“The UR-101,” explains URWERK co-founder and master watchmaker Felix Baumgartner, “contains everything that has become emblematic of URWERK: the satellite display, time’s motion expressed as a path, along with the desire to offer a dial representing a break with traditional norms.”
This new interpretation of the UR-101 is a direct descendant of the very first URWERK creation, which was revealed in 1997. Limited to 25 pieces, the new UR-101 displays time on a 180-degree arc, allowing it to slide from left to right mimicking a celestial body gliding from sunrise to sunset. The self-winding movement indicates the hours via two satellites, and minutes on a track painted with Super-LumiNova. The caliber’s intricate finishing includes snailing, sandblasting and satin-brushing.
The timepiece’s 41mm steel case becomes a cosmic chart, mechanically engraved with a geometric network evoking an abstract constellation. Every intersection features a diamond, forming a hexagonal arrangement. “The diamonds are points of light, guiding us as the stars do,” says Martin Frei, co-founder of URWERK and the brand’s artistic director. “In space, stars bear witness to the laws of nature; on our dial, they create balance, connecting top and bottom, and translate a design vision into a simple, harmonious structure,” Frei adds.
The UR-101 Diamond Sky is presented on a textured white rubber strap with black calfskin lining.
URWERK
“Bringing out yet another version of an existing mechanical complication was not our aim”, says Felix Baumgartner, master-watchmaker and co-founder of URWERK. “Our watches are unique because each has been conceived as an original work. That is what makes them valuable and rare. Above all, we want to explore beyond the traditional horizons of watchmaking.” Martin Frei, chief designer and the other co-founder of URWERK, develops the aesthetic signature for each of the models. “I come from a world of total creative freedom. I’m not cast in the watchmaking mold, so i can draw my inspiration from my entire cultural heritage.”
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