URWERK’S UR-100V In A Full Black Titanium Jacket: A Pleasure On The Wrist

Black is black! Since the beginning of URWERK, this has been their trademark. The all-new UR-100V Full Black Titanium Jacket, their newest design, is understated but oozing with energy and vitality. Because of this, a black-and-white piece's message must be clear and to the point. It has to be visually arresting and emotionally charged in some way. Exactly what they sought to do was the goal of this endeavour. The raw, unadulterated beauty of the UR-100V.

“From my first sketches for URWERK until the present day, I have always envisioned and designed our creations on a metal bracelet. The latter is an extension of the watch around the wrist and in my mind, it complements the design perfectly. I like the fact that the material – in this instance titanium – is quite cold when you put it on your wrist. It warms up slowly on contact, acclimatising to you and gently embracing your skin. This extremely light bracelet also makes a special sound when you play with its links. It feels good. It is beautiful. To me, this watch is a real success and I am happy to see it come to life for real”, said Martin Frei, artist and co-founder of URWERK.

On top of that, the UR-100V Full Black Titanium Jacket brings your URWERK journey into sharp focus with its satellite configuration of the wandering hours and minutes. The minute hand will return on a 555-kilometre scale after travelling for 60 minutes. If you're standing on the equator of our planet, you can cover this distance in 20 minutes. A scale on the other end of the spectrum shows how quickly you're travelling around the sun: 35,740 kilometres every 20 minutes.

The UR-100V Full Black Titanium Jacket displays time and distance equally, with the hours, minutes, and kilometres displayed in blue and bright white, respectively. Felix Baumgartner, co-founder of URWERK and a watchmaker, says “the inspiration for URWERK came from an antique clock his father, Geri, is known for restoring. For the Universal Exhibition of 1893, Gustave Sandoz created this piece. In place of time, it displayed the equator's travelled distance."

With three satellites, URWERK's new Calibre 12.02 operates the carousel. By moving the carousel around the 60-minute scale, the hours and minutes are brought closer together. Felix Baumgartner states this. As a result, reading the time becomes simpler and more intuitive. Each satellite screw is circular sanded before being shot-blasted in an anodized aluminium carousel with an hour structure on top, which is then sanded and shot-blasted. Carousel of sandblasted brass-plated ruthenium rests on satellites. Aluminum sanded and shot-blasted for the top of the hours display structure. The UR-100's self-winding rotor is regulated by the Windfänger, a profiled airscrew.

The case of the UR-100V Full Black Titanium Jacket has a retro feel. Many URWERK watch owners remember the independent brand's earliest models. As Martin Frei notes, "we have absorbed and then demolished some of the artistic aspects of our early constructions". Examples include the steel dome of our early models being replaced with sapphire crystal. Because of its titanium and steel construction, this timepiece exudes perfection. According to him, "because I am always at odds with the rules of symmetry, I have employed alternative proportions to capture the attention".

An ergonomic timepiece, the UR-100V Full Black Titanium Jacket is stunning in its simplicity. Its bracelet is exceptionally light and comfortable to wear. It's a bracelet that evokes feelings of euphoria.

This watch is priced at CHF 65,000 (Swiss francs / excluding tax).