Urwerk UR-120 Spock. Simply fantastic!

Spaceships from Hollywood blockbusters as the main source of inspiration.

In the dorms of Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts, the popular science-fiction genre was one of the main topics of conversation for young designer Martin Frei, his roommate Christoph Draeger and his cousin Thomas Baumgartner.

These were the conversations that gave birth to the brand Urwerk, which Frei and Baumgartner would go on to create. The friends carried their favorite topic over to the timepieces.

The silhouette of the UR-112 Aggregat Odyssée is a synthesis of spacecrafts from "Star Wars", "Star Trek", and "Battlestar Galactica". The luminescent installation on UR-220 SL Asimov is reminiscent of the six shining suns from American sci-fi writer Isaac Asimov's "Nightfall".

UR-100 Gold Edition "FIGHT — C19" borrows the tone for its case from the "Star Wars" droid it takes its moniker from. The list which has yet to be exhausted continues with the Urwerk UR-120 Spock — a novelty with satellites that split open so they can spin around their own axes.

This new interpretation of the satellite time display required the designers at Urwerk to develop a new spring in the unusual shape of a lyre. Frei and Baumgartner's display recreates Mr. Spock's famous Vulcan salute from "Star Trek".

Leonard Nimoy who originally played the role of Spock is credited with coming up with the Vulcan gesture: a raised hand with fingers parted between the middle and ring fingers.

Nimoy also drew inspiration from the Jewish Priestly Blessing, where a hand gesture represents the Hebrew letter Shin (ש), the first letter in the word Shaddai (שדי), one of the Hebrew words for God. The new indication is part of the automatic UR-20.01 movement with a two-day power reserve.

The UR-120 Spock is also interesting for its case shape: the interlocking bezel and caseback are seamlessly connected with the help of lateral screws. The upper half of the case and bezel is made of sandblasted steel, while the lower half is made of titanium.

Another thing that makes the case stand out is its use of articulated lugs to ensure an optimal fit on the wrist. The matte gray look is punctuated by gold details.

The Maltese crosses and lyre-shaped springs are treated with a yellow-gold PVD coating. The case measures 47 mm in diameter, 44 mm in length and 15.8 mm in height.