Urwerk, one of the first names that come to mind when it gets to exotic timepieces, is the guest of our pages with its UR-210 Royal Hawk model which represents the brand’s advanced technology-focused approach in both technical and visual terms.
Being a strong member of ultra-modern high-end watchmaking brands which are considered as contemporary alternatives to traditional watchmaking, Urwerk was one of the names that hosted the most talked about novelties introduced at the SIHH 2018 exhibition.
Managed to create its own fan base thanks to the its modern approach for advanced technologies and alternative materials, the well-known brand Urwerk is under the loupe with its UR-210 Royal Hawk model representing the brand’s philosophy.
Me: This is an amazing watch... May I?
Urwerk: Of course.
Me: Wow it’s quite heavy. And it says Titanium on the back?
Urwerk: Well, the caseback is made of Titanium. The case itself is made of Platinum.
Me: You black PVD coated a Platinum case? But why?
Urwerk: To make it black.
I just wanted to share this funny dialogue between me and the Urwerk representative at the brand’s booth :)
Designed in Stealth concept, which is among the themes that the watchmaking industry cannot give up with, the model’s case measures 43.8mm x 53.6mm x 17.8mm. The case, which is made of matt black PVD coated Platinum and Titanium -a rather unusual combo, feels quite heavy on the wrist but not in an uncomfortable way. In fact, it feels pretty solid and cool. Equipped with AR coated sapphire crystals on both sides, the case is water resistant to 30 meters.
It is quite enjoyable to wear this characteristic case, which we have also seen versions equipped with a flip cover on the front side. The case is attached to a black fabric strap that provides a tactical look together with the matte black surface. I would also like to say that the strap, which is secured by a pin buckle blackened in line with the overall look, balances the weight of the case nicely on the wrist.
The dial of the model offers a great harmony with the case which combines advanced technology and modern design elements under the same roof. When we look at the dial, the first things to notice are the retrograde style minute counter and the triple-hand system. This system, which is quite enjoyable to watch, resets itself at the end of 59th minute and starts over for the next hour. Let me add that resetting function, which can be seen in the video below takes less than 1/10 seconds only.
There are two retrograde indicators on the dial located at 1 o’clock and at 11 o’clock. The one at 1 o’clock is a standard power reserve indicator while the other is used for indicating how much power the watch has accrued over the last two hours. If your movements have wound the movement sufficiently, the indicator’s hand will point toward the green zone. If not, it’ll point to the red zone. It’s a system that reminds you to get and move. In a fully mechanical manner...
Thanks to the Super-LumiNova® phosphor material applied to various parts of the dial, which obviously requires some familiarity for efficient reading, optimal legibility is provided for darker environments.
Urwerk UR-210 Royal Hawk is powered by the brand’s Caliber UR-7.10 movement which is truly “a mechanical wonder”. 51 jewels hand-wound movement looks like a regular caliber with its 28.800vph frequency and 39 hours of power reserve it offers when fully wound. However, those specs are just the visible part of the iceberg. The caseback is made of matte black PVD coated Titanium and it is equipped with a miniature sapphire crystal display caseback that allows the user to enjoy the patented turbine system.
The main plate of the movement is made of ARCAP P40. 3D minute hand is in aluminum with brass counterweight; central cylindrical spiral is made of spring-steel and the hour satellites are also made of aluminum as well. The central carrousel and the screws are in Titanium Grade 5.
Besides those high-end specs, the movement sports an adjustable winding mechanism to fit your level of activity. By setting the “winding efficiency selector” on the rear face of the watch, a turbine connected to the oscillating rotor can be either engaged or disengaged. If you intend to rest for a while, disengaging the turbine will allow the rotor to wind with the slightest movement. If you think you will be more active than usual, the selector can be switched to activate a turbine system to provide additional friction that slows down the winding process, effectively reducing wear on the components. If you simply do not want to fiddle with that feature, the self-winding mechanism can be disabled, converting the UR-210Y to a standard manual-winding watch.
During the SIHH 2018 fair, I had the opportunity to see many high-tech and unusual exotic models. Among all those timepieces, I can say that Urwerk UR-210 Royal Hawk was the one that impressed me the most. Since the beginning of the luxury watch industry (perhaps the Quartz crisis period can be excluded), is dominated with traditional watcmaking. This sector, which survived with high-complication models offered in precious metal cases by well-established Swiss brands, now includes extra ordinary and unusual timepieces which are considered as contemporary alternatives to old school luxury watches. But on the other side, I believe those exotic timepieces are the feature of luxury watchmaking as well. The progress of technology has earned a new segment called “connected watches”. Due to their practicality and price level, those devices are becoming more and more common in our daily life. However, diamond setting an electronic device with a shelf life of approximately 6 months is not enough to make it a “luxury item”. And that’s exactly the point where a cutting-edge technology movement and a matt black PVD coated Platinum case may work just fine...
