- Urwerk
Urwerk is a
watchmaking company, created in 1995 at a meeting of the two brothers, Felix and Thomas Baumgartner, bothwatchmaker s, and their friend Martin Frei, anartist anddesigner . [ [http://www.thepurists.net/Patrons/members/ian_s/felixopusv/part1.htm Felix Baumgartner, Urwerk, Harry Winston and the Opus V — Part 1] ] Their goal is the development and new conception of expensive watches. The company is based inGeneva ,Switzerland .The name
The name is creative and consists of two parts. Ur is an ancient Sumerian city of
Ur , where people over 6000 years ago used giantsundials to measue time. Werk means to work, create, evolve, shape, etc. in theGerman language . It is also a play on the German word "Uhrwerk", which is the German word for the movement used in watches.Watch models
*1997 Launch of their first watch named "101" (gold) and "102" (steel) at
Basel with theAHCI .*2003 Presentation of their new watch "103" with its orbiting satellites at Basel which caught the attention of "Harry Winston Rare Timepieces". On the "103", four orbiting and rotating
satellite s display the hours, with each satellite indicating the time in both analogue anddigital fashion as it arcs across the minute chapter. [ [http://www.thepurists.net/Patrons/members/ian_s/felixopusv/part3.htm Felix Baumgartner, URWERK, Harry Winston and the Opus V — Part 3] ]*2004 Urwerk begins work on the watch model of
Opus V in partnership with Harry Winston. [ [http://www.thepurists.net/Patrons/members/ian_s/felixopusv/part2.htm Felix Baumgartner, Urwerk, Harry Winston and the Opus V — Part 2] ]*2005 Launch of the watch model "103.03".
*2007 Launch of their newest watch model "201" at Geneva Fairs. Time on the "201" is displayed using telescopic minute hands operating through the middle of three orbiting and revolving hour satellites. The telescopic minute hands precisely adjust their length to follow the three vectors marking the minutes: 0 -14, 15 - 44, 45 - 60. Extended, they enable the 201 to display the time across a large easy-to-read, dial. Retracted, they allow for a very wearable sized case; thus providing the wearer with both capabilities.
References
External links
* [http://www.urwerk.com/ Urwerk website]
* [http://watchismo.blogspot.com/2007/08/urwerk-on-steroids-titanium-aluminum.html Urwerk on Steroids — Titanium Aluminum Nitrade Coated 103.08]
* [http://www.horomundi.com/forum/showthread.php?t=434 The Urwerk Story]
* [http://www.hautehorlogerie.org/en/players/brands/urwerk/urwerk.html About Urwerk]
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