Introducing the URWERK UR-105M ‘Iron Knight’ and ‘Dark Knight (Specifications and Pricing)

URWERK, the brand we all know because for their groundbreaking way to indicate time and the quirky designs, have created a new model that features all iconic codes of the brand. Time is indicated by four orbiting and rotating satellites, and on the case back is URWERK’s Control Board. The new URWERK UR-105M looks like a mix of the UR-210 and the iconic UR-103, and comes in two variants: Iron Knight and Dark Knight.

On first glance you might think that the new URWERK UR-105M merges the technical aspects of the UR-103 (with similar rotating hour satellites) and the angulated UR-210 case design. The case back again hosts URWERK’s Control Board, with indications for remaining power reserve and the ‘oil change’ indication that tells you when your URWERK should be serviced. There’s still a fine-adjustment screw that allows you to fine-adjust your URWERK to run perfect within chronometric rates, however it has been enhanced with a new indication that gives more details about the fine-tuning.

And there are more indications, now placed in and visible through the side of the case. On the ‘old’ UR-103 the case back featured a small second hand, which has now been repositioned to the case band. The case band also features an additional power reserve indication, so that you can see when it’s time to wind the watch, without taking the watch off your wrist and having to look at the case back.

Looking from the front, we see a UR-103-alike indication of time, as we already mentioned. The large curved sapphire  crystal reminds of the UR-103T (see here), while the case features an angular design that is reminiscent of the UR-210 (see here for our review) and even the more than 400 grams weighing UR-1001 pocket watch.

While the curved sapphire crystal, a bit like on the UR-103T, reveals pretty much all the inner works, URWERK have come up with a sort of a cover or canopy, which is made of PEEK (if you really want to know what this is: WikiPedia). This new canopy hides more from the eye, and emphasizes the actual hour satellite disk that orbits along the arched minute track. Once the hour has elapsed, the satellite – guided by a Geneva cross – rotates and continues around its orbit for another three hours before returning to the center stage.

Felix Baumgartner, URWERK’s co-founder and master watchmaker: “First of all, the aluminum and PEEK structure has to rotate with absolute chronometric precision. We needed the lightest materials to achieve a high level of precision and PEEK was ideal: The PEEK polymer is used in surgery because its excellent mechanical properties and chemical resistance. The other challenge accomplished by UR-105M is of another type entirely: A honeycomb seconds disk on the right side of the case underneath the minute dial indicates the passing of each 10 seconds. This indicator is synchronized to another seconds indicator situated on the side of the case.”

The URWERK UR-105M is available in two versions: the ‘Iron Knight’ with a titanium case and steel bezel and the ‘Dark Knight’ with a titanium case and AITiN-treated steel bezel. As we mentioned in the sub title: could this be URWERK’s value proposition? The ‘Iron Knight’ is available for CHF 58,000 and the ‘Black Knight’ comes at a price of CHF 63’000. These are still impressive prices, however the UR-105M is the most affordable choice in URWERK’s collection. And, more importantly, we think that URWERK did an excellent job with the new UR-105M and made the most attractive URWERK in many years!

Some specifications of the URWERK UR-105M

• Movement: calibre UR 5.01, manual-winding mechanical movement, 38 jewels, 28,800 vph (4Hz), 42 hours of power reserve, satellite hours driven by bronze beryllium Geneva crosses, orbital structure in PEEK, surface finishes: pèrlage and bead-blasting, countersunk screw heads
• Indications Dial: Hours, minutes and 10 seconds
• Case band: Lateral seconds and power reserve indications
• Control board: ‘Oil Change’ and power reserve indications, timing adjustment screw
• Case: titanium inner case, steel bezel (on ‘Iron Knight’) or AITin-treated steel bezel (on the ‘Dark Knight’), 39.50mm x 53mm x 16.65mm, sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating, water resistant to 3ATM / 30m

More info: www.urwerk.com