Urwerk replica watches

 

Explore Urwerk Putting the Space Shuttle on Your Wrist

 

A AAA quality replica watches neatly links Swiss manufacturer Urwerk to NASA’s space shuttles and the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum in New York.

The first iteration of what would eventually become the Space Shuttle appeared in 1968, called the Integral Launch and Reentry Vehicle System. It wasn’t until April 12, 1981, that the world’s first reusable spacecraft, STS-1, reached orbit, with astronauts John Young and Robert Crippen. Before the Space Shuttle, leaving Earth meant relying on rocket technology born out of World War II.

The advent of the Space Shuttle fundamentally changed the way we access space, not to mention the International Space Station. Science fiction author Arthur C. Clarke once said, “The Space Shuttle is to spaceflight what Lindbergh is to commercial aviation.”

In the world of watch collecting, we often celebrate the intersection of horology and early rocketry. Yet we rarely pay attention to the Space Shuttle, a technological feat that represented a giant leap forward for the U.S. space program.

Until Urwerk came along.

Collective Horology, a California-based community of watch enthusiasts, teamed up with Urwerk co-founders Martin Frei and Felix Baumgartner to create a replica watches for sale that translated the idea of ​​the Space Shuttle launch and landing sequence into a wristwatch. Urwerk was the perfect choice for this challenge, but they couldn’t do it alone. Collective Horology brought in the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum, where the Space Shuttle Enterprise currently resides, to help the concept grow.

The result is the Urwerk UR-100V P.02 from Collective. Urwerk had already demonstrated its ability to translate abstract astronomical concepts into wearable horological art with the Urwerk UR-100 SpaceTime. With the Collective’s P.02, they are paying homage to the first orbital space shuttle, the Enterprise. Tested in 1977, it paved the way for the entire program that followed. Cliche designs inspired by the Space Shuttle might include black and white graphics or thermally insulated tiles, but you won’t find those on this Urwerk piece. Visually, the design was inspired by the instruments on the Enterprise.

One of the most interesting things about the Enterprise, aside from being named after the Star Trek ship, is that it never actually went into space. It was built for atmospheric test flights, so it was built without engines. The “lifting body” design of the Space Shuttle meant it behaved more like a glider than a powered aircraft. After the concept proved successful, the instruments were removed from the Enterprise and installed on the Space Shuttle Columbia. At some point during Columbia’s 28 missions, it was upgraded with a glass cockpit (with screens replacing the gauges that displayed vital information), and the original instruments were put into storage. Eric Boehm, Curator of Aviation and Aircraft Restoration at the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum, took detailed notes on all of the original instruments that were reinstalled back into the Enterprise in order to provide valuable insight for Martin Frei and Felix Baumgartner. Elements of the buy replica watches’s instruments began to be replicated.

This watch focuses on a very specific aspect of the Space Shuttle experience, the takeoff and landing sequence. To give you an idea of ​​how difficult a Space Shuttle landing is, consider this: the Shuttle is orbiting at approximately 17,200 mph, it needs to slow down enough to land on the three-mile runway at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, and even more interestingly, this all happens while the Earth is spinning beneath it, so a perfectly executed approach sequence is required. Timing is everything. In orbit, the Shuttle slows down, the orbital circumference decreases enough to make contact with the upper atmosphere at approximately 400,000 feet, and uses drag to slow down further, making an S-turn to reduce speed and land safely.

That's only half of the equation. To get the Shuttle into orbit, the team of astronauts manages the energy generated by 1.1 million pounds of solid fuel in the boosters, and then another 1.6 million pounds of liquid fuel in the external tanks to fuel the Shuttle's three main engines before the shuttle is jettisoned. luxury replica Watches

On the left side of the watch is the "Launch Aperture," which displays the three key phases of the shuttle launch sequence. The green phase represents the period shortly after the shuttle is ready to fly. Final pre-flight checks are conducted at this time, and the decision to launch is made by processing weather information from the National Weather Service, which operates the space weather group. The input of the 45th Weather Squadron of the U.S. Air Force is also considered.

Next, the shuttle enters the blue phase, which begins at the moment a pair of solid boosters ignite. Talking Watches guest and two-time shuttle astronaut David Williams recalls that the moment the boosters ignited, "everything rocked back and forth, and it was a spectacular moment." It is during this blue phase that the shuttle leaves the Earth's atmosphere. First, the shuttle burns two solid rocket boosters to combat the negative effects of gravity and the drag of the dense atmosphere near sea level, and then these solid boosters are discarded and the main external tank provides the additional fuel needed to reach orbital altitude.

Once the shuttle reaches orbital altitude, it enters the red phase. This is the last phase displayed on this aperture. During this phase, various mission objectives are carried out, such as building the International Space Station or deploying the Hubble Space Telescope (and restoring it). replica Jacob & Co Casino Tourbillon

Inside the UR-100V P.02 is the Calibre 12.02, a new movement designed specifically for this watch. Its designer, Felix Baumgartner, says: "This new movement redesigns the discs to bring the hours closer to the minutes as they run continuously along the 60-minute scale. The result is an easier and more intuitive reading of the time". Reading the time on such a complex watch is still confusing, but fortunately the watch comes with a very detailed technical manual, just like the beautifully designed 1,161-page Space Shuttle Crew Operating Manual. You don't need NASA training to read the time on the UR-100V P.02, but I bet that anyone who buys this watch wouldn't say no if they were invited to join the astronaut training corps.

The highlight of the Calibre 12.02 is the carousel that houses the wandering hour complication. It is made of anodized aluminum that is both ground and sandblasted, while the screws are circular-ground for an interesting contrast. The rotor features a Windfänger mechanism that prevents the rotor from reaching excessive speeds.

Translating something as abstract yet technical as a business into the spirit, philosophy, and design of a watch is a difficult task. replica Urwerk Watches continues to redefine the limits of modern watchmaking with each release. When I spoke to Intrepid’s director Eric Boehm about his involvement in the process, he noted that he had not previously known this level of watchmaking, and that it seemed almost impossible that designers and engineers could come up with such a technological marvel. But with watches, as with space, curiosity is at the heart of what we do.