Few watchmakers get as futuristic as Urwerk. With designs that defy, if not disrupt, convention (and even make our heads hurt at times), the Swiss brand never fails to impress.
After nearly 30 years, its latest timepiece finally shows us what Urwerk can do when trying to appear like it’s making a standard watch. However, looks might be a bit deceiving…
Breaking Pattern
The UR-10 Spacemeter marks a first for Urwerk with its central hands on a round dial. For a brand built entirely on satellite hours and wandering displays, this feels almost sacrilegious. But those conventional-looking hands aren’t telling a conventional story. They’re measuring time, sure, but the three sub-dials scattered across the face are tracking something far more cosmic.
This watch stems from a family heirloom — a 19th-century Gustave Sandoz pendulum clock that co-founder Felix Baumgartner’s father restored back in 1996. The elder Baumgartner couldn’t initially crack what the clock’s three sub-dials were measuring until he discovered it was designed to track Earth’s rotation through space. That concept became the foundation for the UR-10, which now measures planetary movement across three scales: Earth’s daily rotation (every 10km at 2 o’clock), Earth’s solar orbit (every 1,000km at 4 o’clock), and a combined counter at 9 o’clock syncing both trajectories.
Familiar Territory, New Execution
The case borrows heavily from the UR-100 series with the same octagonal titanium construction, same crown-at-12 positioning, and same integrated bracelet. It’s screwed together from the sides à la Gérald Genta, giving it a Nautilus-adjacent vibe. At 45.4mm across but only 7.13mm thick (excluding crystals), this becomes one of Urwerk’s most wearable pieces to date. Likewise, a sandblasted titanium bracelet flows naturally from the case.
Flip it over and you’ll find a 24-hour peripheral hand tracking a full Earth rotation, with caseback engravings indicating Rotation (clockwise) and Revolution (counterclockwise) — a subtle nod to our planet’s actual movements through space.
The Movement
Inside sits caliber UR-10.01, developed with Vaucher Manufacture as the base, then heavily modified by Urwerk’s in-house team. The complication module required five additional wheels and axes, plus skeletonized LIGA components weighing as little as 0.009g to preserve the 43-hour power reserve. Urwerk’s patented Dual Flow Turbines — two counter-rotating propellers — manage winding resistance through air friction rather than mechanical braking, reducing wear while creating an admittedly hypnotic visual effect through the caseback.
Spec Sheet
Model: UR-10 Spacemeter
Case Material: Sandblasted titanium
Case Size: 45.4mm
Lug-to-Lug: 44mm
Case Thickness: 7.13mm thickness (excluding crystals)
Movement: Caliber UR-10.01, automatic with double barrel
Frequency: 28,800 vph (4Hz)
Power Reserve: 43 hours
Water Resistance: 30m
Bracelet: Sandblasted titanium integrated bracelet with deployant clasp
Dial Options: Black PVD or gray PVD with circular graining
Limited Edition: 25 pieces per dial variant (50 total)
Pricing & Availability
Available now for CHF 70,000 (~$78,000), the Urwerk UR-10 Spacemeter launches in two dial configurations — black or gray PVD — with each version limited to 25 pieces.
Recap
Urwerk UR-10 Spacemeter
Urwerk just dropped the UR-10 Spacemeter, which is the first time they’ve put central hands on a round dial But those three sub-dials aren’t tracking time, they’re measuring how fast Earth is moving through space.
