and then you can go further and we continue to do what we have been doing for the last 25 years.

What’s the most normal idea you’ve had?

The simplest idea was to create a carousel for the UR satellite display despite the weight being about 150 times heavier than that of regular timekeeping hands. The word ‘normal’ doesn’t exist. The word ‘conformity’ doesn’t exist for us.

What is the brand signature complication?

Good question… I would have to say that it’s the UR satellite hour indication. This has been our signature since the very beginning. And we have continued to evolve this signature over the years.

At Dubai Watch Week we presented the UR-230. It’s the biggest expression of the 200 family so far.