In this second part to the Collectors’ guide to Urwerk, we focus on the period between 2016 and the present day. In addition to further extrapolating on the wandering hours display, the brand also sought to advance their watchmaking beyond mechanical limitations in the pursuit of chronometry.

We will also examine some pieces that are imbued with the unmistakeable Urwerk spirit, even though they were never part of the brand’s regular output. This includes collaborations with brand such as MB&F and De Bethune.

The year 2017 was particularly consequential – it marked the 20th year since Baumgartner and Frei had sleepwalked their way into creating a brand when they debuted their experimental UR-102. The brand had not just championed the wandering hours display, but found new and interesting ways to deploy it – the display was used to depict an annual calendar complication and was oriented in a number of ways in the brand’s experiments with ergonomics. The chief example of the latter of course was the UR-110.

In some ways, the UR-T8, widely referred to as “Transformer”, which was released as part of the brand’s 20th year, extrapolated the UR-110’s basic form. The time, displayed in the right-hand side of the asymmetric case, suggested this. In the spirit of Urwerk scanning the history of watchmaking for interesting watchmaking features and then adapting them, the UR-T8 tipped its hat to Jaeger-LeCoultre’s 1931 classic, the Reverso. However, beyond the basic premise of a case housing the dial and movement flipping and reversing into a cradle to protect the watch during physical activity, there was little in common between the Reverso and the UR-T8. For starters, the latter measured 48.4mm long and an incredible 60.2mm at its widest point. It was also more than 20mm thick. It appeared less like a watch than a 1950s artist’s impression of what a wrist-mounted computer would look like in the new millennium.

Both the case and the cradle were crafted entirely from titanium to aid wearability, given the expanse of the piece. In the UR-T8 Bicolour, the titanium on the case was a lighter shade than on the caseback and the cradle, while on the UR-T8 Black, the whole arrangement was evenly dark. The case was finished in the scale-like engine turning seen on the UR-105 TA T-Rex, furthering the futuristic, sci-fi-inspired aesthetic.

The canopy of the wandering hours, crafted from aluminium and titanium, features engine turning in a brick-wall formation in between the satellites. While each cluster of the four-hour discs was underpinned by a planetary gear, each individual hour disc also had its own planetary gearing. As a result, while the three arms of the wandering hours were in rotation over the course of the day, each individual hour disc was also constantly rotating on its own axis in relation to each other. Each of the spinning hours was framed by an aperture that acted as a minutes display.

On the right side of the case were two pushers that, when pressed, allowed the wearer to lift the case and swivel it on the axis that was the large crown to the left of the case. The caseback was similarly adorned with scale-like engine turning – the only window into the self-winding calibre UR-8.01 (based on a Zenith Elite movement), was a round crystal partially obscured by the engine turning of the titanium case. Through it, partially visible was the turbine, by now a constant companion to the brand’s self-winding offering. Here too the unidirectional winding nature of the calibre is cosseted by the turbine acting as an air brake, slowing down the rotor’s uncontrolled spinning in the non-winding direction in the event of a shock.

The cradle itself was comparatively small and of a smoother texture, its flanks bearing engravings that detailed its serial number out of 30 as well as its status as a watch released to mark the brand’s 20th year. Interestingly, while 30 examples were supposed to be made in each configuration, according to Urwerk, only 25 of each were eventually produced. This is perhaps because of the watch’s unique proposition that it made better sense as a canvas for further experimentation. The brand issued an update a couple of years later in the form of the UR-T8 Art Edition that made artistic use of the real estate on the case.

A collaboration with Revolution and Dowell yielded five pieces, each with the bronze caseback and cradle entirely engraved with a skull and fleur-de-lis motif. Also created in 2019 was a unique example of the UR-T8, this time in collaboration with Emmanuel Esposito, a famed maker of fine knives. This piece, called the UR-T8 Colibri, featured Esposito’s signature mother-of-pearl detailing in an argyle pattern on the dial side as well as the caseback. It lent colour to the otherwise black titanium case. As is to be expected, the piece came with a knife with a handle that featured the same mother-of-pearl detail as well as the machine turning found on the case of the UR-T8. Inside the handle was a turbine, much like the one inside the watch.

In 2020, another unique piece – the UR-T8 Raptor – was created, again with Dowell. As the name suggests, this time the engraving featured a raptor on the case and caseback, as well as the dial side of the cradle. The watch was created for auction with the aim of raising funds for the Monaco Red Cross in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic.

An atomic master clock, paired with a wristwatch that was in effect a slave device, the AMC was another reference to the history of watchmaking, with a distinctly Urwerk take on it. The history of such an arrangement – with a more accurate master clock periodically winding, setting and regulating a less accurate but more portable slave timepiece – goes back to Abraham-Louis Breguet who first devised such an arrangement. Breguet called his invention Sympathique. In the modern era, watchmakers from F. P. Journe to Andreas Strehler have created similar timepieces that explore this principle of timekeeping.

However, Urwerk’s AMC – for Atomic Mechanical Control – was distinct in that while the slave device was a manually-wound, entirely mechanical wristwatch, the master device was an atomic clock. The clock, the size of a carry-on suitcase, had an aluminium shell. On the outside a digital display showed the hour, minutes, seconds and 1/1,000th, reflecting the accuracy the clock was capable of. In addition, it also had a calendar complication that displayed the day, month and year. The device, guided by GPS signal, had a series of buttons to adjust the time display in a variety of increments as well as to wind, synchronise and regulate the wristwatch. There were also a series of lights to indicate the functions when they were in process.

The watch, with a case reminiscent of the EMC, could detach from a cradle with the press of a button on the top portion. The case could then be placed in the housing designed for it in the master clock and be secured by means of a manual lever. Once secured, the crown could be wound by the press of a button. The other interventions were less visible, taking place via two pushers on the right-hand flank of the case – one gauged the atomic reference time while the other calibrated the watch. The second pusher worked in tandem with a lever in the watch that ‘reset’ the time. Through twin forks, the master clock could accurately read information such as the rate of balance wheel and fine tune it as necessary.

The watch itself, aside from the main hours and minutes display, featured a rotating disc-style seconds, service interval displays as well as a reserve indicator. Through the display caseback were visible the twin stacked mainspring barrels working in sequence, providing the in-house manually wound calibre 80 hours of autonomy. Also visible was the proprietary balance wheel, crafted from ARCAP P40.

It was clear, right from the project’s inception, that this was less a commercial venture and more a demonstration of the brand’s values and an exploration of the technical possibilities to further watchmaking. Urwerk sought assistance from outside the discipline, looking to the likes of Pascal Rochat who worked as the deputy director of the Observatory of Neuchâtel before going on to found two companies renowned for their production of atomic clocks. Also helpful were people such as Professor Gaetano Mileti from the University of Neuchâtel, an authority in the field of atomic timekeeping with more than 35 years of research experience.

The AMC rightfully won the Audacity Prize at 2019’s GPHG. Just four examples of the AMC were created, with three being offered for sale for around CHF 2.8m. One remains at Urwerk’s headquarters in Geneva, with visitors offered a demonstration on request. It is a technology that the brand is continuing to invest in. Baumgartner tells us that the next iteration of the AMC will be a pure atomic clock – unshackled by any mechanical component – with the most accurate atomic module presently available.

To Jacopo Corvo, the founder of GMT Italia, the EMC and AMC watches best represent the persuasions that drive Urwerk. “Very few brands tried to introduce electronic components into their mechanical watches in any meaningful way,” he says. “EMC and AMC are proof that Urwerk takes inspiration from the great masters of the past, sharing the same philosophy and highlighting the importance of chronometry, but in their own way.

“They reworked some extremely important creations from the 19th century, but with 21st-century technology. R&D is so central to a brand like Urwerk, it helps distinguish it from the rest. Experiments like these are pure feast for watch geeks.”

It is perhaps helpful to think of the UR-111C as successor to the UR-CC1 that was released almost a decade prior. Again, as the UR-111C was outside the brand’s wandering hours aesthetic, it was also designated a “special project”.

It bore a number of similarities, both in its aesthetic and functionality, with the UR-CC1. For instance, the teardrop case shape seen on the previous watch was finessed for the UR-111C. Similarly, it had a spiral-style display for the minutes display. However, that is where the similarities ended.

While powered by a self-winding Zenith Elite 670 base, the module Urwerk designed for the unique style of display was the real attraction. The movement drove a set of gears arranged in 90-degree angles to a central cylinder with two conical displays on either end. On one end was the jumping hour display while on the other was the minutes display. The cylinder itself had around it a helix-style minutes display.

As the cylinder rotated, advancing the conical hours and minutes displays, it had to turn 300 degrees to bring the helix around it to the 60th minute of the hour. This action progressively added tension to a spring also mounted on the cylinder. At the top of the hour, the spring is released, snapping the cylinder forward and resetting the helix – with a single strip of luminous material acting as indicator – to the starting position. This action is repeated hourly.

While the UR-CC1 had two seconds displays, the UR-111C had twin displays for the minutes, perhaps an acknowledgement that most wearers would find it a challenge to quickly read the time on the spiral display. Nevertheless, the regulateur-inspired layout, with each unit given its own register, was such that to someone wearing the watch on the left wrist, the hours, spiral minutes and conical minutes would be displayed in this order of priority.

Further up from the spiral minutes, to be occasionally consulted, was the seconds display. Twin open-worked seconds wheels, each alternately displaying the passage of time in digital five-second increments, were suitably complex for Urwerk. Also, while the use of convex sapphire lenses to magnify small displays is commonplace in watchmaking, Urwerk’s solution to this was a first. A tube made of a cluster of optical fibre was employed instead – it projected an image of the seconds by means of light ricocheting inside the optical fibre stack. The result was a bit like viewing the date on a slightly dated television screen.

Setting the time and manually winding the calibre, was yet another attempt at reimagining how the wearer interacted with the watch. A retractable handle, of the variety seen on the EMC watches, hacked the seconds. After that, the knurled cylinder – in between the minute spiral and the seconds display, and housed in a dip in the case – could be turned to set the time. When the retractable handle was stowed away, turning this cylinder served to manually wind the calibre.

The case – 42mm wide, 46mm long and 15mm tall – consisted of a monocoque stainless-steel centre, with two pieces in the same metal flanking it. These two housed the conical displays. The caseback, as was Urwerk’s way, was crafted from titanium. All parts, including the sapphire crystal for the displays and the knurled cylindrical “crown” were precisely machined. While simply finished, the top of the case had a striated detail, furthering the automotive aesthetic popular at the height of the Art Deco era.

The UR-111C Gunmetal and the UR-111C Iron were the first two iterations of the watch, released in 2018. The only difference between the cases was that the Gunmetal was coated with a light grey PVD, while the Iron had a more natural tone. With the same basic material formula, the UR-111C Black (from 2019) was evenly coated in black PVD while the UR-111C Two-Tone (from 2020) had part of the stainless-steel case coated in black PVD. Meanwhile, the central portions, as well as the roller crown, were of a natural shade and brushed in texture.

Each iteration of the UR-111C was produced in a limited series of 25 pieces. There also exist unique commissioned examples such as the UR-111C Pistol, with the case fully engraved by Güllert.

Starting in late 2019 and into early 2020, Urwerk revealed three iterations of what at first glance appeared to be an entirely new “time-only” line: the UR-100. It was marked by a new case shape – 41mm wide, almost 50mm long and 14mm high, thanks to the pronounced dome on the sapphire. The cases were crafted from stainless-steel with the anti-allergen, lightweight titanium caseback we have come to expect from the brand. The form was minimal, with a flat monocoque sandwiched by sapphire crystals. The case, aside from the bevelling on the dial side, also featured serrated details on the flanks and in between the bottom lugs; this texture was repeated on the crown at 12 o’clock.

The skeletonised aluminium carousel was paired with three satellites in the same material and underpinned by beryllium bronze Geneva cross bases. Each of the three satellites extended into arrowhead minute pointers, topped with luminous material for readability. The northern half of the face featured an ARCAP rim with two cut-outs. This was so that the arrows, once they had performed their primary task of traversing the minutes scale, went on to express two planetary indications across these two graduated windows. One reflected the earth’s rotation over 20 minutes while the other showed the distance travelled by Earth around the sun during the same interval. These indications were inspired by a Gustave Sandoz clock, a family heirloom passed down to Baumgartner by his clockmaker father. The clock in question, created for the 1893 World’s Fair in Chicago, displayed the distance at the equator as the Earth rotated on its axis. The Sandoz clock expressed this information by means of a regulateur-style layout. It can be viewed in the reception room at Urwerk’s Geneva atelier.

In the UR-100 these displays weren’t complications in the traditional sense of the term, due to their static nature – the Earth covers a fairly reliable 555.51km distance over 20 minutes and the 35,742km expanse it covers as it rotates around the sun over 20 minutes is also relatively constant. However, these were clever adaptations of a time-only display to create physical manifestations of Baumgartner and Frei’s philosophical musings about history as well as space and time.

Underpinning the UR-100 was the self-winding calibre 12.01, based on a Zenith Elite movement. Interestingly decorated, it featured a full rotor with perforated detailing. The rim, part of which was decorated with perlage, had an interesting take on the brand’s air break turbines. Urwerk referred to it as “Windfänger” – it incorporated a seven-spoke turbine visible on the movement side. What is hidden from view is a toothed wheel underneath the turbine that interacted with the toothed perimeter ring of the winding rotor. This is the latest iteration on the brand’s use of “turbines” acting as air brakes to slow the spinning of the unidirectional winding rotor in the non-winding direction, especially useful in the case of a shock.

The UR-100 was first revealed in two iterations limited to 25 pieces each – the UR-100 Black coated in black PVD, and Iron with a natural shade of stainless-steel. The brand followed this up in early January the next year with the UR-100 Gunmetal, with a grey, matte coating of PVD. The same year the brand revealed the UR-100 C-3PO, referencing the beloved Star Wars character because of the case that was crafted from 2N yellow gold. Both of these references from 2020 were also limited to 25 pieces each. The rate of releases was indicative of the UR-100 line becoming not just an accessible entry point into the Urwerk universe but also a canvas for experimentation.

The releases kept coming. In late 2020, Urwerk announced the UR-100V Iron (25 pieces), with a stainless-steel and titanium case with blue printed numbers and minutes scale. The following year came the UR-100 T-Rex (22 pieces), with the familiar scaled case of the UR-105 TA T-Rex. The UR-100V Blue Planet (25 pieces) marked the first time the shade of the case – stainless-steel coated with blue PVD – was also applied to the aluminium components of the time display as well as the movement. Another precious-metal iteration was the 2021 release called the UR-100 Electrum (25 pieces). It was notable as the “bezel” featured concentric circle details. These all still featured the calibre 12.01.

In late 2021 Urwerk’s new UR-100V Full Titanium Jacket (25 pieces) was the first to debut the self-winding calibre 12.02, based on a Vaucher movement. As the name suggests, it was also the first of the line to feature not just a titanium case but a new bracelet also made from the same material. A black PVD-coated iteration would be made in 2022, limited to 25 pieces. The following year brought the UR-100V Magic T, with a greyed titanium case and bracelet. This example, while not numerically limited, will be constrained by the number Urwerk can produce annually.

One of the most popular iterations of the line is also crafted from titanium. The UR-100V Ultraviolet, as the name indicates, features a case coated in DLC of a violet shade. Even the visible components of the time display were colour matched. The numerals and scale are printed in white to maximise contrast. This too will be limited in numbers produced annually.

This was followed by the UR-100V C52, with a case made from layers of thin ply carbon, compressed together. This lightweight case, weighing just 11g, wore an evenly black appearance with bright-green luminous printing on the dial side. This again was produced in a series of 25.

This brings us to the first Time and Culture editions of the UR-100V. The first one, revealed in 2022, wore engravings like those found on the Aztec sun stone currently in the National Anthropology Museum in Mexico City. It marked yet another opportunity for Frei and Baumgartner, who often travel together, to imprint their appreciation of ancient cultures on this line.

The UR-100V Time and Culture I featured a stainless-steel case, coated to approximate the bronze shade of the Aztec sun stone. The caseback was titanium, as usual. Notably, real estate had to be added to the dial side – the wandering hours were covered with a stainless-steel canopy that matched the form of the domed crystal, entirely adorned with the engravings found on the sun stone. The fine detailing was achieved with a drill set with 0.05mm tip. The raised engravings were brushed while the lower levels were frosted. This detail extended to the “bezel”, running the perimeter around the crystal. The discs and minutes arc, crafted from aluminium, were coated in a shade of bright green. It was produced in a series of 25.

The next instalment, the Time and Culture II, with a blued aesthetic, featured engravings inspired by Sumerian culture and its gods such as Utu (the deity of sun and divine justice), Nanna (moon deity) and Inanna (deity of love, fertility and war). The blue was a reference to Inanna specifically, due to her preference for lapis lazuli. This will be limited to 30 pieces.

While precious-metal examples of the UR-100 exist, the UR-100V Stardust was the first stone-set variant. The stainless-steel watch face sparkled with 400 snow-set diamonds, while the crown featured 24 brilliant cut stones. The arc of the minute track was also adorned with 36 brilliant cut rocks, as was the pin buckle with its 22 stones. Production will be limited to about 10 watches a year.

The brand’s first instance of adapting the static displays was the UR-100V P.02. Created in a limited series of 20 for a group of California-based enthusiasts called Collective Horology, the watch paid homage to the Enterprise, the first orbital space shuttle. Instead of the distance of the Earth’s rotation and the distance travelled at the equator over 20 minutes, the brand adapted this to display the complex and precise launch and landing sequence of the Enterprise.

With its horizons further broadened by the UR-100V P.02, Urwerk revealed the UR-100 Light Speed in early 2024. This represented yet another way to utilise the wandering hours display paired with another constant force – the speed of light. The cut-out scales on the top half of the dial showed the time it would take light from the sun, travelling at a pace of 299,792.5 km/s to reach every planet in the solar system. While it was underpinned by the same calibre 12.02, the carbon thin-ply case made of 54 layers, was upsized. It now measured 43mm wide and 51.7mm long. It was marginally taller too, measuring at 14.6mm. It featured the same screwed-down crown, but water resistance in the UR-100 Light Speed was upped to 50m from the UR-100s 30m.

Any successor to the UR-111C in Urwerk’s “special projects” offering had to fulfil at least two criteria – it could not have a wandering hours display and it had to offer a degree of novelty that would require some head-scratching and close study from the uninitiated. The UR-112 Aggregat, first seen in 2021, fit the bill.

Whereas the UR-111C featured a jump hour display paired with a scrolling minutes cone, in addition to the spiral display expressing the same information, the UR-112 featured what amounted to conical wandering hours as well as minutes. The displays, housed in rounded sapphire crystal tubes, featured four prisms crafted from aluminium – in the hour display each prism featured three hours of the day printed in Super-LumiNova on three three faces of each prism. On the other display, the minutes were printed in five-minute intervals on the 12 total faces of the four prisms.

Much has been written about its inspiration, with Frei himself telling us how the action of the prisms was inspired by a kebab roller. However, what is more interesting is how the display is achieved, thanks to one long titanium transmission shaft, with gearing on either end. One end derives power from the movement through 90-degree gearing and transmits it to the independent gearing that drives the hours and minutes display angles.

The transmission shaft runs the length of the watch, along the spine of the case that gives the UR-112 Aggregat its “split-window” styling. The automotive cues are plentiful, with the split-window styling most close to the rare view of the Bugatti Type 57 Atlantic. The hinged “hood”, which springs open when the pushers on both flanks of the case are pushed down, is reminiscent of the engine covering on the Ferrari Testarossa. It reveals a digital seconds display that employs a single spinning wheel with numbers at five-second intervals. Corresponding to its position on the other side of the spine of the watch is the power reserve indicator.

The movement powering the complex mechanics behind the time display is the self-winding UR-13.01, beating at 28,800 vibrations per hour and offering 48 hours of reserve. The teardrop shape, a recurring form of EMC pieces, measured 42mm wide and 51mm long, standing at a substantial 16mm. Iterations included the Aggregat Bicolore, crafted from titanium, the two tones achieved thanks to the shade of PVD coating. This was produced in a series of 25 pieces.

This was followed by the UR-112 Odyssee with a stainless-steel and titanium case, and stainless-steel hood. The case, with its polished and brushed surfaces, brings to mind the texture of Rimowa luggage. This iteration was made in a series of just five pieces. The latest UR-112 Back to Black wears an evenly monochrome appearance achieved by DLC treatment. According to the brand, 25 pieces will be produced.

While outwardly similar to the UR-110, each of the three hour satellites was made up of two cubes that interacted with each other to display the hour of the day. The two cubes, with four faces per cube, split, rotated and converged to display the hours.

The case was the same 44mm across as the UR-110. However, at 51mm (to the UR-110’s 44mm), it was significantly longer, in part due to the articulating lugs. The UR-120 was also fractionally thicker than the UR-110, at 16mm. Most notably, the screws that held down the UR-110’s bezel went away. Instead, the screws to hold the case and bezel together were applied laterally. For the first time the brand made use of articulating lugs, which took the edge of the significant lug-to-lug distance. The case was crafted from stainless-steel, with a curved sapphire on the dial side, while the caseback was titanium. The caseback had a sapphire arc that showcased the self-winding calibre UR-20.01, with a Zenith Elite base. It features the Windfänger system first seen on the UR-100.

So far the watch has been produced in two iterations. The UR-120 Spock, with its grey and black appearance, was first revealed in late 2022. It will be produced in limited numbers annually. The UR-120 Space Back wears an evenly darkened appearance achieved by DLC treatment. This example will be limited to 25 pieces.

In October of 2024, Urwerk unveiled a yet more ambitious take on the retrograde minutes indicator first seen on the UR-210. While in the UR-210, the minutes indicator travelled the 120º of the minutes arc, in the new watch it moved double the distance. The UR-150’s minutes arc is spread across a 240º arc, occupying more of the dial real estate than in any previous reference.

A flying wheel and pinion – a set up akin to those found on minute repeaters – is located in between the movement and the satellites of the wandering hours. This carousel underneath, on which the three hours satellites are loaded, dances along a trajectory pre-determined by a cam. In the UR-150, it is this cam that is responsible for the 270º switch all three satellites make at the end of every hour. For the first time, the set up does without the Maltese crosses on which Urwerk’s rotating hour satellite technology was based previously. A system of racks, again guided by the same cam, and working in opposition with each other, topped by a robust spring designed in-house, helps the hour reset at the top of the next hour. This simplified and elegant design ensures that both the hour indicators (the satellites) as well as the large minutes hand reset accurately and reliably.

This is perhaps the biggest difference with the set up in the UR-210, 220 and 230, where the switching of the satellite hours and the retrograde minutes hand were controlled separately. Linking the two makes the module simpler.

Moving the minutes hand forward advances the hours – with the indicator springing back to the top of the hour every time – turning it backwards stops it in the 120º arc in between the 0- and 60-minute marks while the hours satellites keep shuffling. Doing this, till the correct hour is reached, offers the wearer insight into how the switching system, guided by the cam, works.

Underpinning the module is what Urwerk refers to as the self-winding calibre UR-50.01, based on a Vaucher ebauche. It benefits from the Windfänger double turbine set up, again designed to protect the winding rotor from spinning unnecessarily especially in the non-winding direction, and putting pressure on the rotor bearings. However, in the UR-150, the workings of these twin turbines is much more obvious, with Urwerk deciding to showcase more of it. The circular rotor features the turbines screwed on. The toothed gears underpinning the turbines mesh with the toothed rim that runs the diameter of the rotor. This rim is decorated with perlage while the frosted finish of the turbines matches the finish on the ventilated form of the winding rotor.

On the dial side, the outer chapter of minutes is set against an engine turned base. The minutes are printed in luminous material, as are the hours. The quarter hours also have reddish Super-LumiNova luminous markers. The 60-minute marker is in green, and glows marginally differently from the other minutes in the dark. The hour satellites, as well as three-pronged minutes indicator, is crafted from lightweight aluminium, while the carousel underpinning the hours is crafted from brass. The minutes indicator features circular satination.

On the Titan version, the dial furniture is finished in a shade of grey while on the Dark version, things are uniformly black. Another key difference in the two variants is that the skeletonised minutes hand is tipped with green Super-LumiNova, while in the Dark version, this is achieved in red.

The case is perhaps closest to the UR-100 line. However, all of the angularity of the UR-100 is lost, as is rounded off by the sands of time. The curvature of the monocoque stainless-steel case evenly extends to all parts. The edges of the case are chamfered and four visible screws affix the case to the titanium caseback. The midcase features the serrated detail also seen on the UR-100. The oversized screwed down crown is protected by the top lugs. The watch enjoys 50m of water resistance. The concave lugs perfectly integrate the rubber straps, created to a proprietary design.

On the Titan, the stainless-steel has been sand- and media-blasted, giving it a smooth, dull appearance, while on the Dark, it is coated in anthracite PVD. Urwerk plans to make no more than 50 examples of each over the course of the next few years.

Urwerk’s first collaboration with Büsser since the Opus V resulted in a watch called C3H5N3O9 – Nitroglycerine, for the non-chemists among us. Central to its offering were two Reuleaux polygons, the one on the lower plane tracking hours and the one on top indicating minutes, making their way in an epitrochoid fashion. Their path, anchored in the centre and seemingly random, were in fact anything but. Where the two Reuleaux polygons were at any given point was dictated by their relative positions on cams with 180 plotted points. Their motion was inspired by the design of Wankel engines that featured in motorbike engines and most famously in cars such as the Mazda RX-7.

The watch, an exercise in pure experimentation between MB&F and Urwerk, borrowed from both brands. The zirconium case, for instance, is reminiscent of the former’s Horological Machine 10, nicknamed “Bulldog”. The crown and the time display are closer to Urwerk’s universe.

The idea for the project came to them in summer 2009, says Büsser. “While the world was crumbling and sales were crashing, Felix and I had lunch at Les Armures, a traditional restaurant in the Geneva old town, where he suggested we co-create a piece,” he adds. “During that lunch we more or less decided everything. Felix had the idea of the Wankel engine and I jumped in immediately. As a child, [my family’s] neighbour was an inventor – I thought that was the coolest job ever – and he drove his son and I to school in his NSU Ro 80, which had a Wankel engine.”

Büsser says it was decided that Urwerk would design and develop the Wankel display, while MB&F would design and develop the case. He says, “We also decided that it would be an experiment – in no way a business decision, but a learning one. Hence why we called it Experiment 012 – which was the year it came out – and only two series of 12 pieces were ever crafted. It was probably the very first very high-end piece to be sold originally only online and we did not send a press kit out to anyone – every editorial came from word of mouth.”

The two incarnations Büsser refers to were with polished and blackened zirconium cases. The material is rare and known for its scratch resistance. The case, 55m long and 44mm wide, was fitted with double articulating lugs, which pivoted on the point where they met the case as well as where the leather strap was attached. On the back of the case was a power reserve indicator, another detail that is undoubtedly Urwerk’s idea. The manual winding calibre underneath offered 39 hours of reserve.

Urwerk’s Only Watch entry for 2017 had a similar collaboration, this time with watchmaker Laurent Ferrier. Named Arpal One, it referenced the Arpal+ alloy crafted from a combination of precious metals and other elements that made it resistant to oxidation. The case, 60.8mm long, 40.9mm wide and 20.7mm tall, was substantial. The curvature of the case was a concession towards wearability. While the minimal wandering hours display, underpinned by the self-winding calibre UR-5.03) was similar to that of the UR-105, the case was like nothing either brand had produced. A couple of years later, in 2019, Laurent Ferrier revealed the Bridge One, with a downsized iteration of the Arpal One’s case.

The formula was applied again for Only Watch 2019 when Urwerk banded with De Bethune to produce the Moon Satellite. Outwardly, it married a polished titanium case and floating lugs of the sort seen on the DB28 with the UR-105. It was marginally bigger – 45mm across and 13mm tall. The targa-style display from the UR-105 also incorporated De Bethune’s signature bi-metal spherical moonphase display. While it bore all the hallmarks of a manually wound De Bethune calibre, it was in fact jointly developed and was designated URDB01 to accommodate the wandering hours module.

We have spoken previously about the brand’s Only Watch entry for 2021, with the UR-102 “Gaïa” referencing the Gaïa Prize that Baumgartner and Frei won in 2022. The latest entry for Only Watch 2023 was the SpaceTime Blade. Baumgartner spoke to us about the device which took an indication from a Gustave Sandoz clock and married it with Nixie tube technology.

The exercise of analysing the gamut of references Urwerk has produced over the years certainly helps appreciate the constant innovation that has been central to the brand’s success. It remains the brand’s legacy and its current identity. Hallock says, “What happened in the late 90s [and] early 2000s was an independent-watchmaking renaissance that is unlikely to be repeated any time soon. Urwerk were the pioneers of unorthodox time displays and retro-futuristic cases. To some extent, anyone wishing to follow that path has to reckon with their legacy. They created the genre and will forever be the reference point.”

Urwerk continues to be shepherded by its original founders – something that can rarely be said about the original crop of independents. Chow says, “What makes Urwerk truly unique is the synergy of their talents. Martin, far more than just a designer, brings a rich tapestry of cultural understanding – encompassing painting, sculpture, documentaries and a broad range of art forms. This artistic sensibility has become deeply ingrained in Urwerk's DNA, resonating with discerning collectors. Felix, on the other hand, boasts impressive watchmaking skills, recognized by AHCI since 2005. Their diverse backgrounds contribute to Urwerk's signature individuality, where out-of-the-box designs are meticulously crafted with high-end watchmaking expertise.”

According to Chow, this is one of the chief reasons the brand has survived and remained independent throughout its history when so many others have perished or become shells of the idea that originally birthed them. The goal, as it appears to Chow and Corvo, who work with the brand, appears less towards exponential growth and more towards meaningful horological innovations. “Felix is driven by a singular goal: to leave his mark on watchmaking history,” says Chow.

Corvo adds, “Urwerk is one of those brands that doesn’t need marketing as we know it today – no sponsorships or ambassadors. The media, collectors and enthusiasts will always talk about the brand for their creations; true spaceships for the wrist.”

However, such singularity of vision has its downsides. Marcus Margulies – whose erstwhile Marcus Watches on Bond Street, was an early retailer of Urwerk and other independent brands – certainly thinks so. Speaking to us, Margulies says, “I pioneered all these new brands and Urwerk had a very interesting and unique product. It’s my job to search for interesting things and I found Urwerk had some very interesting things to offer. They’re very interesting people and very dedicated to their craft. They’ve got a very good product. But it’s bloody difficult to sell.”

Margulies points to their uniqueness as a quality that has sometimes worked against Urwerk, precluding more widespread popularity. He adds, “Another question to ask is why I discontinued my professional relationship with Urwerk. Collectors want a product that maintains value to a degree. The reason we didn’t sell more work is because they don’t retain their value. Our relationship ended because I couldn’t sell the product.”

Chow adds, “Being independent is a double-edged sword. While it allows for boundless creativity and the freedom to pursue unorthodox projects unburdened by external pressures, it also presents undeniable challenges. For Urwerk, this means leading the charge on unconventional design and defying convention, fuelled by an unwavering belief in their vision. Yet, sustaining this path demands constant balancing acts – mentally, technically and financially. The anxiety of navigating these uncertainties is an inherent part of being truly independent.”

This is perhaps why Urwerk has been resolute about remaining a small operation, with production numbers remaining fairly constant throughout its history.

The influx of new players in the independent watchmaking scene intensifies the struggle. While collectors rejoice in the expanding landscape of options, brands like Urwerk face a more crowded market, demanding constant evolution and differentiation. However, this very competition becomes a proving ground, an opportunity to showcase their unique capabilities and unwavering commitment to their distinct identity.