There are good watches, there are great watches, there are legendary watches, and then there is the Urwerk UR Satellite SpaceTime. The last one is a category that doesn’t quite fit into any specific genre but it is definitely one that is to be celebrated. The timepiece comes from the rather futuristic and avant-garde watchmaker, Urwerk.
The Enticing Urwerk UR-100 Satellite SpaceTime GunMetal
The watch, with its distinct and unique colour patten and luminescent contrasting dial accents, tries and engages a new breed pf watch enthusiasts. The timepiece is distinguishing as it sets apart watch collectors from the regulars.
The 41 mm wide case is sharply designed keeping in mind a strong and unwavering presence. The case is a combination of steel and titanium. The very first thing that you will see that is also a key distinguishing feature, is the crown placement at the 12 o’clock position.
The Gunmetal reference, as you might have already understood, has a gunmetal coloured PVD coating, hence the name. But, that is not why you should pay attention to this gem of a watch. the real reason would be the orbital hour-satellite display at the very centre of the watch dial. This is the timepiece’s primary time keeping component.
The watch’s central axis operates on a three-arm carousel apparatus that is made out of aluminium. The carousel is partially open-worked and the numerals that are not in use are blocked by the aluminum bridges of the mechanism. The minutes are features at the bottom-most layer of the dial in green colour. The minutes are pointed at by a red tipped
The Original UR-100
The actual UR-100 was released in the summer of 2019. It got instant attention and fame due to its unusual and atypical design language. The watch also gained attention from watch connoisseurs because it was not just a ‘watch’. The timepiece had two complications that put it way ahead of its time. The first one indicated the distance traveled by the watch wearer on Earth at any given moment in kilometers. It was located between the 9 o’clock and 11 o’clock positions. It highlighted our planet’s rapid rotation in outer space at a speed of 555 km every 20 minutes.
Right on the opposite side, lies another complication that showcases the planet’s distance that it has travel orbiting the sun, which is about 35,740 kilometers per twenty minutes. Combine the two complications and you will have yourselves a truly revolutionising set of mechanically tracked data on your wrist. Isn’t it unbelievable?
Getting Into the Details
The new UR-100 Gunmetal watch is 41 mm in width, 49.7 mm in length, and 14 mm in height. The case is made up of titanium as well as stainless steel along with a gunmetal PVD finish. The circular graining and sanding surface finishing, the chamfered screw heads, and the Super-LumiNova painted hour and minute hands are added bonusses.
The watch utilizes a self-winding movement, the UR 12.01. The winding rotor is governed by a Windfänger airscrew. There are a total of thirty nine jewels at work. The mechanism at the heart of the watch offers a power reserve of 48 hours and runs at a frequency of 28,800 vibrations per hour.
The movement UR. 12.01, as mentioned, is a self-winding movement that is regulatory by Planetary Turbine Automatic System. Features such as hour satellite, minute indicators, rotation of the Earth in 20 minutes, and revolution of the Earth in 20 minutes are also present.
The movement is solid and offers a exceptional built quality. The aluminium satellite hours on titanium Geneve crosses is praise-worthy while the aluminium carousel and triple bridges in ARCAP is amazing.
The watch offers a 30-meter water resistance as well.
Who Is It For?
In all honesty, I would be reaching if I called this watch revolutionary. The makers of the UR-100 Satellite Spacetime aimed at offering something that was totally different from the offerings in the present-day market and yet not sell something completely over the top. That being said, for someone like me, this timepiece is still lightyears ahead of the technology most watchmakers are using right now as you read this.
The watchmaker wanted to make something for the more mature audience, the educated watch collector. It looks like they succeeded. The UR-100 is not a Submariner or a Seamaster, it is an Urwerk.
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