Flowers and transformers from URWERK
URWERK, which burst upon the haute horlogerie scene in 1997, has shaken up the world of luxury watchmaking by imposing its own vision of time upon it. For its 20th anniversary, the maison has tapped into flower power, retro, and transformers for its muse and has come out with stunning creations that appeal to the heart and the intellect
Although a young company, URWERK is recognised as one of the forerunners of the new wave known as nouvelle horlogerie. Producing just 150 watches a year, the company sees itself as a craftsman’s studio where traditional expertise coexists with avant-garde styling. The company manufactures modern and complex watches that are unprecedented and in keeping with the most demanding criteria of fine watchmaking: independent design and research, advanced materials, and handcrafted finishes.
URWERK is the result of two strong-minded, well-tempered personalities: Felix Baumgartner – master watchmaker, son and grandson of watchmakers, for whom timepieces are at the centre of his life – and Martin Frei – artist designer and alter ego of Felix Baumgartner, who is particularly fascinated by the definition of time and its manifestation through the ages. The creative duo is back with new horological wonders.
UR-106 Flower Power
UR-106 Flower Power is an expression of Le coup de foudre, that instantaneous love that sets your senses tingling and alive. This example of poetic mechanical jewellery, a limited edition of only 11 pieces, is a happy marriage between steel and diamond, technique and gentleness, manual dexterity and mechanical precision. The UR-106 Flower Power casing houses no fewer than 239 Top Wesselton quality diamonds making a total of 2.53 carats (crown included). Its execution was supervised by the house of Magnin located in Geneva, who have specialised in watchmaking assembly since 1959. Encrusted with diamonds, the gemstones fit neatly into the material and are not constrained, but held in place, highlighted in the hollow of the metal.
Added to this decorative work on the casing is the beautiful workmanship carried out on the carousel itself. A delicate lotus flower, which houses no fewer than 30 diamonds, acts as a pivot to the satellite indication of the watch. The only indication that this is a technical as well as an aesthetic item is hidden in the heart of the motif, a watch screw with a perfect finish. Three ornaments in gold and diamonds complete this bucolic picture. Each is composed of five mounted petals; they fit delicately in between the hour satellites. This indication of the wandering hours consists of three satellites, each one carrying 4 indexes. One after another, they parade along the path of the minutes, showing the time in both analogue and digital fashion. A phase of the moon completes the UR-106 dial.
UR-210 Amadeus
For its 20th anniversary, URWERK has embarked on a retro-futuristic experiment with one of their flagship models, a UR-210. Flung into a temporal particle accelerator, this futuristic watch collides with the past to emerge transfigured as a flamboyant anachronism. Memories of Baumgartner’s first horological infatuations have inspired the new UR-210 Amadeus – Amadeus referring to the great Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Transformed by the expert hands of the talented craftsman Florian Güllert, this new creation – where the case, the crown protection, and the bracelet have been merged into one unit to create an exceptional piece – can be classed as baroque.
The principal feature of the UR-210’s satellite complication with retrograde minutes is a high-tech, oversized, three-dimensional retrograde minute hand. Tracing an arc of 120° in a smooth and fluid manner for 59 minutes, it then with a sharp distinct “click” signals the return of the minute hand to its starting point. In less than 0.1 of a second the hand flies back to dock with the next hour satellite. The dial of the UR-210 features a traditional power reserve indication at one o’clock. In a near mirror image at 11 o’clock we find a similar indication, which is actually a world-first complication that indicates winding efficiency over the last two hours. Armed with knowledge of both winding efficiency and available power reserve, you can control the rate at which movement is converted to stored energy.
UR-T8
The UR-T8, which marks the 20th anniversary of the brand, is URWERK’s first transformable watch. A series of precise actions unlocks the case from its cradle, flips it over, and returns it with a satisfying click to protect the time beneath a titanium shield. It then becomes an intriguing, mystery object with a highly textured pattern on your wrist. In the UR-T8, the concept of the Reverso watches has been deconstructed to create a genuine URWERK model. Squeeze again the two buttons on the side of the case to release it, lift it vertically, rotate it 180° about its axis, and click it back into its cradle to return to the present time.
There you discover a new version of URWERK’s trademark wandering-hour indication – the most intuitive way of telling the time. The 12 hours in groups of four on a three-armed carousel successively sweep across the scale of 60 minutes to show the time both digitally and analogically. It is the biggest and most elaborate carousel configuration yet applied by URWERK, with each arm supporting a satellite carousel bearing the four hour numerals. A complex planetary gearing transforms a tangle of wheels, screws, and jewel bearings into a meticulously orchestrated ballet.
Another technical feature unique to URWERK is the pneumatic control of the self-winding system. A gilded spinning vane connected to the winding rotor absorbs any sudden and violent movements of the rotor without compromising its winding efficiency. The UR-T8 is available in an initial series of 60 watches in natural titanium or with a black PVD coating.
