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ExclusiveUncovering Urwerk And Its Fantastic Five—Watches That Dare To Be Different

Avant-garde and innovative—let’s explore what makes Urwerk the path-breaking watchmaker that it is, and decode five spectacular timepieces from the Urwerk UR Satellite collection

Priyam Bagga May 19, 2020

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*A Swiss watchmaker that has turned heads since its inception in 1997 presents some exceptional and unique timepieces. Seen here is the Urwerk UR-100 SpaceTime GunMetal —as ‘alien’ as it gets*

If you’re a watch enthusiast who has been following the Swiss watch industry for a while, it’s possible that you’re slightly bored of what’s out there. Though brands are innovating at a faster pace than ever before to keep up with the expectations of discerning consumers, there’s sometimes a certain lack of showmanship. If you’re looking for that zest and verve that you’ve been missing, Urwerk is a Swiss watchmaker you should watch out for—a brand that has taken haute horlogerie and watchmaking savoir faire, and pushed the envelope as far as the paper can fold.

Now, Urwerk is unlike its contemporaries, even when it comes to their history. While many horological giants have centuries of watchmaking know-how giving them significant clout, Urwerk is still in its infancy—founded as it was in 1997. However, from the very beginning, Urwerk didn’t want to be about just upholding traditional values. Its founders had a truly futuristic vision that is still the driving force behind the design of its timepieces.

Co-founders Felix Baumgartner and Martin Frei—master watchmaker and chief designer respectively—envisioned a different approach to timekeeping and came up with the idea for Urwerk, and the atelier’s name is well thought-out. ‘Ur’ stands for the ancient Mesopotamian city where, for the first time in history, time was measured. From them, we also got the idea of dividing time units into 60 parts—a concept which would lead to our usage of 60-second minutes and 60-minute hours. The word ‘werk’ in German means ‘work’ in the context of creation and evolution. Perhaps, by coupling these two words, the watchmakers wanted the world to witness a different way of keeping time—and that’s exactly what they achieved.

Urwerk UR-Satellite

Sharply moving away from the conservative Swiss industry, their first releases, UR-101 and UR-102, were roaring successes. These two watches would look rather traditional if compared with Urwerk’s newer unveilings, but, as they say, great things come from the humblest of beginnings. Urwerk’s eccentric and crazy designs put them on the map, and here we are today when Urwerk is an independent brand to be reckoned with.

From steampunk, art deco and astronomically-inspired, to futurism with a hint of medieval leanings, Urwerk timepieces flaunt it all. Here are five exceptional timepieces that offer a different view of time.

Urwerk UR-100 SpaceTime GunMetal: Where Time And Space Collide

If you are the kind of person who’s captivated by the night sky and you think about your place in this vast, vast universe, then the Urwerk UR-100 GunMetal SpaceTime will surely suit your fancy.

Here, we have Urwerk’s famous Satellite configuration, with the wandering hours and minutes. The wandering hour indication sits on a carousel comprising three ‘satellites’ with three numerals each. What sets this particular Urwerk timepiece apart, however, is that this funky watch also provides space enthusiasts with astronomical indications. In this astounding timepiece, when the minute hand has completed its 60-minute journey, it reappears on a 20-minute scale (located at 10 o’clock) of 555km—this is the distance one travels in 20 minutes if they are standing on the Earth’s equator. The scale on the opposite side (at two o’clock) does you one better—it tracks your journey through space around the sun, which is 35,740km every 20 minutes.

While the domed crystal protecting this dial is round in shape, the case is angular. The watch’s name comes from the dark grey PVD coating on the case. Despite being packed to the brim with out-of-this-world features, the case, at 41mm by 49.7mm, sits rather comfortably on the wrist. Driving this watch is the brand’s calibre 12.01, vibrating at a frequency of 28,800vph and providing the wearer with a 48-hour power reserve.

While these indications might not have any practical use in our day-to-day lives, they do show us how we’re a small part of the bigger picture, and that’s always interesting to think about.

Urwerk UR-210 RG: The Gold Standard Of Timekeeping

Diamonds might be forever, but nothing glitters quite like gold. In that vein, here’s another exciting offering from the horological innovator that stops at nothing to change how the timekeeping game is played. Emblazoned next to the name of the watch itself are the initials ‘RG’, drawing your attention to the standout feature that this timepiece wears proudly—red gold. Enthusiasts will know that variants of the UR-210 usually come in steel. However, this particular watch’s large case, measuring 43.8mm by 53.6mm, has been fashioned from brushed 18-karat red gold. “There’s always this little inner voice that reminds me how much I love this metal,” expresses Martin Frei, describing his fascination for the metal. “Beyond the march of technology, changes in fashion, new functions, new materials; gold is always gold. It’s forever. It’s the metal that lights me up,” he adds. The caseback and crown here are made of titanium—black in colour, with a matte finish—making them stand out brilliantly against the gold case. Interestingly, the crown of this watch is placed at 12 o’clock, which makes it quite easy to wind considering the timepiece’s angular but symmetrical case shape.

Urwerk UR-Satellite

Urwerk’s patented ‘satellite’ display, which we’re all too familiar with, can be seen here as well. The true mechanical genius of this watch is revealed when the minute hand is at the end of the 59th minute. This is when the wearer hears a sharp click and the hand comes back to the starting point in less than 1/10th of a second! Near about 11 o’clock, this watch has something called a winding efficiency indicator, a first-of-its-kind complication. When it is pointing to green, it means that the mainspring is being fed energy adequately. On the opposite side is the watch’s power reserve indicator.

Powering this behemoth is the UR-7.10 calibre, with a ‘turbine control’ system, and a power reserve of 39 hours. Through this turbine control with three settings (‘full’, ‘reduced’ and ‘stop’), which can be found on the caseback, you can manually control how much energy is being fed to the movement. When set to ‘full’, even the slightest movement of the wrist gets picked up to power the watch. The advantage of this control is that you can manually stop the rotor when you foresee a shock to the movement that might damage the inner workings—such as when you’re playing a sport. A black alligator leather strap completes the premium look of this timepiece.

Urwerk UR-105 CT Streamliner: A Steampunk Spectacle

Art deco has been the talk of the town lately, especially when you consider some of the new watches unveiled at the online edition of Watches & Wonders 2020. Fans of this design style have a lot to rejoice with the Urwerk UR-105 CT Streamliner, where the past and the present meld into quite the stunning timepiece. Clearly art deco in its design code, with its octagonal case, measuring 53mm by 39.5mm, this watch is evocative of subway trains and art deco-style buildings such as the Empire State, Chrysler and Comcast buildings—“vertical structure(s) that seem to go on forever,” according to Martin Frei. The catch on top of the case made of titanium and mirror-polished steel can be slid, and the top of the case opens like the hood of a car, to reveal the inner mechanism of this steampunk-inspired watch—the UR 5.03 with the self-winding system, vibrating at 4Hz and offering a power reserve of 48 hours, with the same satellite display boasting an open-worked carousel.

Like in the UR-210 RG, the caseback has two ‘turbines’, which can be used to govern the self-winding rate with the help of a lever. When the lever is turned to ‘stop’, it disengages the system and you can wind the watch the old-fashioned way—using the crown. A fetching black leather strap keeps things understated and elegant. With its singular design, the UR-105 CT Streamliner takes the art deco and catapults it into the future.

Urwerk UR Satellite UR-105M: The ‘Urwerk Knight’ In Shining Armour

Urwerk takes us back to the medieval era with a glorious timepiece that won’t look out of place if you’re trying to save a damsel or gent in distress. Here we have an octagonal case, with a sand-blasted steel bezel, shining bright valiantly. The name ‘Urwerk Knight’ has been given to this unconventional timepiece because this very bezel is reminiscent of the breastplate of a knight’s armour. The satellite hours joust entertainingly with the minute scale. The orbital structure that gives you a glimpse into the rotating satellite is made of a lightweight material called polyether ether ketone, or ‘PEEK’. On the side of the case, set into the caseband, are two little windows displaying running seconds (through 10-second increments) and the power reserve (designed like the fuel gauge of a car, showing ‘E’ and ‘F’ for ‘empty’ and ‘full’). Both apertures are covered with domed sapphire crystal. Powering this watch is the UR 5.01 manual-winding mechanical movement.

The automobile theme continues on the caseback, with a pretty futuristic-looking ‘control board’. Here, the watch presents a more detailed power reserve indicator, designed like what you would see on the dashboard of a car. At the opposite side is something called an oil change indicator, which displays numerals one to five, representing years—telling the owner when the watch should be serviced, which is at the end of five years. There is also fine-tuning screw, with the help of which you can adjust the watch’s rate for better precision. All in all, the caseback isn’t quite as medieval as the front of the watch is. A black leather strap connects to the armour of this impressive watch, completing its look.

Urwerk UR Satellite UR-105 Turbine Automatic RG: The Gregarious Golden Knight

The line, which was introduced first in 2014, was given a trury deserved makeover in 2015—in ravishing red gold, which Urwerk loves to flaunt.

Here, the black PVD-treated titanium case has a stunning red gold bezel. This is another timepiece with Urwerk’s signature satellite time indication—but instead, even the inner workings have been given a solid reboot. The movement here is more refined and more precise than ever before.

The movement powering this watch, the 5.02 UR automatic winding system, is as smooth as Urwerk gets—with almost no friction, no jerking movements whatsoever, just the fluid beauty of moving gears. The movement, offering a 48-hour power reserve, is controlled by the same ‘turbines’ on the caseback, that we’ve seen before, with three settings—‘full’, ‘red’ (reduced) and ‘stop’. Brilliantly taking it from ‘knight’ to day is the black leather strap that looks formal and sophisticated.