Urwerk’s latest addition to its UR-100 series looks beyond the complexity of its mechanism with an eye-catching form sure to have horologists scrambling.
The UR-100 V Iron is fashioned with a unique case forged from steel and titanium measuring 41mm across, entirely finished by hand. Its angular silhouette is largely unadorned––minimal, really––and acts as a contrasting frame for the face designed in the brand’s signature rotating configuration. The interplay of texture and geometry leaves an impression from every angle.
“We have adopted some of the stylistic features of our first constructions, and then deconstructed them,” said Martin Frei, Urwerk’s chief designer and co-founder, in a statement. “For example, the steel dome of our early models is now in transparent sapphire crystal. The hard outlines of the titanium and steel case highlight its perfection. Because I’m always at odds with the dictates of symmetry, I have used different proportions to catch the eye.”
The UR-100V Iron has a unique domed silhouette that recalls the brand’s early models. Urwerk
The dial itself employs Urwerk’s unique satellite style with wandering hour and minute markers, which indicate how far you’ve moved through space. When the minute hand has completed its 60-minute journey, it reappears on a 20-minute scale of 555 kilometers, the distance you travel in 20 minutes if you are standing on the Earth’s equator. The opposite scale tracks your journey through space around the sun, which equals 35,740km every 20 minutes.
Company co-founder Felix Baumgartner got his inspiration for the geographical complication from a gift given to him by his father. The antique 1893 clock by Gustave Sandoz originally created for the Universal Exhibition of 1893 showed the distance traveled by a point on the equator instead of time.
Though the overall design recalls some of the brand’s earliest models, its inner workings are cutting-edge. A self-winding Caliber UR 12.02 movement enabled a redesign of the carousel, bringing the hours closer to the minutes as they travel in succession along the 60-minute scale for easier reading of time. It contains 40 jewels and produces a full 48 hours of power reserve to keep you on the go. The UR-100 V Iron is now available for $52,470.
