URWERK UR-100 GOLD EDITION

“Oh my” - with a gleaming new matte yellow gold case, the URWERK UR-100 Gold Edition recalls the exterior of everyone’s favourite droid.

Unveiled on May 4th? The fourth piece in the collection? The URWERK UR-100 collection already had an abundance of Sci-fi in its DNA, but this stunning new golden edition takes it to another dimension.

Even though their timepieces are complex, horological visions, there is a school-boyish charm ingrained into everything made by URWERK. With a portfolio which is brimming with spinning satellites and robotics, on viewing one of their watches, one cannot help believe that the main ingredients in its creation were fun and imagination.

Having already released three previous editions, this time URWERK have clad their impressive UR-100 in a matte yellow gold case in honour of C-3P0, the loveable yet quirky droid from the Star Wars franchise. And it looks fabulous.

The UR-100 is known for being surprisingly wearable – for a URWERK that it is. In spite of its domed sapphire it wears at a height of just 14mm. The case design is pure 1970s, with plenty of case-side spill around the sapphire, and its profile has enough spacey undertones to set any Hans Solo fan’s heart aflutter.

Dial-side the wizardry of the time indications is mesmerising. At the centre, the carousel arrangement for the hours comprises of a trio of hour satellites, each with four hours printed on them. Taking turns to indicate every third hour they rotate and all the while, the retrograde minutes offers its own form of mechanical dynamics.

On its own this would be enough. But URWERK have also introduced a bit of space travelling info too. When each of the three red minute arrow heads has passed the 60 marker, they reappear again on either of two kilometre scales. The first, at 9 o’clock, shows the 555 km travelled along the equator during 20 minutes of the Earth’s rotation. While at 3 o’clock, the wearer can remind themselves of the distance travelled by Earth as it orbits around the sun over 20 minutes.

Blending traditional Haute Horlogerie with impressive nerd-ish trickery is a URWERK speciality. So, with their calibres you can expect high-end mechanical prowess. The UR-100 is powered by an automatic movement which incorporates an in-house module for the unusual complications. It also includes the company’s clever winding system which ensures regulation of the oscillating mass to boost its precision and longevity. When viewed through the rear sapphire crystal, the curious flattened form of the speed regulator adds to the unconventionality of this exceptional wristwatch.

The URWERK UR-100 Gold Edition will be a limited release of 25 pieces. The first piece in this edition will be auctioned to support organisations who are aiding with the on-going fight against COVID-19. More information can be found on the official URWERK website.

Fact File URWERK UR-100 Gold Edition

MANUFACTURER: URWERK
LIMITED EDITION: 25pcs
CASE: 18ct. yellow gold, satin-finished, sapphire caseback
SIZE: ø 41mm wide x 49.7 mm length
THICKNESS: ø 14 mm
DIAL: Rotating satellites and retrograde minutes displays
MOVEMENT: URWERK UR 12.01 Calibre, automatic winding with regulation system, 28,800vph
FUNCTIONS: Rotating hours, retrograde minutes, space time indicator displaying distance travelled on Earth’s equator over 20 minutes and distance travelled by Earth around the sun over 20 minutes.
POWER RESERVE: 48 hours
BRACELET/STRAP: Black alligator leather strap
BUCKLE: 18ct yellow gold pin buckle
WATERPROOF RATING: 30m
PRICE: CHF 58,000 exclusive of taxes