If you're a fan of Urwerk like us, you already know their latest offering will be devoid of a traditional watch face, hands or even mechanics for that matter. Part of the appeal of this modern brand is their unexpected take on timepieces, trading in tradition for technology as they design watches for a younger generation. Their new line, the UR-105 TA, or Urwerk Knights, pushes the envelope with a collection of unique timepieces that come in an eclectic array of colors, a first for the brand.
Four satellite rotations, each bearing three numbers, run around the center of the watch as a way of marking the hour. A minute rail sits along the bottom of the face allowing time to be told as the hour hand rotates slowly by each numerical indication. The beauty of these mechanics, however, are lying just under the watch face, out of our line of sight. Inside, an Urwerk-designed mechanism allows the satellites to rotate smoothly and unseen.
“With our previous timepieces, our satellites were supported by an orbital cross at the top. We rethought this concept and made some refinements. The fruits of this can now be felt when setting the time on the UR-105 TA: There is virtually no friction, no jerking movement, just the ballet of satellites. It is the fluidity of the gears that quietly reveals all our hard work,” explained Felix Baumgartner, Urwerk co-founder and chief watchmaker.
Rather than operating on traditional mechanics or the much beloved tourbillion, the TA of UR-105 TA stands for “turbine automatic” as the movement is regulated by dual air turbines on the back of the watch. These can be fully seen through the sapphire encasing and operated by a small lever on the back of the piece. The markings FULL, RED. and STOP can be seen on the back of the watch to allow for changes to the turbines depending on use.
While Urwerk pieces traditionally come in black, the brand opted for some interesting colors this time around, and created a bright orange and yellow version for the truly unique individual. “The UR-105 TA is an haute horlogerie creation, with all high-end codes respected, but in the Black Orange or Black Lemon versions, it's their zesty appeal that really arouses the senses,” said Martin Frei, artistic director and co-founder of Urwerk. “We decided to push much further with color. While the black is still there, it no longer dominates; the vivid colors inspired by our SuperLuminova really announce their presence.”
