Is it a fighter jet, a futuristic automobile, a spaceship or a UFO? The silhouette of an Urwerk usually serves as a curiosity exercise and for those who don’t know, it’s hard to call it a watch.
Once again, the signature revolving satellite complication gets a stealth revamp and is introduced with a set of world-first shock absorbers designed to protect the mechanism via turbines. The eccentricity extends with the unique mechanism to disengage the winding rotor, making it a timepiece with hybrid winding system.
The Urwerk UR-230 “Eagle”
As a successor in Urwerk’s UR-200 family, the UR-230, fondly dubbed as the “Eagle” expands the mechanical and aesthetic prowess of an already aggressive machine. Introduced at the Dubai Watch Week as a 35-piece limited edition timepiece, the UR-230 “Eagle” features design, architectural and mechanical nuances only possible to be credited to Urwerk.
The aggressive shape of the UR-230 is a given of the CTP carbon case fitted with a mobile cover. The slender trapeze profile keeps wearability scopes expansive. The machined carbon case is composed of superimposed layers, pressure-bonded at high temperatures. The case back is crafted from black DLC titanium.
A Distinctive Wonder Retained
The dial mechanism for time telling is the true hallmark of an Urwerk timepiece and the ethos is retained with the UR-230 “Eagle”. A sophisticated version of the revolving satellite complication that is URWERK’s essential signature is present within the UR-230. On a three-armed carousel, blocks adorned with numerals for four hours gracefully twirl.
In a mesmerizing 120-degree span, they glide, presenting the countenance of the current hour. Set with an aluminum 3D retrograde hand, these hour cubes adopt a role to depict the minutes as well. This intricate skeletal hand embarks on its 60-minute odyssey, gracefully returning to its starting point.
Functional and Aesthetic Nuances
The UR-230 “Eagle” doesn’t just tell time – it introduces groundbreaking features. Urwerk engineered pioneering shock absorbers, using turbines to protect the UR-7.30 caliber. One set cushions against external impacts, ensuring durability. Another regulates airflow for the winding system, adjusting power based on the wearer’s activity through an easily controlled “air brake.”
Switches on the watch offer unique functionality: one disengages the rotor, switching to manual winding mode. Indicators at 11 and 1 o’clock reveal these adjustments. The watch’s cover, a semi-hunter lid, lifting 90 degrees, shields the satellite system and sapphire crystal, deftly designed despite technical challenges. Crafted from CTP carbon and titanium, the cover, with its beak-like edge, smoothly opens and closes, securing itself onto the crystal.
The Urwerk UR-230 “Eagle” comes paired with a vulcarbonised rubber strap and closed with a black DLC-treated buckle.
Prices for the 35-piece limited edition timepiece starts from CHF 180,000 (Swiss francs / excl. tax).
