Lightness. Performance. Aesthetics. The new UR-100V in carbon relies on these three essentials. It is a light watch with perfect ergonomics mounted on a technical rubber strap. The case is composed of 52 layers of ultra-thin carbon. Aesthetics subtly blend the sensual curves and angular geometry of its unique shape. Introducing the URWERK UR-100V C52.
The URWERK 100V collection continues its saga. The “Full Titanium Jacket” is now succeeded by the UR-100V C52. A watch with an ultra-tech case made of High Resistance CTP Carbon. An extremely resilient carbon composed of 52 layers compressed in epoxy polymer resin. The use of this unusual material allows the case of the UR-100V C52 to tip the scales at a featherweight 11 grams including titanium back.
It’s the folds of the carbon layers that give character to this new creation. Martin Frei, co-founder of URWERK and chief designer of the brand says: “The curves enhancing the bezel of the UR-100V C52, tracing their way from the crown to the sides of the watch passing through the lugs, are a classic reference. We find this same motif on the ancient Greek columns. Striations drawn and dug in the stone almost 2500 years ago to channel rainwater and control its flow along these ageless pillars. This motif has become the symbol of classicism. I often play with this reference. With the new UR-100V, the circular case results from precision-cut 52 layers of carbon. The design extends all around the wrist thanks to the original rubber strap specifically designed for this watch. The URWERK UR-100V C52 is mounted on a strap with a folding clasp, featuring textured flexible rubber for a comfortable fit.
“Carbon is a material dating back to the dawn of time. It is a raw material in the original sense of the term, a perfect UR-material. Carbon was also revered by the Sumerians of Mesopotamia, the pioneers of defining time as we still know it today, and a strong reference at URWERK. Enclosing and protecting the cutting-edge technology used in our models in an ageless case is a contrast that I seek out and particularly appreciate,” explains Felix Baumgartner, co-founder of URWERK and master-watchmaker. ” Our carbon has all the qualities: it is resistant, light, resilient, and revisits URWERK black by offering nuances like nothing else”.
On the UR-100V, the display of hours and minutes is via satellites. A minute hand (one of three), once past the 60-minute mark, disappears to then reappear as a kilometre counter. It illustrates the 555 kilometres we travel every 20 minutes on the surface of the Earth. 555 kilometres/hr is the average. speed of rotation of the Earth at the Equator. Opposite this indication, another displays the speed of the Earth’s revolution around the sun, i.e., 35,740 kilometres in 20 minutes. On the face of the UR-100V, hours and kilometres share the same status, the same value. The hour and minute numerals indications are illuminated in highly legible incandescent green for easy ready. Felix Baumgartner, master watchmaker and co-founder of URWERK says: “This creation is inspired by a gift received from my father, Geri Baumgartner, renowned restorer of antique clocks. It is a clock made by Gustave Sandoz for the Universal Exhibition of 1893. Its particularity is that it indicates the distance travelled by the Earth at the Equator rather than the time”.
URWERK UR-100V C52 Technical Specifications
Limited edition of 25 pieces
Movement
- Calibre UR 12.02 with automatic-winding system governed by low-profile planetary turbine minimizing over-winding and wear
- Jewels 40
- Frequency 4 Hz / 28 800vph
- Power reserve 48 hours
- Materials Orbital satellite hours turning on Geneva crosses in beryllium bronze; open-worked aluminum carousel; triple baseplates in ARCAP
- Finishing
- Circular graining, sanding, brushing
- Chamfered screw heads
- Hour and minute indications in Super-LumiNova
- Indications
- Orbital satellites: hours; minutes; distance travelled on Earth’s equator in 20 minutes; distance Earth travels around the sun in 20 minutes
Case
- Materials: Carbon with 52 layers, baseplate in titanium
- Dimensions Width: 41.0 mm, length: 49.7 mm, height: 14.0 mm
- Crystal Sapphire crystal
- Water resistance Pressure tested to 30m / 3 ATM / 100’
Bracelet
- Textured rubber with deployant buckle
Price
- CHF 53’000.00 (Swiss francs / excluding tax)
URWERK
“With URWERK, our goal is not to offer yet another version of a well-known complication,” explains Felix Baumgartner, master watchmaker and co-founder of URWERK. Our bias for our own complications is frank, clear and respected to the letter.”
Appearing on the watchmaking scene in 1997, URWERK has since shaken up the world of fine watchmaking by imposing its revolutionary vision of time. Rebellious and unconventional at will, URWERK is a relatively young watch brand, but it is a pioneer in the world of independent watchmaking. With a production of 150 pieces per year, URWERK is a home to craftsmen, a place where traditional watchmaking knowledge and avant-garde aesthetics coexist. URWERK designs unique complex, contemporary watches, which meet the most demanding criteria of haute horlogerie: independent research and creation; advanced materials; hand finishing.
URWERK is first and foremost a fusion of two strong minds, two strong personalities. Felix Baumgartner, master watchmaker, is the son and grandson of watchmakers, he is a horological craftsman at heart. Others talk about timepieces as one talks about a hobby, for Felix Baumgartner they are at the center of his life.
Martin Frei, artist designer and co-founder of URWERK, is the alter-ego of Felix Baumgartner. In 1987, as an art student at the Hochschule fur Gestaltung und Kunst in Lucerne, he successfully tried many genres of creative expression including sculpture, painting, and video. He is particularly fascinated by the definition of time and its expression through the ages.
Friendship was quickly born between the two men who spent long hours discussing the gap between watchmaking as they dreamed of it and that which they saw displayed in the windows. In the 90s, they embarked on the creation of their first watch A timepiece freely inspired by the Campanus brothers’ night clock, in which time is read in an arc reproducing the course of the sun, from east to west.
“Our watches are unique because each model requires an original design effort. This is what makes them rare and valuable,” explains Felix Baumgartner. It’s a similar declaration of faith for Martin Frei who designs the aesthetic signature of each of the models, “I come from a world where creative freedom is total. I’m not from the watchmaking realm, it’s all of my artistic and cultural experiences that serve as a source of inspiration for me.”