New contemporary watchmaking

GMT XXL - Summer 2009

Founded in 1997 by Felix Baumgartner and Martin Frei, URWERK regularly gives life to spectacularly avant-garde creations. Working from his studio in Zurich, designer Martin Frei plays a key role within the brand. He is the URWERK artist, the one who infuses the company's collections with their full artistic dimension. Armed with his soft lead pencils or watercolours, he conjures up poetic and surreal world on paper. “I love the world of science fiction, which involves envisaging a parallel world in which science is pushed to its paroxysm, imagining an alternative to our world so intensely that it becomes almost real.”

Born of the creative genius of Martin Frei and the technical expertise of watchmaker Felix Baumgartner, the UR103 has been the iconic URWERK collection since 2003, an authentic muse heralding the “new contemporary watchmaking” promoted by the brand. Revolutionary at the time of its launch, it is now considered a revered milestone piece and a source of inspiration for a whole new generation of timepieces. An emblematic line now enriched with the UR103T.

The “T” in 103T is a mystery letter, the meaning of which is nonetheless apparent at first glance. An attentive look at the heart of this creation reveals a new life form that appears to give palpable shape to time. A moving structure has found its place there: a tarantula! The latest newcomer to the UR103 collection does indeed reflect the essence of the famous spider: its aesthetics, its gracefulness and its strength. In this version, the orbital titanium cross of the classic U103 is replaced by a fascinating metal structure in ARCAP, a non-ferrous alloy, which surrounds the four hour satellites and reveals just one at a time, the premium one showing the exact hour which slides along the minute rail.

In the UR103T, time takes on its full conceptual and philosophical dimension. All that is displayed is the current hour which relegates those of the past to the background and harbors a promise of the ones to come. The grace of the tarantula is also expressed through the indications provided by the UR103T. Each satellite has earned its autonomy and moves independently of the others. While the premium moves past the minute track and indicates the time in both analogue and digital fashion, the three other satellites perform a four-time dance. Once each has passed the 60-minute marker, it performs a full 480° rotation: four 120° revolutions on its own axis, before lining up with the 0 minute marker. The full mass displaced in this mechanism is 311 times greater than with a classic set of hands. Ultra-precise machining, along with perfectly balanced and meticulous assembly are crucial to ensuring the isochronism of this exceptional piece.

Felix Baumgartner, founder of URWERK, first met Patrick Frischknecht, CEO of Les Ambassadeurs, and Alexis Meyer, manager of the Geneva Boutique, two years ago. A brief conversation and a handshake were all it took to launch a strong partnership based on the foundations of excellence and mutual trust. Here's how the three of them responded to some leading questions.

How did the partnership between URWERK and Les Ambassadeurs come about and what is its grounding principles?

Patrick Frischknecht: The encounter with Felix Baumgartner was decisive. His natural simplicity as well as his philosophy and his vision of our profession led us to take a spontaneous and immediate decision to associate with URWERK. Over and above the product itself, which is simply fabulous, it was the human element that played the major role. URWERK is a niche brand. It fits in perfectly with our concept of providing a clearly differentiated range in the field of fine watchmaking, combining the historical star players with up and coming young talents.

Felix Baumgartner:The most sincere stories are the simplest. It all began with a phone call, a little over two years ago. We were looking for a reliable partner to represent us in Geneva. For although URWERK is based in this city, we were not officially represented here. So Patrick, Alexis and I agreed to meet. After chatting a little with Patrick in Swiss German (our native tongue), the deal was done. We shook hands, as that's how the best partnerships are sealed. We enjoy a frank and direct relationship between passionately dedicated enthusiasts. They are the best retailers in Geneva and we are proud of being present in their showcases.

Alexis Meyer: We had been following the brand right from the start and I have always found their creations very interesting. Since it was headquartered in Geneva but had no representative in town, we naturally contacted Felix Baumgartner and a little while later arranged for a meeting between Patrick and Felix. We immediately reached an agreement and the cooperation has been very fruitful ever since. Our relations are direct, friendly and highly constructive. We don't need to exchange scores of e-mails: a word and a handshake are enough to set things rolling.

What philosophy does Les Ambassadeurs apply to successfully highlight one brand among several dozen others?

AM: URWERK creations naturally stand out from other watches, which is why they are never in direct competition with other brands. They are always complementary to more classic expressions of fine watchmaking.

Which values do you share?

PF: Genuine quality and the authentic values of our profession, contrary to the kind of bluff you sometimes find on the market. But in addition to these values, we especially appreciate URWERK's incredible creativity, its ability to constantly reinvent watchmaking and our relationship with time. Les Ambassadeurs and URWERK share the same desire to constantly push the envelope, which for URWERKmeans exploring new technical frontiers and for Les Ambassadeurs implies further enhancing customer satisfaction. FB:We speak the same language. No false pretences, no pointless negotiations. We enjoy a relationship based on openness and pleasure – of a horological kind, naturally!

AM: The bedrock is quality. We present and promote fine watchmaking, and Urwerk is an admirable exponent of this art. Moreover, the innovation embodied in the cases and the display modes is truly unique. On a more personal level, the pleasant and direct interaction with Felix and his team represents a major element in our cooperation.

Do you have some joint projects?

PF:We recently presented the URWERK brand in our Zurich store, where it was eagerly awaited by collectors. Lugano will be inaugurating a new and much larger store this winter, with an Espace Connaisseur dedicated to Italian devotees. The URWERK brand will quite logically find a worthy showcase there.

AM: We currently also present URWERK in the Espace Connaisseur of our Geneva store. This area specifically dedicated to Haute Horlogerie allows us to present truly exceptional pieces, a concept that is probably unique in Europe. We also organize various presentations on specific themes which enable us to go even further in our partnership with this brand.

FB: It's a steadily growing relationship. Our joint future certainly looks pretty bright!