URWERK’s UR-100V LIGHTSPEED times the speed of light through the solar system

Urwerk 100 Watch Replica UR-100V Lightspeed

I think the understanding of time is innate to animals, but humans have always looked up to heaven to record time. Not surprisingly, astronomy and the cosmos have always been a deep-rooted source of inspiration for horologists. The moon phases witness the most exciting everyday interpretations; the speed of light and its application on the wrist are rarely explored.

Urwerk’s UR-100V LightSpeed makes this dream come true.” The UR-100V LightSpeed is the latest in a long line of time and space-related timepieces in the UR-100 series and, as the name suggests, is based on the concept of light: essentially is the time it takes for sunlight to reach each area. Planets in our solar system. The miniature solar system on the dial of the new UR-100V physically depicts this phenomenon with a drifting hour carousel.

The UR-100V is like most of Urwerk’s black round watches, but what’s different is how it aligns the eight planets of the solar system and displays the time, how long it takes for a ray of sunlight to reach them. For example, it takes 8.3 minutes to reach Earth, while Neptune, the farthest planet, takes 4.1 hours. When you think about the fact that light travels at 299,792,458 kilometers per second (mathematically represented by the letter “c”, which forms the basis for Einstein’s theory of relativity and the conceptual hyperspace travel in Star Trek and Star Wars Basics), you will be very confused. universe).

The UR-100V LightSpeed embodies this incredible beauty of distance, time and light in the solar system, where the ultimate reference is the sun, which was the inspiration for the PVD-treated black aluminum rotor on the back, visible through sapphire The crystal glass is visible on the case back. “Starting from the sun, we calculated and accounted for the time it took for light to reach each planet,” said Martin Frei, art director and co-founder of Urwerk.

“Wearing this piece is like wearing a piece of the universe on your wrist, a microcosm of the universe on a human scale,” Martin noted. The cosmic bewilderment and chime displays in the UR-100V LightSpeed are powered by a self-winding in-house movement regulated by a Windfänger propeller. The movement offers a 48-hour power reserve and runs three rotating satellite arms in an arc toward the base of the dial, marking the time in hours and minutes (without hands).

All of these wonderful haute horlogerie pieces are housed in a durable 43mm case made of grade 5 titanium. It’s finished with multiple layers of black carbon DLC coating, sand and sandblasted finishes. Urwerk pairs this charming mechanism with a red textured rubber strap with a folding clasp. Surprisingly, there’s no mention that this is a limited edition. review replica watches