When it comes to high-end avant-garde watches, those coming from the crew over at Urwerk really need no introduction. They are wonderful flights of fancy, showing what can be done with imaginative recasting of the elements of a watch, while taking things in a very hard-edged sci-fi direction. For all that futurism, their latest, the Urwerk EMC Pistol, brings in a very old-school type of finishing.

That, of course, would be the hand-engraving on the Urwerk EMC Pistol watch. The Pistol portion of the name comes directly from that technique, actually. The man who does that work on the cases, Florian Güllert, more often performs his craft on firearms. Now, this is not the first time we have seen this applied to watches, but all the same, I am a fan of this type of handiwork on a watch case. Likely because, no matter the make, it simply gives the watch a look you do not see many places these days.

Under the skin of the Urwerk EMC Pistol is the “same old” (said rather tongue in cheek) movement the other parts of the Urwerk EMC lineup have. Being able to tweak and adjust the accuracy of a watch when you are not a watch maker? Well, that is just about the epitome of cool for folks like me who would be the proverbial bull in a china shop were they to open the caseback of a watch, let alone a luxury piece like this. Instead, that ability to test and adjust the accuracy is made available externally on the watch, giving us the ability to feel like we can actually do something to our wonderful time-keeping machines.

There is a lot to like about the Urwerk EMC Pistol. I like the technology behind the movement (and adjustability), and the artistry behind the case engraving and hand-made straps. That all said, for me personally, this particular design just does not do it for me. While I am entranced by the Urwerk 210 and 105, the EMC just has the feeling of one of those oversized, inexpensive watches that shoehorn a few different movements in for the sake of looking complicated. This is not a knock against the Urwerk EMC Pistol, but a realization that if I draw this sort of mental association, others likely will as well.

Then again, for those in the know (and who can spring for the 135,000 Swiss Francs price tag) that is likely not a worry, or a type of watch they would even concern themselves with. Hopefully for them, it is more a pure appreciation of what has been developed here, and the sort of “gee whiz” fun that should come with being able to set the timing of your watch. urwerk.com