It’s understandable for those of us living on Earth to have a difficult time imagining how drastically different it would be like living anywhere else. Forget critical differences we’d face if living on another planet, such as access to water, breathable air, an actual atmosphere, and gravity that might literally crush us. However, when you take into account the distance we are from the Sun’s light and, thus, heat, it should be enough to make us want to stay here on this cozy planet we too often take for granted. Urwerk, on the other hand, would like to put a reminder on our wrist in the way of its UR-100V LightSpeed, a watch that depicts the time it takes for the Sun’s light to reach the other planets in our solar system.
One thing that never changes is the speed of light (~300,000 km/s). It’s the constant that tethers the real world to science fiction. It’s simultaneously what makes our situation on Earth so much different than that on other planets, but it’s also the thing that unites us. Urwkerk’s mores may be more tied to science, space, and even science fiction than any other watchmaker in the world, which makes this new timepiece so perfect for the brand. Based on the UR-100V SpaceTime, which is focused on the distance the Earth travels and rotates, the LightSpeed tells the time (on Earth) with the same satellite display moving along a graduated minutes arc. As the hour is shown, it scales the arc from 0 to 60, at which point the next hour arrives to take over back at 0.
This function has been seen time and again from Urwerk (based on principles by 17th-century clock makers) but the thing that makes the LightSpeed so different is its ties to the other planets. Made from DLC-coated titanium, the timepiece has an additional function on the outer track. After a marker for the Sun, it depicts each of the eight planets (sorry, no Pluto) with depictions of the time it takes for the Sun’s light to reach it. Just like on the minutes arc, a special marker moves along this track relative to each planet. For example, it takes about 35 minutes for the pip to go from Earth to Jupiter because that’s how much longer the Sun’s light would take to get there.
A remarkable wristwatch for anyone interested in our solar system and outer space, the UR-100V LightSpeed is priced at CHF 65,000 (~$74,345) from Urwerk.
