Photo by Ed Rhee
When it comes to watches with futuristic maximalist mechanical designs, Urwerk is near the top of the list, if not number one. The refined yet complicated space-age nature of the watches created by Felix Baumgartner and Martin Frei has the ability to transport the wearer onto the bridge of the Starship Enterprise at a glance. In fact, this imaginary transportation has been a goal of every watch created by Urwerk, and each model achieves it easily. The latest evolution of the brand’s cornerstone model, the UR-100V, dials back the experiments in materials sciences of years past to revisit its original titanium case. The new Urwerk UR-100V Magic T is an exercise in minimalism on a canvas that is anything but minimalist.
Photo by Jake Witkin
Urwerk romantically states, “Like a blank page, the UR-100V lends itself to all its creators’ desires and fanciful touches.” When looking at the 100 series as a whole, this statement holds true. The UR-100V has been rendered in a variety of forms from solid gold as the Star Wars-themed C-3PO edition to prehistoric T-Rex hide/clous de Paris textures, and, of course, in ultra-lightweight carbon. While the watch has been crafted in titanium before, this edition is staggeringly different.
The familiar silhouette of the 41mm x 49.7mm case is finished through an aggressive shot-blasting technique. Shot-blasting produces a similar effect to sand-blasting, but the former is done by accelerating a finishing media in a centrifuge that throws the media in a single blast. This method is done cyclically at a high rate and is often used for finishing concrete or other hard stone surfaces. (Check out this video for concrete applications.) This differs from sandblasting which accelerates finely ground media (usually glass or stone beads) with air pressure at a constant rate. The final result of shot-blast finishing on titanium is an aggressive raw finish with a more defined texture than sandblasting. To the naked eye, it is still smooth and even with a darker gray hue than other titanium watches. However, under macro magnification, the surface texture comes to life sparkling and dancing in the light. The dark gray luster continues across the 32 Y-shaped links of the titanium bracelet and clasp finished through the same technique. The addition of a bracelet gives the UR-100V Magic T an integrated bracelet look without altering the case architecture.
Photo by Jake Witkin
The Urwerk UR-100V Magic T clocks in at 14mm thick. A measurement that feels slanderous after spending time with the watch on the wrist. A significant portion of the thickness is the domed sapphire crystal that stands prominently off the case boasting supreme clarity, minimal distortion, and impressive reflection mitigation. Underneath the crystal is Urwerk’s in-house UR 12.02 movement. The UR 12.02 uses a Zenith Elite base movement. Once Felix Baumgartner gets his hands on it, the movement becomes something else entirely. It contains 40 jewels, beats at 4Hz, and has 48 hours of power reserve. A Windfänger Airscrew — a propeller-shaped gear — governs the self-winding mechanism to minimize wear associated with automatic winding. This lively winding whirlwind is visible through the sapphire caseback along with the perforated plate found in other 100 series watches.
Photo by Ed Rhee
The satellite hours complication is inspired by the Renaissance age wandering hours clock. Arabic numeral indices are painted in Super-LumiNova® on each satellite and rotate on beryllium-bronze Geneva crosses on the aluminum carousel. Geneva cross mechanisms are not dissimilar from the Audemars Piguet Star-Wheel function in that the carousel carries individual discs that rotate to display the correct hour at the minute track. The Geneva cross mechanism allows the disc to change at a specific point in its orbit instead of gradually. This allows the watch to indicate the hour directly at the minute track that runs along the southern hemisphere of the dial. As the hour comes to a close and the carousel rotates beyond the terminal edge of the minute track the next hour is presented on the opposite side. Circular grained brushing is found on the minute track and below the carousel enhancing the inward sloping of the dial and drawing the eye to the center. The entirety of the carousel and satellite hours are finished through shot-blasting to match the case. The result is a high-contrast full gray dial. To aid in legibility each satellite has a vibrant green and orange luminous arrow hand.
Photo by Jake Witkin
As the satellites rotate beneath the shielding that spans roughly from 8 to 4 o’clock, they begin to indicate our distance traveled in space. A small aperture on each side indicates the distance of the Earth’s rotation every twenty minutes — 555.55km, and the distance the Earth travels in its elliptical orbit around the sun — 35,742km. These indicators are a hallmark of the UR-100 collection and serve as a reminder of our place in the universe. These reminders are handy, especially if you easily get lost staring at your watch instead of checking the time.
Photo by Jake Witkin
With the new bracelet, the UR-100V Magic T feels like the full package on the wrist. The bracelet does not detract from the shock and awe of the watch itself, but it provides a balance that I never knew was missing. On a strap, the UR-100V seems to stand, as if on a podium and in a spotlight, on the wrist. It has never felt (to me) like something that could be worn day in and day out. However, on a bracelet that drapes around the wrist, it feels balanced, lightweight, and sporty. The dynamic matte gray finish and the matching mechanism are an artistic and refined use of the muted metallic color that may be the most versatile variant to date. The only thing that would prevent the UR-100V Magic T from being wearable every day as both a statement watch and an escape to the stars, is its 30M of water resistance. This low rating has plagued the collection since its inception.
Photo by Jake Witkin
This minimalist take on the UR-100V may be a bit hyperbolic at face value, but in the metal, Urwerk shows us how the slightest changes can have a substantial change on the overall package. The surprisingly legible complication is paired with a monochromatic multi-finish dial that works effortlessly with the semi-raw shot-blast finish of the case and nearly-integrated bracelet. This experiment in finishing makes the UR-100V Magic T feel genuinely minimal compared to its siblings. While titanium feels less futuristic as it becomes more prevalent in nearly every industry, watches like this remind us how spectacular (and magical) the metal can be. The Urwerk UR-100V Magic T is a limited edition, although the brand did not reveal how many will be made. These creations are inherently limited by the brand’s production capacity and of course by the interest of its clients. The Urwerk UR-100V Magic T certainly looks, feels, and wears like it was chipped off the side of the UFOs that inspired the 100 series. With a price tag of around $65,000 USD (58,000 CHF), it certainly could be. Learn more about Urwerk and the UR-100V Magic T at the brand’s website.
