In the current watch copy market, stainless steel sports watches are at a fascinating crossroads. Auction prices, provenance, and social media hype have jointly promoted the prices of several high-end stainless steel models, even far higher than their precious metal counterparts. At this strange moment, steel deserves a place in gold in a way.
As the brand wanted to reinterpret the stainless steel model, this caused a certain madness in the industry. This trend has even entered the weird and wild world of Haute Horlogerie. The futuristic boutique brand Urwerk has transformed one of its cornerstone models into a tribute to the advanced concept of utilitarian metal. The limited edition Urwerk UR-100V Iron has a variety of finishes to highlight the luster of bare metal, while introducing an updated movement in one of its most famous designs.
Urwerk UR-100V iron asymmetric 41mm x 49.7mm case uses the same sci-fi style claw case as the previous version of the UR-100 series, but the material and surface treatment immediately mark it as something different. The case is a mixture of stainless steel and titanium, with countless flat surfaces, sharp chamfered edges and jagged ridges, with alternating fusion of polished and rough, industrial brushing.
Just like its predecessor, it really presents this shape from the side, because the crystal and the sapphire bubble dome of the back cover are combined to form a round UFO style, which is distinct from the corners of the case itself. It is a fascinating combination of organic and industrial forms. Although these domes are strong with a tall shell profile, they avoid the 14 mm thick non-abrasion resistance.
The unique hollow dial of UR-100V Iron continues to work on bare metal and surface treatment. The trademark satellite hour display of the UR-100 series is fully displayed here, although the mix of materials is more extensive. The Geneva cross that supports the rotating hour disk of each satellite is made of beryllium bronze alloy, and the carousel that rotates each disk is made of shot-blasted aluminum. The circular brush plate itself and the bottom plate are made of advanced antimagnetic ARCAP alloy. The display at 6 o’clock has been slightly adjusted from the previous version to improve readability, while retaining the vivid astronomical 20-minute scale, which plots the Earth’s rotation and orbital distance in space.
Undoubtedly, the focus is on the luster and luster of the bare metal alloy that plays a role, and UR-100V Iron uses the blue Super-LumiNova spray paint engraved on the hour and minute marks to inject a splash of color while creating a contrasting flame engine Red minute indicator.
The internal UR 12.02 automatic movement inside Urwerk UR-100V Iron is a subtle improvement on the UR 12.01 movement used in the previous UR-100 generation. In addition to the turntable used for the rearrangement of the satellite hour dial, the dial is also designed to bring the current hour display closer to the minute indicator for clear reading. Its movement is more or less the same as its predecessor. The unique Windfänger wound rotor adopts a miniaturized propeller to minimize the stress on the rotor bearing, thereby improving efficiency and extending bearing life. Performance also remains unchanged, with a pulsation rate of 28,800 bph, which retains 48 hours of power.
For non-traditional or asymmetrical lugs, such as those on the Urwerk UR-100V Iron, the factory strap design is crucial to the entire package, as there are few third-party alternatives. Urwerk chose the UR-100V Iron strap to emphasize the robustness of the stainless steel and titanium case. The strap is made of unsaturated royal blue filled Alcantara. The deep and rough texture of this material works well under heavy brushing, and the color echoes the dial text in the initial image.
Although the limited edition Urwerk UR-100V iron is not the most revolutionary version of the brand this year, one of its cornerstone series has a radical industrial atmosphere, which not only highlights the current status of stainless steel in the market, but also simplifies the readability of the series Sex.