News: A Dinosaur With a Space Helmet - The Urwerk UR-100V T-Rex
In 1997, Felix Baumgartner—not to be confused with the Austrian daredevil that jumped from Earth’s stratosphere a few years back—and his partner, designer Martin Frei, founded the brand Urwerk. Known for its fixation on space, Urwerk has produced some visually striking, out of this world pieces over its last 25 years of existence. Moving into its 26th year, Urwerk shows no sign of slowing down and has produced this: the UR-100V T-Rex—the prehistoric/space-age combination I never knew I needed.
Urwerk was founded in 1997 by Felix Baumgartner and Martin Frei
Just look at it; it’s like a mini dinosaur for your wrist—if the dinosaur was wearing a space helmet, that is. The alligator strap, the reptilious bronze case, fused together with the futuristic satellite time display—which is a beloved feature amongst fans of the brand. It’s completely mad looking, but I love it. Shall we dig deeper?
A bronze case is nothing new—even to Urwerk—but I can’t say I’ve seen one like this before—it looks as if it has been fashioned from the armour of a nodosaur. To achieve this effect, the case—a mixture of bronze and PVD blackened titanium—has undergone a lengthy process of milling, finishing and ageing. The case is first introduced to an alloy, which reacts to give the case its first dose of colouring. Then the case is milled to gain its scales, and sand-blasted before undergoing burnishing to receive the colour you see in the final product. The scales are then worked into their final form and polished.
Urwerk watches are known for their futuristic, visually striking looks
If the case—along with the alligator strap—is the dinosaur, what about his space helmet? Well, that would be the satellite time display with orbiting satellites functioning as the hours. If you’ve never seen a Urwerk watch before, you might be a little confused with the layout. Allow me to explain. The red arrow—as it moves between 0 and 60—indicates the time. So, if the satellite is 9 and points to 45, it’s 9:45—it really is as simple as that. At the end of the hour, the red arrow disappears as the new hour satellite comes around and starts its hour. So, that’s how to tell the time, but what about the indicators at 10 and 2? Those read the distance travelled on the Earth—at 10—and the distance travelled by Earth—at 2—little features that show off Urwerk’s fascination with space.
Powering this prehistoric/space-age hybrid is the calibre 12.01. Although the 12.01 can be seen through the display caseback, the view is still minimal thanks to a full rotor that might trigger some people’s Trypophobia. With a 48-hour power reserve, a flat turbine supported rotor, and fitted with an ARCAP—which is a non-magnetic alloy— base plate, the 12.01 is not only a practical movement, but a long-lasting one too.
The Urwerk UR-100V T-Rex costs CHF 50,000
Love it or hate it, there is no denying the UR-100V T-Rex is a pretty interesting watch—especially if you’re both a fan of sci-fi and Jurassic Park. But it does raise the question: what will Urwerk come up with next?
