URWERK hasn't done anything to damage its reputation for avant-garde timepieces with its latest addition to the UR103 range. The UR103T keeps time by means of four rotating satellites that sweep past the minute arc at the bottom of the face and a "control board" on the back includes a 43-hour power reserve indicator and a chronometer for accurate time-setting. Anyone who can guess what the "t" designates deserves a prize - it's not "titanium" or "timepiece", but "tarantula", a reference to the arachnid inspired aesthetics of the watch mechanism.
Each of the four satellites on the rotating cross mechanism make a complete revolution of the dial every four hours and each carries three numbers which also rotate.
The engineering challenge in creating the unique mechanism was to cope with the weight and minimizing friction of of the rotating satellites, each being more than 300 times heavier than a traditional hand. For this task, master watchmaker and co-founder of URWERK Felix Baumgartner chose precisely crafted aluminum for its strength and lightness. Bronze/beryllium and a light, non-magnetic and corrosion resistant material known as ARCAP 40 are also used in the construction of the mechanism.
- UR103T technical specifications:
- Case: Stainless steel treated with AlTiN (Aluminium, Titanium, Nitride)
Via: UREWERK.