Not sci-fi, just a clever movement.
"The UR-110 is a logical evolution of our creations. We imagined time as a 'silent journey' where the hour satellites make a full rotation of the dial. But it is a velvet revolution; between rotation and counter rotations the effect is subtle and fluid.
There are things happening on the dial that are not obvious at first glance. Everything looks normal; however, in fact they are everything but." That's how brand co-founder Martin Frei described the UR-110 model launched in 2011, which was named Best Design Watch at Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG). Even then, Frei was probably being modest.
The fact that "no rules" was rule number one when constructing the UR-120 model couldn't be clearer to the naked eye. The 2022 edition developed on the idea of its forerunner, UR-110.
The hour satellites that orbit the dial and rotate around their own axes on last year's version split into two sub-elements, so they can each spin on their own axis while recreating the Vulcan salute as each satellite makes its way towards the minute scale they pass along to play the role of a minute hand.
At Urwerk, this split has been termed a Vulcan salute, as it recreates the hand gesture popularized by Star Trek. Urwerk's creations cleverly merge sci-fi with a passion for real scientific achievements, which could have been topics for discussion over a family dinner at the Frei household.
Urwerk UR-120 Space Black
The Urwerk co-founder's father was an engineer in Zurich, who researched speeding up protons and worked on the Apollo Lunar Rover for NASA. The new "gimmick" for UR-120 forced its creators to re-work the movement and give the watch's appearance an update in the process.
Despite the fact that the indication has become more complicated, the model has actually become leaner: the watchmaker has gone from the first titanium UR-110, which measured 47 × 51 × 16 mm, and gotten it down to 47 × 44 × 15.8 mm.
The new articulated lugs also guarantee a better fit on the wrist. The UR-120 for 2023 has been given a black case with a lower block made of titanium topped with a steel bezel, yet the architecture of the case remains unchanged.