
Though there are a variety of luxurious watch manufacturers that supply totally trendy designs, Urwerk has a extremely distinctive design language that doesn’t look fairly like the rest throughout the business. Overtly technical and space-age of their total look, Urwerk watches ceaselessly showcase trendy supplies and unconventional shows that put the mechanical expertise of the watch entrance and heart to create timepieces that nearly appear to be they could possibly be screen-worn props taken immediately from the set of a Hollywood sci-fi film. An area-themed mindset is an integral a part of Urwerk’s underlying spirit and for years, the model had a Star Trek signal hanging in its Geneva workshop that learn “Reside Lengthy and Prosper” with the well-known Vulcan hand gesture from the tv present that options an outstretched hand with its palm ahead and its fingers parted within the center. Now the well-known Vulcan salute serves as the premise of the design inspiration of the brand new Urwerk UR-120 AKA Spock watch that expands upon the core design of the UR-110 with a redesigned satellite tv for pc system and an up to date case construction that gives articulated lugs for a brand new strategy to a well-recognized and fan-favorite case profile.
The case of the Urwerk UR-120 Spock watch options the identical total uneven design that may be noticed on the UR-110, however with plenty of updates to create a slimmer and extra streamlined total look. Measuring 47mm extensive by 44mm lug-to-lug, with an total thickness of 15.8mm, the case of the brand new Urwerk UR-120 Spock watch encompasses a two-part design with a sandblasted stainless-steel higher part paired with a sandblasted titanium decrease part that connects along with hinges and lateral screws on both aspect to assist create 30 meters of water resistance. The underlying construction could possibly be seen as considerably just like the core case structure of Gerald Genta’s Patek Philippe Nautilus, and the Genta inspiration is one thing that Martin Frei, Urwerk Chief Designer and Co-founder overtly admits within the press launch, stating that he admires this strategy to case development from a technical standpoint. Mounted to the highest of the case is an uneven convex sapphire crystal, and the bezel surrounding it’s fully clean with none screws or notches, to create seamless and uninterrupted space-age strains.
The titanium again part of the case encompasses a small arc-shaped sapphire window that gives a view of the Windfänger — the star-shaped part that regulates the automated winding depth of the motion, whereas the middle part of the caseback will get adorned by a deep grooved sample and an engraved Urwerk emblem. Moreover, not like the present UR-110, the case of the Urwerk UR-120 AKA Spock watch options lugs (a quite uncommon design trait amongst Urwerk’s varied fashions) and the lugs themselves are articulated, with the lug at 6 o’clock that includes a singular spring to assist make sure that the case sits comfortably on the wrist. Lastly, fitted to the 2 articulated lugs is a strap constituted of calf leather-based that’s embossed with a ballistic-type sample. Whereas the strap resembles one of many model’s regular straps that’s crafted from an artificial technical material, its calf leather-based development affords customers elevated consolation and suppleness.
Like most of Urwerk’s watches, there actually isn’t a “dial” within the conventional sense of the phrase, because the UR-120 Spock watch’s redesigned satellite tv for pc system sits entrance and heart throughout the case, providing a three-dimensional and extremely mechanical total aesthetic. That includes a largely monochromatic grey profile with small pops of white, gold, and pink, the show of the watch options the mannequin’s signature three-armed satellite tv for pc system, with a vertical arc-shaped minutes scale mounted throughout the protruding part on the right-hand aspect of the case. Mounted inside 24k gold PVD handled lyre-shaped springs, every of the three orbiting satellites is fashioned by two rotating blocks that rotate on their very own impartial axis and cut up aside in a V form as a reference to the well-known “Reside Lengthy and Prosper” hand sign. The present time is displayed by the right-side-up satellite tv for pc positioned on the right-hand aspect of the watch, which is fashioned by the 2 rotating blocks as they arrive collectively to show a numeral studying of the hours. The accompanying minutes for the time are represented by the corresponding place of the satellite tv for pc’s indicator towards the fastened minute scale on the right-hand aspect of the show. The 60-minute marking for the dimensions is brilliant pink, however the remainder of the markings on the three satellites and minute scale are white and luminous, emitting a brilliant blue glowing show at nighttime.
Powering the Urwerk UR-120 AKA Spock watch is the model’s UR-20.01 self-winding motion, which remains to be based mostly upon a standard Swiss lever escapement and runs at a frequency of 28,800vph (4 Hz) with an influence reserve of 48 hours, regardless of its extremely unconventional satellite tv for pc show. Whereas the view of the motion via the small caseback window is restricted to simply Urwerk’s distinctive automated winding mechanism, the dial aspect of the watch and the extremely dynamic satellite tv for pc affords loads of visible intrigue for the mechanically inclined, along with the distinctive method that the person satellites cut up aside to reflect the form of the Vulcan salute hand gesture once they not displaying the present time. Relating to ending, the Urwerk UR-20.01 motion powering the UR-120 Spock watch options plenty of trendy supplies together with beryllium-copper, varied totally different PVD therapies, ARCAP, titanium, and LIGA-processed nickel; nevertheless, it additionally options plenty of conventional watchmaking ending strategies on each its seen and non-visible parts, together with round and straight graining, polished screws, sandblasting, and Geneva stripes. Whereas the core operate of the Urwerk UR-20.01 motion could also be just like different designs from the model and should even seem quite related at a fast look, the distinctive method that the satellites cut up aside required a big redesign of their core performance, and finally resulted within the Urwerk UR-120 Spock watch having its personal distinctive design.
As a model that was based in 1997, Urwerk is a contemporary model that produces totally modern timepieces, quite than classically impressed watches like a number of the varied different Swiss luxurious firms which have existed for a number of centuries. That mentioned, Urwerk embodies a contemporary strategy to conventional mechanical timekeeping expertise, and whereas the watches themselves appear to be one thing immediately out of a space-themed film, the underlying expertise behind them unites the model’s creations with the wealthy traditions of an business that date all the way in which again to the earliest days of human timekeeping. With an official retail value of $108,000 USD, the Urwerk UR-120 Spock watch is much from being something that would even remotely be thought-about inexpensive, though it ought to be famous that additionally it is hardly the model’s costliest providing, regardless of the dynamic method that the satellites cut up aside in a V form to reflect the Vulcan salute. The Urwerk UR-120 AKA Spock watch is not going to be restricted in manufacturing to a particular quantity, though it is going to be a restricted manufacturing mannequin merely as a result of pure manufacturing limitations of the corporate and its output capability. For extra info, please go to the model’s web site.