The New Urwerk UR-120 Spock: “Live Long And Thrive!”
Hand raised with palm forward, thumb extended, fingers divided between the middle and ring fingers along with the famous phrase “Live long and prosper!”: This is the Vulcan greeting, which sounds more like a blessing, popularized by Star Trek .
An iconic sign of Doctor Spock, within a television series that we still remember today more than 50 years later, this greeting is also an integral part of the DNA of Urwerk, the independent watchmaking Maison founded by Felix Baumgartner and Martin Frei.
Today, with the introduction of the new UR-120 Spock, we can find the sign of Doctor Spock above the plate of this new watch whose time indication reproduces the Vulcan salute.
This novelty represents a challenge that Baumgartner and Frei have accepted, with the hope that it too can live long and thrive just as the television series did.
The development of the Urwerk UR-120
This UR-120 represents a new stage in the journey started by Urwerk in 1997, constantly looking for changes in the various creations and expressive modes of the brand.
The UR-120 takes inspiration from the UR-110 collection, carrying forward the stylistic codes and redesigning, at the same time, the concept that this watch contains within it.
Martin Frei, co-founder and artistic director of the brand, is then back in the ring for a new challenge, 11 years after the UR-110 won the Design Watch Prize at the 2011 GPHG.
His words about it were the following:
“I really liked the UR-110, but there were so many other ways to make it evolve… A designer’s mind is like that. The process is endless. The idea was to go in a more subtle, smoother, more elegant direction. For this we have redesigned the entire satellite system. Each satellite is now composed of two sub-elements to make it thinner, easier to read and to give it an unprecedented fluidity “.
The new display of the UR-120, composed of satellites indicating the hours in the shape of an open hand in a V, was born 16.5 million light years from Earth, in the Beta Quadrant, where the civilization of Mr. Spock is located , on Vulcano.
The iconic hour display system, which has always been Urwerk’s trademark, on this new watch is based on rotating satellites that open in a way that each one can rotate on its own axis, an innovation that has made it possible to significantly reduce thickness.
The design and the case of the new Urwerk UR-120
The technical innovations, at the level of the satellites, have allowed Urwerk to create a sandblasted titanium case with a length of 44 mm, a width of 47 mm and a thickness of 15.8 mm. The maximum height is reached in the center of the sapphire crystal, at the apex of a slight curve. As for the bezel, this was made of sandblasted steel.
Looking at the back of the watch, you can see a small window that offers a direct view of the Windfänger, a star-shaped component that regulates the intensity of the automatic winding.
The overall case design represents Martin Frei’s personal interpretation of Gerald Genta‘s design approach.
“I’ve always liked the way his speakers are built, with a bottom and top case intertwined. Technically speaking, he’s very smart,” says Frei.
The case of the UR-120 is in fact composed of two interconnected parts, equivalent to the back and the bezel that connect seamlessly with the help of lateral screws. A further element of fluidity is given by the presence of lugs on the UR-120, a rarity in the Urwerk line of creations.
With the UR-120, there has also been a noticeable gain in legibility: the hour indices that open have become 35% larger than the UR-110.
Another feature that gives the watch excellent readability is the presence of the luminescent material on the dial, in particular on the hour markers and on the small parts, ensuring agile time reading even in the dark.
The overall design of the case is finally completed by the calfskin strap with a ballistic-type relief pattern.
The driving force of the new Urwerk UR-120
To animate this spaceship that came out directly from Star Trek, we find the automatic caliber UR-20.01 with the presence of the central carousel equipped with three arms, each of which carries a satellite. On all four faces of this satellite there is an indication of the hours in Arabic numerals which is composed and decomposed at each turn.
Moving on to operation, when the hour indicator comes out of the small parts positioned on the right side of the watch and reaches the left side of the case, it activates a button that controls the change of the satellite dial.
The satellite opens, revealing two rectangular studs that take on a V shape, thus recreating the Vulcan salute that gave the UR-120 its nickname. Once separated, both studs rotate on their axis and close to show the new hour unit.
A triple revolution takes place under the hood of this spacecraft: the carousel of satellites rotates on a central axis, each satellite counter-rotates to remain in a vertical position and each stud rotates on its own axis.
As for Dr. Spock’s “greeting”, the hallmark of this new UR-120, at the exact moment it occurs, a lyre-shaped spring opens and then closes the satellite.
Managing the energy in that moment is really complex as the opening and rotation of the pin must be controlled. Given the complexity of the solution, Frei and Baumgartner said they ended up producing the spring themselves, in house, because they had to do a lot of testing to define its geometry and thickness.
Price and availability
Sold at a list price of CHF 100,000 (plus tax), corresponding to approximately EUR 102,000 (plus tax), this new Urwerk UR-120 Spock will be available soon.
It will not be a limited edition but as we can imagine, not so many pieces will be produced per year.
For more insights into the world of Urwerk, I invite you to visit their website and our section dedicated to the Maison.
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