The newest watches from Swiss watchmaker URWERK are these UR-105M “Iron Knight” and “Dark Knight” pieces. Once again these novel timepieces borrow from other Urwerk designs and add a little something new to the mix, but in this special instance further represent a new entry-level price point for the brand. So are you getting the full Urwerk experience at a “relatively speaking” more affordable price? Read on to find out.
The 2014 UR-105M continues on the design path set out by the UR-210 from 2012 (hands-on here), and even includes some features debuted in the wildly interesting Urwerk EMC (hands-on here). You also see a slight design evolution in the satellite time telling system that uses a series of moving satellites that each have four hour indicators on them. They pass over a minute scale on the bottom part of the dial in order to indicate the time. It is a great system that while no longer new continues to be interesting and effective.
According to URWERK, the design inspiration behind the UR-105M series was armor. Medieval knights armor, that is, which is a bit strange, given how modern a timepiece such as this appears. Nevertheless, we will take their word for it, even though it feels like, given their logic, most URWERK watches have been inspired by armor. Which is actually OK, given that a suit of armor is a pretty nice metaphor for explaining the durability and strength of a watch. This is where I remind people not to use an URWERK watch as any type of shield or blunt object whatsoever.
The case design is thankfully symmetrical and wears nicely given the theme. I still like the looks of the UR-210 a bit more, but this is among the more wearable Urwerk watches and I am certainly excited about it. I would easily wear the UR-105M on a daily basis. The case is 39.5mm wide by 53mm tall and 16.65mm thick. Not exactly a small watch but it wears well all things considered.
From a materials standpoint there are two versions, but each relies on case parts made from both titanium and steel. The bezel (front part) of the watch case is finely brushed steel for the Iron Knight, and the Dark Knight version has AlTin-treated black-colored steel. The caseback of the UR-105M is in black-colored titanium.
While the steel model has a more bold appearance, the all-black model is equally interesting. I just find that the nuances, edges, and various finishes of the case come out better in the steel version without the black colored bezel. Though both are nice options, the Dark Knight model is arguably more fashionably versatile, being all black.
