WORLDTEMPUS - 12 September 2012
Elizabeth Doerr
Of the eight different models that Urwerk has thus far produced in its relatively short career, none of these have contained a retrograde hand in addition to the satellite displays so characteristic of this young company.
Watchmaker Felix Baumgartner, one-half of the duo that makes up Urwerk, said upon introducing the incredible UR-210 that he has never felt that his company has ever launched such a complete and perfect instrument. The emotions he felt upon this celebratory induction were quite visible in his face as he passionately explained the innovative function of the skeletonized aluminum hand that contains the hour numeral. It also displays the minutes, and as an added bonus it is retrograde. When it reaches the end of the 60-minute scale, a cylindrical spring in the center of the dial ensures that it jumps back to zero lightning-quick. Like a magic trick, when it arrives there, the numeral has inexplicably become that of the following hour. “Our goal was to make this instant,” Baumgartner explained, then continued that this particular characteristic is an evolution of the thought process that began with the Harry Winston Opus V.
A Symbiotic Relationship
However, this timepiece does more than that: in a first for a wristwatch, this one monitors “the symbiotic relationship between man and his mechanical watch,” as Baumgartner explained. A further evolution of the automatic turbines that have graced Urwerk's recent movements allows this wristwatch to “communicate” with its owner: an indicator at the 11 o'clock position lets you know how much you are moving around in your daily life. As we know, the kinetic motion of the wrist supplies an automatic movement's rotor with energy to wind the mainspring. When Urwerk's clever indication shows red, it means you are not moving around enough to keep the rotor supplied. If the hand is in the green area, it means your wrist is doing a fine job of things and you need do nothing more. Thus, your watch communicates with you – which you can also take for a statement about the amount of motion you subject your body to in a day.
Once you know what your average daily movement looks like, you can adjust your watch accordingly using the winding efficiency selector: full, reduced and stop are the settings you can program the turbines to pay attention to.
The UR-210 can thus give you a multitude of information you never thought you could get from a mechanical watch. “The UR-210 represents a serious accomplishment for Urwerk,” Baumgartner sums up. “This timepiece opens a new chapter in the evolution of our complications. It doesn't just measure a universal value in a completely original way, it starts a dialogue between the watch and its wearer. The UR-210 indicates your personal activity; this is yours and nobody else's.”
