When Martin and Felix of
Urwerk wanted to create something new - they had to sit down for a while and think about what they had done before, and what they could follow up with that was unique in the watch world. Doing that is really tough. Even the satellite time telling system that Urwerk is known for isn't unique to them, originating a long time ago elsewhere. Urwerk just sort of adopted the satellite system of telling the time and made it their own. The Torpedo - as the UR-110 is also called - does two things differently. It modifies the satellite system a bit offering a fun new visual spectacle, and put it in a case that is novel, as well as weird.
On the wrist the UR-110 takes some getting used to. It doesn't look like any watch case I've ever put on before. I jokingly described the design as a"mutated ninja star" (which apparently only makes sense in my head). Think of a modified Urwerk UR-103 watch case with wings. I guess that makes sense... torpedoes fly under water right? If you have a giant wrist the Torpedo will probably sit well, though for me the wings stick out like the watch is trying to gain altitude. The "coined edge" around the side of the organic looking case is nice, and the detailing is of course on par with a high-end timepiece.
Dimensions for the case are an awkward 47mm wide by 51mm tall, and 16mm thick - but that all ranges given that the case curves around a lot. While it looks like it is sitting on your wrist as opposed to around it, the watch doesn't feel like it is going to slide all over the place as the bottom is mostly flat. As I said a few times, the titanium case looks a bit bare and "unfinished." Some people might like that look, but I am waiting for the black colored case that is coming out soon. I anticipate that model to frame the design of the watch much better. Naked titanium is not always easy to pull off. I also think that if the wings were angled down to sort of wrap around a wrist, it would make the design of the watch much more manageable.
Urwerk calls the movement their UR 9.01, and it is easily the high point of the watch. The movement is an automatic, and has those cool little "turbines" visible through the rear of the watch that spin when the rotor is spinning. Urwerk also points out that the turbines helps prevent shock damage to the rotor. Back on the dial you have the three satellites that have four hours on each of them. When moving around, they always point "forward" while moving. That is pretty cool, and when they move close to the minute scale, the correct hour on the cube spins around. Telling the time is easy, and the idea behind the placement of the minute scale is so that it is the first part of the watch you see when your arm peeks out from under a sleeve.
The dial also has a subsidiary seconds dial, a "oil change" indicator, and a day/night indicator. The oil change indicator is a sort of service guide that advises you when to send your watch back to Urwerk for a (pricey) service. It is an homage to such indicators on cars. Future variations on the UR-110 are likely to have alternative complications. I feel as though the dial is a bit incomplete. While it is clean, the sandblasted surface under the satellite system for the hours feels a bit bare. Like I keep saying, the Torpedo is pretty nice all around, but it looks like Urwerk could put just a bit more time into polishing the design - which they likely will.
Urwerk UR-110 Torpedo Watch Hands-On
, is a retrospect on the fashion, design, and narrative of Alexander McQueen. “Focusing on the most iconic and acclaimed designs of his prolific career, this stunning book examines McQueen’s inimitable technical virtuosity and its subversion of traditional tailoring and dressmaking practices. The book also focuses on the highly sophisticated narrative structures found in McQueen’s collections and in his astonishing and extravagant runway presentations, which suggested the most avant-garde installation and performance art.”
Click above to inquire!
