Two thousand and seven is a very special year for URWERK. The now not-so-young company celebrates its tenth anniversary, having evolved from an artisanal independent firm into a serious—though still fiercely independent—respected brand.
But it is not the birthday festivities that concern us here, except for the present URWERK brings us: the revolutionary new 201. Also called the Hammerhead, the 201 is not just an incredible timepiece for a small brand like URWERK; it is quite simply an incredible timepiece.
The telescopic minute hand automatically adjusts its length to follow the three straight lines of the minute dial.
As a third generation horologist, Felix Baumgartner, the technical side of URWERK's Baumgartner/Frei partnership, grew up steeped in traditional watchmaking. URWERK's philosophy, however, is to use the lessons and crafts from the past to create watches for today. Or, as Baumgartner puts it, ‘Why make yet another tourbillon when we can craft entirely new and exciting complications?'
Now, I am a big fan of URWERK's sleek 103 series, so much so that I really wondered how they could possibly top the now-classic design.
Over the last couple of years, I have seen sketches, then technical drawings, followed by 3D computer models; however, it was only when I saw the brass case of the prototype that I understood the 201 was going to take URWERK to an entirely new level. Where the 103.07 could be described as smooth and elegant, the 201 has a macho rough edge: it reminds me of a muscular big cat ready to lunge. If the 103 is Pierce Brosnan playing James Bond, the 201 is Sean Connery or Daniel Craig.
URWERK's designer, Martin Frei, sketching the initial drawings of the 201.
“The 201 is a machine to master time,” explains designer Martin Frei. “It has the force, the character and the aggression necessary to hold onto the minutes. The 201 is like a living machine adapting to its environment, reacting and transforming its temporal path. Despite my playing a role in bringing it to life, the watch continues to impress me. The 201 is a machine that you have to tame, which is why I nicknamed it ‘Hammerhead.'”
The 201's Control Board features the world's first horological odometer in the linear “100 year Plus Indicator”
Twin inspirations
Martin Frei's twin inspirations can be seen clearly in the 201's design. First, a WallyPower super yacht infers the knife-edged lines of the case, while the Hammerhead shark's distinctive silhouette inspires the shape of the sapphire crystal.
But the 201 is not simply about rugged good looks; it is the technical features that astound. Three revolving hour satellites—an evolution of URWERK's Opus 5, made a couple of years ago for Harry Winston—house retractable minute hands, and that's just the start. The minute hands precisely adjust their length to follow the three straight lines of the minute dial (look at the photo and think about that) before retracting back into their homes like frightened prairie dogs.
Balancing each side of the dial we have a 50-hour power-reserve indicator and a day/night indicator... and we haven't even turned the watch over.
Although URWERK is dedicated to developing new complications, its innovative mechanisms are designed to serve a practical purpose. The mesmerizing kinetic art is form following function and not gadgetry for its own sake.
Notice how the hour satellites taper slightly to facilitate reading the time without having to turn the wrist
For example, the rotating satellites of the 103.07 enable the time to be seen at a glance while driving, without having to turn the wrist. In the 201, the telescopic minute hands, when extended, allow for a very wide easy-to-read dial. Retracted, the reduced length makes for a shorter and more comfortable case. If those hands did not retract, the watch would have a diameter of 50mm.
With retractable hands, the overall length of the 201—including lugs—is an easy-wearing 43.5mm. To put that in perspective, 43mm is the typical length of a 38mm watch with lugs.
Oil
Tribology: the study of the effects of friction on moving machine parts, and of methods, such as lubrication, of obviating them, is not a word we often see in watch magazines. It's a pity, because it indicates how little research is being done in this field. As A.-L. Breguet famously said, “Give me the perfect oil and I will give you the perfect watch.”
Because of the incredibly fine tolerances in the revolving satellite complication—as low as 1/1000mm—and the necessity to minimize friction and maximize power, lubrication is a major issue. As the perfect oil is still some way off, URWERK's research and testing discovered how to reduce the necessity for oil in the complication to an absolute minimum.
Special treatments such as MOVIC (think machine grade Teflon) are coated and baked at high temperatures to minimize friction on critical components.
“URWERK is a laboratory of constant innovation and ideas,” adds Baumgartner. “We test and experiment with the latest generation of materials and surface treatments to discover what works best and where. URWERK works without the security of a safety net because our original concepts are realized for the very first time by ourselves.”
If the dial side was not enough of a feature-laden feast, turning the 201 over reveals URWERK's trademark Control Board packed with more tasty dishes. The user adjustable Fine-Tuning screw (why aren't more manufactures offering this practical feature?), first seen on the 103, gets a face-lift. The “service indicator,” first seen on the Opus 5, is referred to on the 201 as the oil-change indicator. That automotive analogy is a clue to that unusual linear dial which is no less than the world's first horological odometer. Known as the 100 Year Plus indicator (it actually runs for 118 years), it keeps track of how many years the movement has been in operation.
Ingeniously, neither the Oil Change nor 100 Year Plus Indicators draw power from the mainspring; they are both operated directly from the winding of the crown.
The finish
While the shape, features, and complications of the 201 are certainly impressive, it is in the quality of the finish of the 201 that I feel URWERK has truly excelled. The timepiece simply oozes class wherever you look, especially the mesmerizing revolving satellite complication. And no wonder when you consider the number of processes the satellites alone undergo: after the hour satellites are milled, they are micro-sandblasted, then carefully finished with a fine cashmere brush. They are then treated with a sophisticated PE-CVD treatment called “Blaktop,” which hardens, colors and lowers the coefficient of friction.
Hand finishing the 201's complex case shape is an exacting process
The 90-degree edges of the satellites are finally bevelled using a diamanté process which results in perfect mirror-finish angles. That is the breathtaking attention to detail that is typical throughout the watch.
The 201 cements URWERK's leadership position in avantgarde, unconventional and practical timepieces. The biggest problem with owning a 201 is that it will make the rest of your watch collection look staid. The 201 is available in red gold, white gold and platinum limited editions. Priced from $122,000 (plus local taxes).
Ian Skellern
Source: IW International Watch may 2007
