Some watchmakers converse to the center of what time means to the editorial staff right here and Urwerk shot to the highest of a really brief record with the UR-100V LightSpeed in 2024. Because the editor continuously bemoans, house limitations meant we couldn’t get to the watch then. Fortunately, Urwerk offers us a second likelihood with the UR-100V LightSpeed Ceramic this yr; the watch is so recent that it was not but listed on The Hour Glass web site as of writing. Anyway, Urwerk co-founders Felix Baumgartner and Martin Frei have spent a long time questioning what time really is and presenting their distinctive spin on it. Urwerk’s newest creation, the UR-100V ‘LightSpeed’ Ceramic, like the unique LightSpeed, issues itself with measuring the time it takes for a photon to journey from the Solar to the perimeters of our photo voltaic system.
The UR-100V platform has all the time been about extra than simply the “wandering hour” satellite tv for pc indication that made the model well-known. On this new LightSpeed iteration, the watch turns into a mechanical translation of astronomy. As soon as the hour satellite tv for pc completes its 60-minute journey throughout the decrease arc of the dial, it doesn’t simply disappear. As an alternative, it passes beneath a sapphire cover to disclose a special type of measurement.
Because the satellite tv for pc traverses the higher a part of the dial, it tracks the space mild travels throughout the vacuum of house. The dial offers a sequence of eight scientific information factors: daylight reaches Mercury in 3.2 minutes, Venus in 6.3 minutes, Earth in 8.3 minutes, and so forth up until Neptune in 4.1 hours. It’s a sobering reminder that what we understand because the “current” is definitely a group of reminiscences delivered by mild. The editor found the watch, to his delight, in individual when it initially debuted, and studies that the impact right here is transcendental – if you’re the type of one who muses on cosmic phenomena and astrophysics.
Essentially the most hanging visible replace now’s the stark, medical white case. Nonetheless, in true Urwerk trend, this isn’t simply normal ceramic. Conventional ceramics are notoriously onerous however brittle, susceptible to shattering upon influence (as we and different specialists have repeatedly warned). To resolve this, Urwerk developed a proprietary composite – a polymer matrix integrating finely woven ceramic fibres alternating with layers of glass and carbon fibre.
The ensuing materials is engineered for resilience, utilising applied sciences derived from aeronautics. Aesthetically, Frei describes the white end not as a color, however as an “optical impact” that displays and scatters incoming mild, making a delicate visible depth that oscillates between deep matte and mushy luminescence.
Beneath the three-dimensional planetary show beats the UR 12.02 automated calibre. The motion encompasses a kinematic construction distributed throughout three ARCAP alloy plates, chosen for his or her long-term stability. The winding effectivity is ruled by the “Windfänger” system – an air-resistance turbine that forestalls the rotor from over-winding or experiencing extreme put on throughout high-activity motion.
Motion: Automated UR 12.02 with mild velocity indication; 48-hour energy reserve
Case: 43mm in ceramic composite; water resistant to 50m
Strap: Textured rubber
Worth: SGD 117,000
The Hour Glass is the only retailer of URWERK in Singapore, Australia, Malaysia and Thailand.
This story was first seen as a part of the WOW Spring 26 difficulty.
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