Our Take

For horology enthusiasts who loved the Urwerk’s UR-100 “CP3PO” we recently handled, the brand is back and continuing its experiments with an all-gold look in the UR-100 series. Now welcome the UR-100 Electrum to the family!

Crafted out of an organic gold and palladium alloy, “Electrum” is one of the original precious materials, regarded by the ancients as a veritable treasure. This gold and silver alloy was coveted among Ancient Greeks, Amerindian civilisations and Ancient Egyptians. While the first coins were minted from this metal, the noble, flamboyant, luminous material gradually fell into oblivion. This timepiece gives new life to one of human civilization’s oldest precious metals, and brings a new design facet to the UR-100 line as well: structured, pleated surface on the case.

Martin Frei, co-founder of Urwerk, mentioned that the significance of the grooves is purposefully left open to interpretation. They could be an ode to the Roman amphitheaters, when electrum was still a popular material. It could pay homage to the passing of time, grooves in weathered earth. Or it could remind you of something from your own life experiences.

Beyond the Electrum’s unique characteristics, this timepiece carries with it the brand’s signatures – the wandering-hours satellite indicator of time and a connection to the cosmos. As you notice, the red hand on the satellite time indicator pokes through 10 and 2 o’clock to reveal time’s most intimate companion: distance. At both locations on the dial, this timepiece’s owner can see the distance the earth has traveled on its rotation (555km) and the distance the earth has revolved around the sun (35,740km). For the thinking human, this is a decidedly philosophical watch to reflect on our position in the cosmos.

Limited to only 25 pieces, the UR-100 Electrum is bound to be a hit with collectors.

The Details

Urwerk UR-100 Electrum

Case: 3S satin-brushed 18K 2N Electrum yellow gold, Width: 41 mm; length: 49.7 mm; thickness: 14 mm, Pressure tested to 3ATM (30m- 3 bar)

Calibre: UR 12.01 with automatic winding system regulated by the Winfänger system with propeller and planetary gear system

Materials: Aluminium satellite hours driven into titanium Geneva crosses. Titanium carrousel. Triple baseplate in ARCAP

Finishes: Circular graining, sandblasting, beadblasting, circular satin-finish, Chamfered screw heads, Super-LumiNova®-painted hours and minutes markings

Power Reserve: 48 Hours