An Urwerk central-hand high quality fake watches...? The new UR-10 Spacemeter is unveiled.
An Urwerk watch with a central hand, a round dial, and chronograph counters...? That's so unexpected...
What a contradiction... An Urwerk watch features a central hand, traditionally rotating above a round dial, with concentric chronograph counters below. This is completely different from what you'd expect from Urwerk, a brand known for its unconventional time displays, such as its roaming time and satellite displays. Looking back at Urwerk's entire product line, you'll find only one watch with classic hands... and that EMC watch is nothing more than a veritable horological UFO. However, the Urwerk UR-10 Spacemeter, which ushers in a new chapter in the brand's "Special Projects" line, is truly unique.
The UR-10 Spacemeter features a central hand, a round dial, and multiple subdials. But it's not a tachymeter watch, a chronograph, or a calendar of any kind. It may display time in the most traditional way—or at least the most ordinary way—but it's still deeply driven by the philosophy of brand founders and owners Frei and Baumgartner, and features many of Urwerk's hallmark functions. At first glance, the new UR-10 looks like a new variation of the UR-100. In fact, you could mistake it for an evolution of the UR-100V Magic T (my all-time favorite Urwerk watch, but that's beside the point…), or perhaps a prototype based on that all-titanium model, as if the founders decided to experiment with an Urwerk watch with regular hands. In a way, that's probably not far from the truth. Urwerk UR-10 SpaceMeter replica
For the past 28 years (the first watch was released in 1997), Urwerk has been committed to telling time in the most unique ways. With the exception of the experimental EMC watch, every one of the brand's creations has incorporated carousels, retrograde hands, satellite displays with wandering hours, or rotating cubes... Now, the UR-10 Spacemeter is here. Since this watch doesn't fit into any of the brand's classic collections, Frei and Baumgartner decided to create a "Special Projects" series—which means we might see more surprises in the future.
Classic URWERK Design
Let's start with the basics. The UR-10 Spacemeter feels and looks similar to watches in the UR-100 series. Its shape is certainly nothing new, creating a reassuring sense of familiarity that offsets the impact of the central hands. Made of sandblasted titanium (for the case) and sandblasted steel (for the caseback), it retains the UR-100's octagonal design and crown at 12 o'clock. Similarly, the box-shaped sapphire crystals front and back feel familiar. These proportions make the watch wide and short, measuring 45.40 mm wide by 44 mm long, with a thickness of 7.13 mm excluding the crystal. The case construction also has a certain Genta/Nautilus feel. "The case is clean and symmetrical, but the construction is very special," says Martin Frei. "It screws down from the side, just like Gérald Genta used to do. This construction is typical of iconic watches. It's just two parts; there's no side."
Let's quickly discuss the inspiration behind this piece. It all starts with the Baumgartner family. Felix Baumgartner's grandfather was a watchmaker, and his father, Gérald, was a restorer of antique clocks. In 1996, Gérald Baumgartner discovered a remarkable pendulum clock signed by Gustav Sandoz. He purchased it and restored it. However, the clock was unusual: its three subdials bore no resemblance to any traditional time display, and the pendulum swung excessively fast. Gérald Baumgartner then unraveled the mystery, ultimately uncovering a planet tracker and discovering that the clock was designed to measure Earth's rotation. Based on the principle of a regulator, it displayed the distance traveled by the Earth on three different time scales. MB&F Legacy Machines replica
Central Hand... But with an Unusual Indication
Back to the Urwerk UR-10 Spacemeter... Yes, it has a classic round dial, available in black or gray PVD coating. A needle-shaped hand centered on the dial displays the time... Typically, like 99% of watches on the market—the hour hand rotates once every 12 hours, the minute hand every 60 minutes. This design, expected of most watchmakers worldwide, seems out of place for Urwerk. However, this domed dial with a circular-grained surface offers a unique charm.
This seemingly radical departure from Urwerk's design philosophy actually shares many similarities with the brand's other watches. The UR-10's name, "Spacemeter," is well-deserved. Inspired by Papa Baumgartner's Sandoz timepieces, it features three subdials with astronomical indications. It measures the distance Earth travels through the space-time continuum. Three subdials are clearly visible, like astronomical instruments:
At 2 o'clock, the counter labeled "EARTH" measures the distance of Earth's daily rotation for every ten kilometers in 500-meter increments.
At 4 o'clock, the counter marks the movement of the sun in 20-kilometer steps, recording every 1,000 kilometers that Earth travels in its solar orbit.
At 9 o'clock, the counter labeled "ORBIT" combines two tracks, marking each 1,000-kilometer rotation and 64,000-kilometer solar orbit on two synchronized scales.swiss watches replica
Function-Rich Caseback
The back of the Urwerk UR-10 Spacemeter also holds many surprises. An outer hand encircles the central rotor, indicating the hour on a 24-hour scale, just like the Earth's rotation. For practicality's sake, it also serves as a day/night indicator. The caseback features engravings indicating rotation and revolution: clockwise, counterclockwise. This striking contrast reflects the Earth's own counterclockwise rotation.
Powering the new UR-10 Spacemeter is a movement developed in conjunction with Vaucher Manufacture. Atop its twin-barrel automatic architecture sits a complication conceived in-house by Urwerk. This required five new gears, five new arbors, and several new jewels to reduce friction and preserve the power reserve. Skeletonized LIGA gears are used. This 4Hz automatic movement then incorporates a classic Urwerk feature: the winding management mechanism. The Urwerk UR-10 Spacemeter is equipped with a new, patented twin-flow turbine system featuring two stacked propellers rotating in opposite directions. The twin turbines create an airflow between the two sets of blades, slowing them down and protecting the mechanism.Tudor replica watches
The Urwerk UR-10 Spacemeter watch is presented on a single-link sandblasted titanium bracelet and is available in two versions: a black dial with grey hands, and a grey dial with black hands.
URWERK UR-10 Space Meter Technical Specifications
Case: 45.40 mm wide x 44 mm long x 7.13 mm thick (excluding crystal) - Sandblasted titanium uppercase, sandblasted steel caseback - Double-sided sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating - 30 meters water resistant
Dial: Black or gray PVD, domed, circular-grained - Sandblasted subdials at 2 and 4 o'clock - Circular-grained subdial at 9 o'clock - Black or gray PVD syringe-shaped hands with SLN
Display: Centered analog hours and minutes - Equatorial Earth distance counter / 10 km at 2 o'clock - Earth rotation counter / 1,000 km at 4 o'clock - Dual concentric distance counter at 9 o'clock - Hours on a 24-hour scale on the caseback - 24 Rotation and revolution on the hour markers, case back
Movement: UR-10.01 caliber - Vaucher-based, modified by Urwerk with additional indications - Automatic twin-barrel base model - Patented twin-flow turbine with two counter-rotating propellers - 44 jewels - 43-hour power reserve - 28,800 vibrations/hour - Swiss lever escapement
Strap: Sandblasted titanium, single-link - Titanium folding clasp
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