Urwerk is recognised for its avant-garde timepieces, characterised by unconventional time displays.
At first glance, the new UR-10 SpaceMeter, which the Swiss independent watchmaker is unveiling today, may seem like a departure from its distinctive style.
Yet despite its round dial, central hands, and concentric counters, the UR-10 SpaceMeter is unmistakably an Urwerk creation, and more precisely a member of the Special Projects family, the brand’s collection of out-of-the-box concepts.
The three sub-dials may initially deceive the eye, suggesting a regulator, a chronograph, or perhaps a calendar watch. None of these are the case.
True to its SpaceMeter name, the UR-10’s subsidiary indications do not track the passage of time. Instead, they serve as astronomical instruments.
At 2 o’clock, the counter marked EARTH measures every ten kilometres that the Earth travels during its daily rotation, in increments of 500 metres.
At 4 o’clock, the counter marked SUN advances in 20 km steps, recording every 1,000 kilometres the Earth covers along its solar orbit.
At 9 o’clock, the ORBIT counter combines both trajectories, displaying every 1,000 kilometres of rotation and 64,000 kilometres of solar orbit on two synchronised scales.
Two dial variations are available: black or grey PVD, each featuring contrasting syringe-style hour and minute hands filled with Super-LumiNova.
The steel and titanium case measures 45.40 mm in width, 44 mm in length, and just 7.13 mm in height (excluding the domed anti-reflective sapphire crystals), making it one of the thinnest cases ever created by Urwerk.
The titanium upper case and the steel caseback are fitted together and secured from the sides, with no caseband. Water resistance is rated at 3 ATM (30 metres / 100 feet).
On the back of the case, a peripheral hand traces the hours on a 24-hour scale, mirroring a full rotation of the Earth.
Indications of both Rotation and Revolution are engraved around it: Rotation reads clockwise, while Revolution is read anticlockwise, reflecting the Earth’s natural motion.
The watch is powered by the self-winding Calibre UR-10.01, which integrates a proprietary complication with a base movement developed in collaboration with Vaucher Manufacture.
Operating at a frequency of 4 Hz (28,800 vibrations per hour), it offers a 43-hour power reserve.
Another distinctive feature of the UR-10 is the Double Flow Turbine, an evolution of Urwerk’s one-way self-winding system. This patented mechanism uses two stacked propellers that rotate in opposite directions. When the winding rotor spins at high speed, it can put stress on the system.
The Double Flow Turbine generates air resistance between the two sets of blades, slowing them down and protecting the mechanism. The movement of these blades also creates a visually captivating effect.
Paired with a sandblasted single-link titanium bracelet and titanium deployant clasp, the new Urwerk UR-10 SpaceMeter is priced at CHF 70,000. urwerk.com
