The Urwerk EMC Pistol - A Fine and Fancy Swansong for the Collection.
Artificial Intelligence ... Super Capacitators ... Circuit Boards ... these are all terms which have no business in the world of traditional mechanical watchmaking - you'd think.
However, the Urwerk EMC is in no sense a "traditional" mechanical watch and ifyou have an avid interest in modern-day horology you will already know all aboutthis unusual model which won awards for "Exceptional Mechanism" and "Innovation" at last year's GPHG. Now there's a new one, the Urwerk EMC Pistol, which brings this highly modernistic chapter in Urwerk's history to a close in true artisan style.
First though a quick recap. The Urwerk EMC is a watch which flies in the face of the relationship a wearer generally has with his or her wristwatch. In addition to time-setting and winding the EMC (Electro Magnetic Control) offers its owner the added intimacy of being able to obtain precise timing rate information in order to make the appropriate adjustments - normally the domain of a trained watchmaker.
The designs of Urwerk watches begin as musings on the sketch pad of Martin Frei before being translated into mechanical reality by Felix Baumgartner and his team. For the EMC Pistol however, they have outsourced the aesthetic transformation of the model to some well-chosen individuals who understood the need for Urwerk-style perfection.
To create the fancy hand-engraving on the case of the EMC Pistol Urwerk employed the skills of Florian Güllert, a craftsman whose day job normally involves beautifying weaponry, hence the "pistol" in the title. New tools had to be sourced in order to work with the steel used by Urwerk to construct their watchcases and the small-scale area also posed challenges but the end result provides such an impressive frame for the EMC's industrial dial that Martin Frei has described it as a feature which adds "the wow effect" and few would disagree.
In a final flourish of artistic styling, Urwerk instructed Joséphine Morf and her crew at the Geneva-based Portalès Leather Company to use leather which they would normally shun in favour of more refined skin in order to create some highly textured straps. The "relief" characteristics of the material used adds a splendid three dimensional aspect which adds to the uniqueness of each piece.
The Urwerk EMC Pistol will be a limited edition of just 5 pieces, more details from Urwerkhere.