For nearly three decades, URWERK has looked to the planets and outer space for its watches. With the UR-300 Time Quantum, co-founders Felix Baumgartner and Martin Frei turn the lens the other way, towards the invisible world of atoms.
Instead of satellites on a rotating carousel, two hour modules are fixed at right angles to form a T, for Time. Each end holds a tri-sided hour prism, and the four prisms carry all 12 hours. The prism at the base of the T shows the hour as it travels along a 108° arc marked with the minutes.
At the 60th minute, everything happens at once. The whole T-frame jumps forward and rotates 72°, the crossbar pivots to become the new stem, and every prism spins so the next hour sits at the base. A quick forward jump replaces the retrograde snap URWERK has used since 2005’s Opus V.
“Beneath the sapphire crystal, you can watch a kind of ‘atomic’ reaction unfold in real time, as the elements move, interact and reconfigure before your eyes,” says Baumgartner.
The jump needs enough energy to drive the whole sequence, but not so much that the display recoils. It comes in two editions of 25 pieces each: Titan, and AlTiN with a PE-CVD treatment.
The Basics
- Brand URWERK
- Model UR-300 Time Quantum
- Editions Titan (titanium Grade 5); AlTiN (titanium Grade 5 with PE-CVD treatment)
- Dimensions 45.2mm × 58.8mm
- Thickness 18.25mm
- Crystal Sapphire with anti-reflective coating
- Strap NATO strap
- Limited edition 25 pieces of each
The Movement
- Calibre UR-30.01V
- Functions Prograde wandering hours on revolving modules in a T configuration; minutes; three hands showing 3 × 20 seconds across 120°
- Winding Automatic, regulated by Dual Flow Turbines
- Power reserve 44 hours, double mainspring barrel
- Frequency 28,800vph (4Hz)
- Jewels 40
Images courtesy of URWERK.
