ReviewThe Urwerk UR Satellite SpaceTime GunMetal: Everyday Astronomy At Your Fingertips
If you crave a little piece of the heavens above on your wrist, look no further than the Urwerk UR Satellite UR-100 SpaceTime GunMetal—a watch that is ‘universally’ appreciated by those who keep their eyes skyward
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The night sky has been a source of fascination for the human race since time immemorial. It’s no wonder then that astronomy is considered one of the oldest natural sciences. As our understanding of our place on Earth grew, we began to chart a course towards unknown destinations—and we were guided by starlight, the earliest tools of navigation that were at our disposal at the time. We also learned that the sun’s journey across the sky could be tracked and calculated, and thus, timekeeping was born. It began with humankind designing sundials and dividing the day into measurable parts. One of the first civilisations to achieve this were the Sumerians, who resided in southern Mesopotamia. Interestingly, this is also where Urwerk finds its inspiration.
‘Urwerk’ is a portmanteau of the words ‘Ur’ and ‘werk’. ‘Ur’ refers to the eponymous Mesopotamian city where, for the first time in history, time was measured. The citizens of Urwerk divided time into 60 measurable parts—an idea that found its place in how humanity, in its entirety, calculates time today. Because of them, one minute comprises 60 seconds and one hour has 60 minutes. The German word ‘werk’ is similar to the English word ‘work’ when used in the context of creation and evolution. Here’s a funny side note: In Germany, the slang ‘werk’ is also an expression of approval or congratulations, used in place of words like ‘cool’ or ‘great’—which is exactly what Urwerk’s watches are.
We’ve come a long way since the sundials of the Sumerians. From pendulum clocks and pocket watches to timepieces that our ancestors would think of as magic—the human race has done its best to keep up with the running hands of the clock. Innovation has always been at the forefront of the watchmaking industry, and this is where Urwerk takes the cake. Its ground-breaking watches, which the Swiss manufacturer has been developing since 1997, have taken the world by storm.
Connecting Urwerk with the heavenly origins of timekeeping is the Urwerk UR-100 SpaceTime GunMetal, a mesmerising timepiece that reminds us to keep looking at the skies for some well-needed inspiration.
Another Dimension Of Timekeeping
Urwerk is famous for its Satellite configuration, with its wandering hours and minutes. The wandering hour indication sits on a carousel with three ‘satellites’ comprising three numerals each. The satellite carries three arrow pointers, with red details for better legibility, which point to the minutes. There’s some amount of showmanship involved in the display of time, but honestly, watchmaking could do with a bit of flair sometimes—and that’s what Urwerk brings to the table.
What truly sets this particular Urwerk timepiece apart, however, is that this futuristic watch also provides the space nerd with astronomical indications. Urwerk wants to bring our attention to the fact that, even if we’re sitting in one place the whole time, we unwittingly travel thousands of kilometres every single day at a mindboggling speed of 30km every second! Hold on to your hats folks, because there’s a bit of mathematics involved here. In this astronomically astounding timepiece, when the minute hand has completed its 60-minute journey, it reappears on a 20-minute scale (located at 10 o’clock) of 555km, which is the distance one travels in 20 minutes if one is standing on the Earth’s equator, ie how much we travel according to the Earth’s rotation on its axis. The scale on the opposite side (at two o’clock) does you one better—it tracks your journey through space around the sun, which is 35,740km every 20 minutes.
A Design That’s Out Of This World
While the domed sapphire crystal glass protecting this dial is round in shape, the case is octagonal and angular—the shape of the watch face is reminiscent of alien spaceships that one might see in a comic book or a sci-fi movie. The crown of this timepiece is located at 12 o’clock, which makes for easy winding. The word ‘GunMetal’ in the name of the watch comes from the dark grey PVD coating on the case. Despite being packed to the brim with features, the case, at 41mm by 49.7mm, sits rather comfortably on the wrist—not small by any measure but not too large either. This is perhaps thanks to its thickness of just 14mm. Driving this watch is the brand’s calibre 12.01, vibrating at a frequency of 28,800vph and providing the wearer with a 48-hour power reserve. The creation of this movement itself required two years of intensive research and development. A fabric strap keeps the look from getting too wild and alien for the more conservative connoisseurs of the horological world. The watch is water resistant to 30m.
While the astronomical indications that this watch presents might not have any functional use in one’s day-to-day life, sometimes it’s okay to forego utilitarianism. After all, this watch can not only tell us the time, but also show us how we’re a small part of the celestial dance that the Earth performs around the sun. And if that doesn’t wow you, we don’t know what will.
If you’d like to read more about Urwerk and some of the brand’s innovative timepieces, click here
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Urwerk UR-Satellite
UR-100
nice collection of Watches