If you've ever looked at your wrist and wished that you had a Cold War momento on it that costs as much as a hypercar, Urwerk has your back with its EMC SR-71 watch that includes material from an SR-71 Blackbird supersonic spy-plane.
From 1964 to 1998, the US Air Force operated an aircraft that has become something of a legend in aviation circles. With a maximum speed of Mach 3.3, the SR-71 could outrun any plane or missile that was sent against it. Over its career, it set multiple speed and altitude records that have yet to be broken and it's notable as one of the first stealth aircraft.
To commemorate the Blackbird, Urwerk issued its Electronic Mechanical Control (EMC) SR-71 watch in 2014 with a design that echoes the aesthetics of the spy-plane. Today, the company has updated the watch for its 10th anniversary and is issuing it in a strictly limited run of 10 units. Among its upgrades is the incorporation of parts made from titanium alloy from the fuselage from an SR-71.
Like many Urwerk watches, the one word that does not describe it is "inconspicuous." With a case measuring 49.57 mm, its chunky appearance makes it look less like a watch and more like a 1960's aircraft instrument that you wear on your wrist. If that doesn't pique your interest, there's a large crank handle on one side that suggests either bold watchmaking or incredible absentmindedness.
However, it's a crank with a purpose. The EMC SR-71 is a manually-wound mechanical watch that places a premium on accuracy. The display includes a standard hours/minutes dial, a seconds dial, and a power reserve indicator. But there is also a very unorthodox indicator that shows how accurate the watch is at any time.
That's where the crank comes in. It turns a micro-generator that powers a very precise 16,000,000-Hz electronic oscillator and an optical sensor that monitors the mechanical movement and compares it to the oscillator. The result is displayed on the accuracy indicator to show how far the watch is drifting from chronometer precision, so the wearer can adjust it using the timing adjustment screw.
Oh, and the crank is made from titanium from the fuselage of an SR-71 aircraft acquired by Jason Sarkoyan, a watch collector, and Dr. Roman Sperl, an aeronautical engineer. Technically, it is an alloy of titanium, aluminum, vanadium, silicon, iron, and molybdenum that's been refabricated to make it suitable for incorporation into a watch.
The EMC SR-71 runs on the UR-EMC in-house Urwerk movement with a Swiss lever escapement and a flat balance spring. It runs a frequency of 28,800 vph (4 Hz) and the vertically mounted series-coupled double mainspring barrels provide enough power for 80 hours.
All this is set in the case of the EMC SR-71, which is made of steel with a matte shot-blasted finish. The crystal is of scratch-resistant sapphire and is water resistant to 30 m (100 ft, 3 AM). In an odd bit of understatement, there is a NATO strap with a Velcro fastening to keep watch and wrist together.
There are only 10 EMC SR-71 watches and if you want one, it will set you back a cool CHF150,000 (US$177,000).
Source: Urwerk
