Another masterpiece from Baumgartner and Frei; UR-105 UR “Maverick” with a bronze case.
Urwerk is one of the leading brands in terms of displaying time in unusual ways. Utilizing the satellite system as they call, Felix Baumgartner and Otto Frei use rotating discs, both around themselves and center-linked axes, instead of traditional hour and minute hands. This type of dials can be found in different manufacturers’ collection but pretty small in number though. Urwerk on the other hand, expresses its difference with exotic materials and designs that look like they belong to the future.
In the Urwerk UR-105 Maverick model, a further detail from the Hellenistic period was added to all these futuristic elements: Bronze. I see the bronze case timepieces more like mechanical objects jumped out of the steampunk movement. For those who do not know about this movement, I can describe the steampunk as follows: Go back to the time of the steam-driven machines and continue to develop steam engines without ever getting involved in today’s electricity or internal combustion engine technologies. This imaginary and alternative future, where all things are taken care of by steam machines, is directly within the steampunk’s field of interest. Moreover, the UR-105 Maverick portrays an image exactly like that in my head.
Urwerk UR-105 is offered with a bronze and titanium case measuring of 39,5mm x 53mm 16,8mm. The upper case (or bezel) is made of bronze. Unlike many bronze watches on the market, Urwerk has pre-oxidized its watches. Thus, the patina and dark color that bronze will gain over time has already been provided. The side parts of the case and the case back are titanium. In fact, we can talk about the presence of a cover on the front as well. The bronze top cover, which is opened with the help of the button, serves as a shield that protects the crystal from external factors. The sapphire crystal behind this cover allows the fascinating movements. The watch is water resistant to 30 meters.
UrwerkUR-105 is powered by the manufacture (as expected) self-winding movement Caliber UR 5.02. 52 jewels movement beats at 4Hz (28.800vph) and offers 48hours of power reserve when fully wound. Two turbines located behind the movement control the oscillating rotor’s speed. An additional lever on the rear of the watch adjusts the pressure of the turbines on the rotor. Rotation of the oscillating weight can be completely stopped if desired. On the dial side of the movement, we see four discs with three hour markers on each. The discs rotate in a synchronous manner with the central axis. Thus, the disc that comes under the dial slides over the minute scale that rest steadily in its place, which is under the dial as well. In the following hours, the discs in order take over. The Super LumiNOVA phosphor material applied to the hour and minute indexes offers optimum legibility under dark.
In fact, Urwerk UR-105 is a watch that attracts me as both the brand and the model. What causes this situation is not only the design of the model, but also the engineering solutions it incorporates. On the other hand, I think the bronze case is not fully compatible with the general character of the model. I think the other titanium cases in the collection are more attractive. Nevertheless, if you still say “Hey, I like it...”, than it’s yours for just $ 69,000.
