BY JOVAN KRSTEVSKI
Urwerk released their latest space-age inspired time machine, the UR-100 in 2019. Bearing futuristic looks, the UR-100 not only keeps accurate track of the time it goes way beyond that providing some intriguing distance capturing capabilities. The new UR-100V Iron takes things to a new level by dividing the wearer’s attention between the technical wizardry and the finely finished case.
Urwerk watches have always been known for their non-conventional take on time-keeping. And while I have almost always found Urwerk’s unique designs visually appealing, it would be fair to say that they are a little too industrial and lack some finesse. But that has now been taken care of with the new UR-100 V Iron. The titanium and steel case still measures 42mm in diameter with a thickness of around 14mm and maintains its angular geometry. However, the designers at Urwerk have done a good job of giving it a more refined and slightly softer look. The entire case showcases a mix of several different finishes creating mirror polished, Matt, sanded, and short-penned surfaces. The result is a case that looks much more dynamic and expressive.
As I mentioned before, I love the way Urwerk handles timekeeping, and the UR-100 uses the fascinating wandering hour’s complication to do so. As a part of the Urwerk calibre 12.02, three satellite’s with hours in blue orbit around the static circular minute scale which has been rendered in silver and blue. The carousel carrying the wandering hours and the structure on top of the hours is made of anodized aluminum then sanded and shot-blasted, while the satellite screws are each circular sanded. To make time reading intuitive each satellite features a red hand that points at the current minute reading with the hour indication above it. Once the red hand goes past the 60-minute mark, it disappears from the main display but can be seen action on the two displays at each side of the case. On the left is a 20-minute scale of 555 km, the distance one travels in 20 minutes if one is standing at the equator of a rotating planet. On the right is another scale that measures the distance traveled by the earth around the sun in 20 minutes which comes out to be 35,740 Km.
Flipping the watch over reveals the rear side of the calibre 12.02.m, which is an interesting sight. The rotor covers the entire movement and has been drilled to give a glimpse of what’s underneath. The movement is equipped with the ‘Planetary Turbine Automatic System’ that has been designed to reduce the wear and tear of the rotor. The movement operates at 4Hz and offers an autonomy of around 48 hours.
The new Urwerk UR-100V Iron comes attached to a Blue Alacantra strap and would be limited to just 25 pieces. The watch would retail for CHF 48,000.
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