Introducing the URWERK UR-220 “Falcon Project” Carbon Edition

URWERK’s latest addition to the UR-Satellite collection, comes in on the tail end of the announcement of the UR-210 “Final Edition” and the conclusion of the 210 series. Ushering in a new generation now is the UR-220 “Flacon Project”.

On first sight The UR-220 may look deceitfully similar to its predecessor. The watch, no doubt, represents an evolution and not a revolution. The changes and updates are subtle but they do mark some significant firsts for the independent watchmaker.

Starting with the case, which for the first time showcases the URWERK silhouette in carbon. The effect of the case being cut out from its carbon blank makes for great visual interest in the particular way that the URWERK case reveals the various layers of carbon. The concentric pattern formed from the way the carbon layers are cut into pairs perfectly with the idea of the satellite time display.’

Sharing his thoughts about the case material, Martin Frei URWERK’s co-founder and chief designer says, “I wanted to have the finest possible pattern traced along the length of the UR-220’s case.  We therefore needed a special kind of carbon in layers that are not only parallel but as thin as possible. The concentric pattern you can see on the surface of the UR-220 is the result of this choice. The carbon layers underscore the curves of the sapphire-crystal glass of this watch. In terms of style and technique this UR-220 is just the way I wanted it.”

Peering through the sapphire, we have the familiar satellite time display with the wandering hours on rotating  cubes, which take turns to sweep across the 120° 60-minute scale along with the retrograde minute indicator hand. The only other indicator in the dial side is the power reserve indicator that is split into two. The left side shows the first 24 hours and the right side shows the last remaining 24 hours’ worth of power reserve. The other thing that needs to be pointed out on the dial of the watch, is the style of numerals used, which is a new font designed done by Frei himself.

Felix Baumgartner, URWERK’s master watchmaker and co-founder speaks of the new Oil Change indicator sharing, “It’s more than a numerical counter making a cold tally of the months. The Oil Change indicator tells you for how long your watch has actually been working on your wrist, and reflects the energy you have fuelled it with every day. It connects you with your watch.”