Posted on September 01, 2021

Urwerk Armors Up with UR-105 Iron Knight

Urwerk’s UR-105M Iron Knight is inspired by the Middle Ages, an era of lances, legends, chivalrous conduct, and noble deeds. An era when knights in shining armor would risk their lives for honor and glory, with only their faith and shield for protection. The UR-105M embodies their gallant valor in a titanium and steel arena, the satellite hours conquering time in an eternal jousting tournament.

All of Urwerk’s iconic codes are present in the UR-105M. Satellite hours gliding slowly along the minute scale, darkened over-sized crown at 12 o’clock and a subtle technical feel.

The UR-105M features an impressive titanium body reinforced by steel armor. At the heart of its time display four satellites slowly orbit. Each of these satellites is visible during their 60-minute journey along the minute scale. A circular PEEK (PolyEtherEthercetone) canopy with openings enhances the current hour.

Once the hour has elapsed, the satellite – guided by a Geneva cross – rotates and continues around its orbit for another three hours before returning to the center stage. Completing the indications, running seconds and power reserve are displayed laterally on the case band.

At the back of the UR-105M, Urwerk’s signature ‘Control Board’ houses additional displays and functions: an ‘Oil Change’ indicator alerting when it is time for a service; 42-hour power reserve indicator; plus, the fine-tuning screw allowing adjustment of the rate.

Martin Frei, Urwerk’s co-founder and artistic director, explains: “The case of UR-105M was developed as an armor. The visible screws on the bezel not only bring a distinctive aesthetic to the watch, but also tack the steel armor onto its titanium body. This shield protects the movement (the heart of the watch) from the outside world’s aggressions. For me, the parallel with the chivalrous imagery is obvious. You have the power of the bezel-armor generating a feeling of invincibility.”

“With UR-105M, we’re not trying to show off, but rather ignite a calmer and mellower dimension,” adds Felix Baumgartner, Urwerk’s co-founder and master watchmaker. “We offer an intuitive time display, with playfully ergonomic time setting. Technical challenge is at the heart of all our creations, and the performance here is subtle.

“First of all, the aluminum and PEEK structure has to rotate with absolute chronometric precision. We needed the lightest materials to achieve a high level of precision and PEEK was ideal: The PEEK polymer is used in surgery because its excellent mechanical properties and chemical resistance. The other challenge accomplished by UR-105M is of another type entirely: A honeycomb seconds disk on the right side of the case underneath the minute dial indicates the passing of each 10 seconds. This indicator is synchronized to another seconds indicator situated on the side of the case.”