Begin carrying purple, carrying purple (ba da da ba da!)
Begin carrying purple for me now
All of your sanity and wits, they may all vanish,
I promise, it’s only a matter of time!
Purple has been my favourite coloration for years, however I don’t know when that began. I do know that I’ve all the time loved colourful issues all my life, and I finally realized that purple was usually the colour reserved for royalty because of the expense of dyeing fabric purple. However studying that factoid didn’t change my coloration preferences as my favourite coloration was both blue or inexperienced, relying on the day.
Finally, nonetheless, when requested or fascinated with the query I all the time answered that my favourite coloration was purple. Being a reasonably regular human being, I didn’t suppose too exhausting about why, I simply knew I most popular purple. It was solely as we speak when sitting down to jot down about an superior (and purple) watch that it clicked.
My very first concept about the right way to begin the introduction was to sing the lyrics to the Gogol Bordello track Begin Sporting Purple from their 1999 debut album Voi-La Intruder. Since my school days within the mid-2000’s I’ve listened to the gypsy punk band due to a hallmate who launched me to a whole lot of random and superior music. Amongst different songs comparable to American Marriage ceremony and Wanderlust King, the track Begin Sporting Purple has caught with me as one in every of my favorites, in all probability as a result of it is without doubt one of the oldest.
It additionally may be the beginning of my love affair with the colour purple; the repetition of the raucous chorus imprinted on my mind as I danced and laughed and made recollections. It was as if the track informed me to start out carrying purple and I subconsciously obliged. I like the richness of the colour purple, however the origin of that choice could have been unintentionally programmed by a gaggle of worldwide punk rockers with Romani roots.

Urwerk UR-100V Ultraviolet on the wrist
So it’s totally becoming that I make that connection when writing in regards to the Urwerk UR-100V Ultraviolet, a watch from THE astropunk model that additionally fashioned within the late 90’s. On high of that the UR-100V Ultraviolet is a particularly purple watch, bordering on the sting of human imaginative and prescient (therefore the identify “Ultraviolet”) and each glows and shines with superior avant-garde watch bravado that will be proper at dwelling within the underground punk scene in late 90’s New York Metropolis.
Urwerk UR-100V Ultraviolet
Based mostly on the UR-100V scheme of variation on the unique UR-100, this new mannequin is the boldest model of the gathering, save the early gold items, thanks in no small half to the wealthy purple contrasting with a vibrant white rubber strap. It instantly grabs your consideration and pulls you in to see what precisely that tremendous fascinating watch is. As soon as up shut you’ll be able to respect the mechanical ballet beneath the domed sapphire, and if that is your first expertise of an Urwerk timepiece, you might ask the right way to learn the time.

Urwerk UR-100V Ultraviolet
Pretty typical at this level for Urwerk, the UR-100V Ultraviolet is a satellite tv for pc show utilizing a trio of disks that make one full rotation each three hours. Every disk crosses the minute observe on the underside of the dial whereas the opposite two disappear beneath a titanium cage. Then when rotating beneath the cage, they show two extra indications. On the left facet of the watch is a gap with a sign of the space that an individual standing on the equator will journey in 20 minutes from the rotation of the earth, which is over 555 kilometers. On the fitting facet of the dial is the second indication displaying the earth’s orbital pace when it comes to distance traveled across the solar each 20 minutes, right here listed at 35,742 km.
I like when a model that’s clearly THE astropunk watchmaker reminds us about our place within the cosmos, and the way what we expertise as time and the passing of the day is definitely only a measurement of our velocity via house and the way we understand that. It’s an ideal mixture with the satellite tv for pc show because the three disks orbit a shared central axis and rotate round their very own particular person heart axis, similar to our earth across the solar.

UR-100V Ultraviolet
The design of the UR-100V stays principally true to the unique, with the primary modifications referring to legibility of the hours and the general end, which is the place the brand new designation “Ultraviolet” comes from. Virtually each part from the case, dial parts, and satellite tv for pc mechanism have been coated with a deep purple DLC coating, with the case being shot-blasted after coating for a fair deeper purple matte hue. The shift to the daring purple hue makes the satellite tv for pc show virtually glow from throughout the case, taking the vibe into deep house.
Mechanics and calculations
The caliber has been up to date, or ought to I say, was up to date to create the “V” designation, switching from the unique UR 12.01 to the up to date UR 12.02. The replace primarily altered the design of the carriage housing the satellite tv for pc disks. Every carriage beforehand surrounded the disk with a gap in the direction of the middle of the dial to show the hour numeral. For the UR 12.02 caliber this has been swapped so the opening is now on the periphery, immediately above the minute pointer.
The change requires swapping the design of the disks so the numerals could be dealing with “up” at their relative 6 o’clock place as an alternative of their 12 o’clock place, in any other case the carriage change would have merely uncovered upside-down numerals. The replace strikes the present hour numeral right into a extra visually balanced place, beforehand the present hour was a bit disjointed because it hovered close to the middle of the dial. Now the hour follows proper together with the pointer and improves readability at a look.
The remainder of the mechanism and show stays typically the identical, together with the 2 astronomical indications alongside the higher edges of the dial. Curiously I’ve one small nit to choose with these. The dimensions for distance traveled on the equator is from 0 – 555.55 km though the precise distance traveled on the equator calculated from the typical rotational velocity of 0.4651 km/s is 558.12 km. That distinction is imperceptible on the scale of this measurement and varies barely over time, however the quantity is certainly a rounded common not tied precisely to the numbers I’ve discovered for reference.
On the fitting facet the show signifies the earth’s orbital pace when it comes to distance traveled across the solar each 20 minutes listed at 35,742 km. As soon as once more that is barely off from the calculated 35,736 km on account of the 29.78 km/s common orbital pace. If Urwerk was capable of finding a determine with extra important figures (as theirs calculates from 29.785 km/s) then this may very well be the trigger for the discrepancy, however based on information from Nasa up to date to December 2021 that isn’t what I’m discovering. I’m all the time in reality checking these kind of figures as a result of I take advantage of it as a refresher for myself and to see what folks could have used to calculate astronomical numbers.

Computerized winding rotor seen on the again of the Urwerk UR-100V Ultraviolet
Essence
The discrepancies are so small that they don’t matter within the context, properly beneath a one % distinction, but it surely does exhibit the truth that these relative numbers can typically be exhausting to pin down attributable to variations in orbit, date of the calculation, or extrapolating from totally different reference numbers. This doesn’t take away from the enjoyment of the Ultraviolet, if something it refreshes my ardour for particulars like these on watches, plus including them can be an train in multifunctionality. There was not a lot required so as to add this indication because it tracks one thing relative to the usual movement already occurring with the mechanism.
Some may argue that the indication isn’t very helpful, however the level is understanding you can add scales and reference data to no matter you design since time pertains to so many issues, particularly astronomical subjects. That’s type of the core of the UR-100V assortment as a complete, and the Ultraviolet piece particularly. Even the selection of the deep purple and naming it the Ultraviolet. Urwerk co-founder and chief designer Martin Frei mentioned he particularly selected the violet hue as a result of it’s the final coloration people can see earlier than gentle enters the ultraviolet spectrum.
Frei speaks of the way it reminds us of the sting of notion, the boundary of what people can sense with out synthetic aids. Celebrating the boundary is celebrating our limits and the way we understand the universe in all it’s splendor. I can actually respect his tackle the colour and the idea, together with the way it suits with the astropunk vibe we’ve all the time gotten from Urwerk. It began with me loving the UR-100V Ultraviolet as a result of it was a shocking purple coloration, but it surely grew into such a deeper idea.

Urwerk UR-100V Ultraviolet on the wrist
The most effective half for collectors that dig the aesthetics is that this piece gained’t be a restricted version, it should solely be restricted by manufacturing capability. To not point out that coming in at 55,000 CHF it’s the most accessible Urwerk you should purchase. It’s nonetheless properly outdoors of my value vary, however I’ll all the time commend manufacturers for attempting to offer the shopper with as a lot bang for his or her buck as doable.
However ultimately, it’s the mechanics and the colour that talk to me probably the most and make the UR-100V Ultraviolet one of many coolest and most wearable Urwerk items out there. Sitting on the edges of human notion has by no means been this cool.
Earlier than it goes out of my vary of imaginative and prescient, let’s break this down!
- Wowza Issue * 9.4 When Urwerk begins carrying purple it positively elicits a wowza from me!
- Late Evening Lust Enchantment * 94 » 921.825m/s2 The quantity of power this piece exerts on you to maintain you up till the nighttime is spectacular!
- M.G.R. * 68.8 Urwerk calibers are all the time spectacular as a result of they match sensible wearability with visually beautiful mechanics, and that is no totally different!
- Added-Functionitis * Delicate In a really good bid to double and triple dip, Urwerk added two additional “capabilities” with out altering the way it capabilities, which is impressively environment friendly. Nonetheless, you’ll be able to persist with youngsters’s power Gotta-HAVE-That cream and luxuriate in the brand new perspective on house and time!
- Ouch Define * 10.8 Making an attempt to squat for 10 minutes! I haven’t carried out this in years, however I keep in mind the hassle and ache of coaching within the conventional horse stance (mǎbù) in kung fu and feeling the burn in your legs after solely a pair minutes. I’d be completely happy to try to sort out that after once more if it meant getting one in every of these on my wrist!
- Mermaid Second * It’s purple!! The truth that Urwerk created a watch so extremely purple because the UR-100V Ultraviolet was sufficient to have me writing vows!
- Superior Complete * 676.96 Start with the caliber quantity (12.02) and multiply that with the variety of hours within the energy reserve (48), then add the mannequin quantity (100) to finish on a violetly superior whole!
For extra data, please go to www.urwerk.com/collections/ur-satellite/ur-100.
Fast Info Urwerk UR-100V Ultraviolet
Case: 41 x 49.7 x 14 mm, titanium
Motion: computerized caliber UR 12.02, 48-hour energy reserve, 28,800 vph/4Hz
Features: Satellite tv for pc hours, minutes, distance traveled in 20 minutes on equator, distance earth travels round solar in 20 minutes
Limitation: Restricted by manufacturing
Value: 55,000 CHF
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