The URWERK UR-150 Stings Like A Scorpion, Redefining Retrograde Watch Complications
3 min read
The URWERK UR-150 Scorpion brings forth a revolutionary design and reinvention of the brand’s signature satellite hours complication, blending fierce symbolism with technical brilliance. Drawing inspiration from the lethal precision of a scorpion’s stinger, the UR-150’s mechanism is a spectacle in itself, offering a rapid, retrograde display of the minutes and hours in a flash of 1/100th of a second.
In terms of design, the UR-150 contrasts aggressive symbolism with a calm, sophisticated exterior. As co-founder Felix Baumgartner explains, while the watch evokes the ferocity of a scorpion, its appearance is cool and collected, much like previous models with nicknames like Hammerhead and Cobra. This new iteration refines URWERK’s artistic direction, offering a smoother, more organic silhouette that sits comfortably on the wrist. The watch case and crystal follow a harmonious, spherical line that merges design with function, making time easily readable without wrist movement.
At the heart of the UR-150 is the newly developed satellite complication. Gone are the traditional Maltese crosses, replaced with a cam-and-rack system driven by a flying wheel. This innovation powers the intricate rotation of the hour satellites, allowing for seamless jumps as the retrograde minutes hand returns to its starting position. The retrograde mechanism is more expansive than ever, covering a 240-degree arc rather than the usual 120 degrees, creating a more ambitious and dynamic display.
The technical feats behind the UR-150 extend beyond aesthetics. The retrograde system is meticulously controlled by a speed regulator, a mechanism more often seen in minute repeaters. This ensures that the return of the retrograde hand is smooth and precise. Additionally, the automatic winding system employs double turbines, enhancing shock resistance and energy efficiency by absorbing any impact that may affect the rotor’s arbor. Baumgartner emphasizes the importance of these turbines in optimizing performance and durability, ensuring that the Scorpion’s sting is as reliable as it is sharp.
URWERK’s decision to expand the retrograde system's arc and increase the weights involved highlights the brand’s dedication to pushing the limits of horology. The meticulous control of dynamic forces, alongside the design’s perfect alignment of the hour and satellite rotation, showcases the brand’s precision engineering. This "Perfect Storm," as Baumgartner describes it, is what makes the UR-150 a standout achievement in both aesthetic and mechanical design.
The UR-150, while fierce in its mechanism, is a marvel of understated elegance in its design. It melds strong lines with gentle curves, achieving a delicate balance that resonates with URWERK’s philosophy of playing with opposites. Martin Frei, the brand’s creative director, insists that the watch’s tension between soft contours and the boldness of the mechanism generates energy, giving the watch its unique vitality. According to Frei, beauty emerges from these tensions, not from harmony.
Inside this complex body, the latest iteration of URWERK’s wandering satellite-hour movement unfolds. The transition between hours becomes a dramatic moment to behold, with the slow crawl of the minutes interrupted by the sudden shift back to the starting point. Frei views this as a “vibration in the spacetime continuum,” where time can seemingly be reversed for just an instant.
The URWERK UR-150 Scorpion continues the brand’s legacy of crafting timepieces that are anything but ordinary. With its intricate mechanisms, striking design, and theatrical presentation of time, this watch embodies the essence of modern horological art.
