De Bethune + URWERK – Moon Satellite For Only Watch 2019

De Bethune + URWERK – Moon Satellite For Only Watch 2019 - Unique Edition

A one-off signed 

DE BETHUNE x URWERK 

for Only Watch 2019

Expressing the perfection ofthe celestial order, this unique timepiece is a complex interaction of mechanismsspecific to De Bethune and Urwerk – a true fusion of their watchmaking genes.

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United we are stronger in the fight against disease. In support of the Only Watch biennial charity auction of unique timekeepers, two great independent watchmaking “Maisons” – De Bethune and Urwerk – joined their creative energies in bringing forth a timepiece that arouses curiosity, focuses attention and touches the senses.

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From the outside, a case that challenges established norms, fusing the design and function genetics of De Bethune and Urwerk with its floating lugs and the singular vibrancy of mirror polished titanium. Under the hood and curved sapphire crystal, a mechanical universe which amazes us with the one-off URDB01 caliber jointly developed for this very special auction – the crown at 12 o'clock, spherical moon phase, and Urwerk’s signature time indication with the now-famous satellite window in an arc that evokes the sun's curvature.

The collaboration

DE BETHUNE x URWERK is the story of four personalities, Denis Flageollet and Pierre Jacques at De Bethune, and Felix Baumgartner and Martin Frei at Urwerk. A story of mutual respect and implicit trust.

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The meeting of two ultra-creative and independent watchmaking minds, linked by a longstanding friendship, to donate for auction a truly original and highly desirable timepiece in support of the fight against Duchenne muscular dystrophy. 1 + 1 = 3.

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TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Name: Moon Satellite for Only Watch 2019

Reference: OW19

Functions: Wandering hour satellite, Minutes,

• Spherical moon phase indication at 6 o’clock, 
• Power reserve situated on the back

Movement: DB2105
Type: Mechanical hand-wound movement
Adjustment: Winding, setting the time and spherical moon phase
adjustment by means of the crown (3 positions)

Technical features of calibre DBUR2105
Number of parts: 336
Jewelling: 37 jewels
Diameter: 30 mm
Power reserve: 4 days, ensured by a self-regulating twin barrel
De Bethune Innovation (2004)

Specificities:
Hour satellite indication designed by URWERK with triple
base plate in ARCAAP; satellite in aluminum mounted on Geneva crosses in beryllium bronze.
Hand painted SuperLuminova index.
Titanium balance wheel with white gold inserts, optimised
for temperature differences and air penetration De Bethune Patent (2016)
"De Bethune" balance-spring with flat terminal curve De Bethune Patent (2006)
Silicon escape wheel
Spherical moon phase indication accurate to a degree of
one lunar day every 122 years – De Bethune Patent (2004)
Triple pare-chute shock-absorbing system
De Bethune Innovation (2005)
Frequency: 28,800 vibrations per hour
Adornment: Concave plate covers and mirror-polished barrels bridge
Open worked and hand sailed barrels
Steel parts beveled and polished by hand
Case
Case material: Polished grade 5 titanium
Case width: 43 mm
Case thickness: 13.3 mm
Lugs: Short or long floating lugs in polished grade 5 titanium
De Bethune Patent (2006)
Crystal: In sapphire crystal (1800 Vickers hardness) with doubleanti-reflective coating
Case back: Screwed case back in grade 5 polished titanium
Sapphire crystal (1800 Vickers hardness) with double anti-reflective coating
Water resistance: 3 ATM
Strap
Extra-supple alligator leather, alligator lining
Buckle: Pin buckle in polished grade 5 titanium


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WHERE CAN I SEE
THE ONLY WATCH COLLECTION
BEFORE THE AUCTION?

ONLY WATCH UNVEILS THE 50 UNIQUE WATCHES THAT WILL BE AUCTIONED FOR THE 8TH EDITION OF THE BIENNIAL CHARITY AUCTION TO BENEFIT RESEARCH ON DUCHENNE MUSCULAR DYSTROPHY

Under the High Patronage of H.S.H. Prince Albert II of Monaco and due to the initiative of Luc Pettavino, President of the Association Monégasque Contre les Myopathies, ONLY WATCH is proud to unveil today the names of the 52 watch brands participating in the 8th edition of the biennial charity auction benefitting research on Duchenne muscular dystrophy, as well as the 50 lots that will be auctioned.

This exceptional and unparalleled project supports the battle against a devastating myopathy that affects 1 in 3000 male births on the planet by funding research.

It is expected, this year again, to become the most talked-about topic in the watchmaking industry.

“I am grateful to all the watchmaking groups and independent brands participating in this 2019 ONLY WATCH edition demonstrating dedication and heart through their creativity and craftmanship for this year’s auction which promises to be, once again, record-breaking”, says Luc Pettavino.

These 52 brands will offer sought-after rarities that can be accessed nowhere else. Unique pieces showcasing the best savoir-faire in the horology world in all of its diversity.

For the second time Christie’s is the auctioneer of choice on November 9 when the 50 one-of-a-kind timepieces will be auctioned at the Four Seasons Hôtel des Bergues at 2 pm (UTC+1).

“Christie’s is looking forward working once more closely with the Association Monégasque contre les Myopathies on their 8th edition of ONLY WATCH, under the guidance of Luc Pettavino. On behalf of Christie’s, I would like to extend my sincere Thank You to all involved in making this project a priority and to be present on 9 November in Geneva to compete for one – or more – of the 50 unique and specially made timepieces for ONLY WATCH”, commented Earl of Snowdon, Honorary Chairman Christie’s EMEA

Ahead of the auction, this unprecedented watch collection will be exhibited to the public from 25 September 2019 to 9 November 2019, in 10 different cities around the world. This world tour will be starting in Monaco, during (and on the site of) the Monaco Yacht Show.

• Monaco         25 to 28 September    at the Monaco Yacht show
• Dubai            1 to 3 October              at Christie’s in association with Seddiqi
• Paris              7 to 8 October             at Christie’s
• London         11 to 13 October          at Christie’s
• New York      16 to 17 October          at Christie’s
• Tokyo            22 to 23 October          at Christie’s
• Singapore     25 to 26 October          at Malmaison by the Hour Glass
• Hong Kong   28 to 29 October          at Christie’s
• Taipei            30 to 31 October          at Christie’s
• Geneva         7 to 9 November          at Four Seasons Hôtel des Bergues

Since its creation in 2005, ONLY WATCH has raised over CHF40 million. Again, 100% of the proceeds achieved with the 8th edition of the charity auction will be directly invested in scientific and medical research on neuromuscular diseases in general and on Duchenne muscular dystrophy in particular. An achievement made possible by to the generous donation and participation of the 52 watch brands, the partners offering a variety of services and logistical support, the media offering substantial coverage and, of course, the auctioneer, Christie’s.

“With ONLY WATCH everyone creates beauty to do good, meaning in this case supporting the work of dozens of researchers around the world, financing studies, purchasing material, creating biotech companies in the chemistry and biology sector… to bring this science to the clinic and one day maybe to find a cure. We have done a lot already and are conscious that there is still much to be done and that this initiative needs, more than ever, help and support.” Luc Pettavino.
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www.OnlyWatch.com
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Media contact:
Ms Yacine Sar
Telephone: +41 22 900 2027
Mobile : +41 79 834 46 65
press@urwerk.com
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www.Urwerk.com
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Press release -- Geneva 2019
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De Bethune Geneva Office 
25 Grand-Rue 1204 Geneva
Switzerland
Tel: +41 22 310 22 71
Fax: +41 22 310 33 40
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URWERK – UR-100 SpaceTime Edition

URWERK – UR-SATELLITE UR-100 SpaceTime Titanium/Steel Edition

Tracking the Earth as it spins 
and flies through space and time

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The UR-100 takes us on a journey through both time and space, two concepts at the very core of URWERK. Using its orbiting satellite hours and minute hands, the UR-100 displays both time (hours and minutes) and space (distance travelled), merging these two concepts in the creation of the all-new UR-100 SpaceTime.

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The UR-100 SpaceTime features URWERK’s iconic orbital hour satellites, differing however in one significant way. Rather than the red-arrow-tipped minute pointers on the hour satellites disappearing after 60 minutes when replaced by the next, the UR-100 minute arrow passes beneath and between subsidiary dials, reappearing to display intriguing new astronomical indications: distance travelled on Earth and distance travelled by Earth.

Distance travelled on Earth

The first indicator at 10 o’clock evaluates the distance in kilometers that we have travelled on the Earth without even leaving our desks! It is based on the average speed of the rotation of the Earth on its axis at the equator, covering a distance of 555 km every 20 minutes.

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The UR-100 simultaneously presents three different space-time realities, providing a thought-provoking reminder of our voyage through time and space.

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“For me, watches have a philosophical dimension. They are a physical and abstract reproduction of our situation on Earth, with the dial representing the equator, simultaneously in constant motion while seemingly stationary for us,” 

says Martin Frei, chief designer and co-founder of URWERK.

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Felix Baumgartner, master wachmaker and the other co-founder of URWERK agrees: 

“We live in a universe governed by three dimensions — time, rotation, and orbit — that we attempt to measure and master, but what escapes us is this notion of spacetime.”

Caliber 12.01

Powering the UR-100 SpaceTime is the automatic Caliber 12.01, with baseplates in ARCAP and a power reserve of 48 hours. The automatic winding rotor is regulated by a flat turbine, the Windfäng (Swiss German for “air trap”) that minimizes shocks to the rotor bearing and reduces over-winding and wear and tear. The rotor, which is partially supported on its periphery by the flat turbine, also has a larger diameter, resulting in a lower mass and therefore less wear.

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In-house testing of the flat turbine rotor regulation system found that it provided significant and exponential protection against excessive rotor speeds (the Windfänger rotates six times for every rotation of the winding rotor).

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The design and construction of the URWERK Caliber 12.01 required incredibly high precision because of the extremely tight tolerances between the minute hand and three different dials and domed sapphire crystal it passes between.

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The shape of the case may remind URWERK aficionados of the aesthetics of the brand’s early watches. As Martin Frei explains, "Towards the end of the 90's, we unveiled the UR-101 and UR-102, the UR-100 is a little like our ‘Back to the Future.’ We broke down our approach and used some of the original design elements of our early constructions. The case of the UR-100 is a deconstruction of an early URWERK case. The steel dome of our historic models is reproduced in sapphire crystal. The form is emphasized by the titanium and steel case. I constantly question the diktat of symmetry and played with proportions to catch the eye."

Genesis

The URWERK UR-100 was inspired by a nineteenth-century pendulum clock — a present to Felix Baumgartner from his father Geri, a now-retired renowned clock restorer — made by Gustave Sandoz for the 1893 World’s Fair in Chicago.

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The regulator-style dial does not show time. Instead it shows the distance of the Earth’s rotation at the equator. The extra-long pendulum beats every 2.16 seconds, making every oscillation one kilometer. The main dial has a scale of 10,000 kilometers, shown in units of 100 kilometers, so that each tick (half oscillation) indicates 500 meters traveled on the Earth’s surface (at the equator).

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The top subdial (10 km) is divided into 10 units, while the lower subdial showing a total of 40,000 km — approximately the equatorial circumference of the Earth — is divided into increments of 1,000 km.

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Technical Specifications

Collection: UR-SATELLITE

Model: UR-100 SpaceTime Edition

• UR-100 Iron - Titanium and steel)
• UR-100 Black - Titanium and steel with black DLC

Limited to 25 pieces.


Movement
Caliber: UR 12.01 with self-winding system governed
by low-profile planetary turbine minimizing over-winding and wear
Jewels:  39
Frequency:  28,800 vph - 4Hz
Power reserve:  48 hours
Materials:  Orbital satellite hours turning on Geneva crosses in beryllium bronze;
open-worked aluminum carousel; triple baseplates in ARCAP
Finishes:  Circular graining, sanding, brushing
Chamfered screw heads
Hour and minute indications in Super-LumiNova
Indications   
Orbital hours; minutes,

• distance travelled on Earth’s equator in 20 minutes,
• distance Earth travels around the sun in 20 minutes

Case
Materials:  Case in black DLC-coated titanium and stainless steel
Dimensions:  Width 41.0 mm, length: 49.7 mm, thickness: 14.0 mm
Glass:    Sapphire crystal
Water resistance:  Pressure tested to 3ATM (30m)
   
Price     CHF 48,000 (Swiss francs / tax not included)

Production limited to 25 watches

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Press Release - 2019
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Media contact:
Ms Yacine Sar
Telephone: +41 22 900 2027
Mobile : +41 79 834 46 65
press@urwerk.com
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www.facebook.com - URWERK
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www.Urwerk.com

URWERK – UR-105 CT “Maverick” Edition

URWERK – UR-SATELLITE UR-105 CT “Maverick” Bronze and Titanium Limited Edition

The selfwinding Maverick in bronze and titanium is the latest version of URWERK’s UR-105 CT wandering-hour watch. It’s a watch made in honour of mad artists, eccentric inventors, people who think up world-changing ideas. The “Maverick” is a blank canvas or a lump of clay, ready to be imprinted with the personality of the owner and acquire the patina of his lifestyle.

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It is built to take the hard knocks of its transformation into the most personal of possessions. The assaults of the environment — hot, cold, damp or dry — as well as the hazards of everyday life only serve to improve its looks. The Maverick is thus destined to be your favourite watch because you will mould it to your image.

 

The UR-105 CT Maverick starts out with a strong character. “Bronze is the most ancient of alloys, somehow magical and always unpredictable” explains Martin Frei, Urwerk’s chief designer and co-founder. “Unlike our other creations, the Maverick leaves our workshops in the raw. It’s on the owner’s wrist that the watch acquires its finish. It will be transformed through symbiosis with its host.”

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The Maverick features Urwerk’s signature wandering-hours complication in which the hours on satellites progress in turn along a track of minutes. Four satellites, each holding three hour numerals are mounted on an openworked rotating carousel. 

 

The rotation of the carousel and the sequential changing of the hours on the satellites are accomplished in silence and with smooth efficiency, thanks to an improved design. “In our previous models, the satellites were mounted on Maltese crosses and held on top by an orbiting cross,” explains Urwerk’s head watchmaker and co-founder, Felix Baumgartner. “We re-examined the design and found ways to improve it.  You can feel the result when you set the time — no friction, no clicks, just the waltz of the satellites. Our work is hidden in the flow of the transmission through the gears.”

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You have to push the sliding tab on the UR-105 CT Maverick to discover its inner workings. You’ll see the satellite hours on the four arms of a new openworked carousel. Each satellite carries three hours which turn to present the right hour when the satellite appears along the track of 60 minutes. 

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The wandering hour thus combines a digital and an analog way of indicating the time. “The UR-105 CT is a watch with an evolving style,” Baumgartner continues. “When shut it is extremely plain, only the hour is visible. It looks supremely self-sufficient. Open it and you enter a very metallic scene. It’s quite cold. You catch a sense of speed, an effort at efficiency. The carousel has been completely redesigned to be ultra-light, ultra-strong and totally effective” 

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A power-reserve indicator and digital seconds make up the rest of the indications on the dial. The digital seconds are remarkable in that they indicate the tenths of a second.  The system was manufactured by a photolithographic process in which each seconds marker was skeletonised to weigh less than a tenth of a gram.

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On the back, two turbines govern the automatic winding system. They are adjusted by a lever. In the FULL position, the slightest movement activates the winding rotor. Turn the lever to the RED (reduced) position and the turbines dampen the winding action to avoid too much tension on the mainspring. In the STOP position, the automatic winding is disengaged and the watch can be wound manually by the crown

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Technical Specifications

Collection: UR-SATELLITE

Model: UR-105 CT “Maverick”

Movement
Calibre: UR 5.03 with the selfwinding system governed by twin turbines
Jewels:   52
Frequency: 28,800v/h - 4Hz
Power reserve: 48 hours
Movement finishes
Materials:
Satellite hours turning on Geneva crosses in beryllium bronze;
open-worked aluminium carousel; open-worked digital seconds;
carousel and triple base-plates in ARCAP
Finishes:
Circular graining, sanding, brushing
Chamfered screw heads
Hours and minutes painted in SuperLuminova
Indications   
Wandering hours; minutes, digital seconds
Power reserve
Case
Materials:
Case in titanium, bezel in bronze
Dimensions: Width 39.5mm; length: 53mm; thickness: 17.8mm
Glass: Sapphire crystal
Water resistance: Pressure tested to 3ATM (30m)

Price
CHF 67’000.00 (Swiss francs / tax not included)

Production limited to 22 watches

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Variations
UR-105TA RG
UR-105TA Black
UR-105TA Black Lemon
UR-105TA Black Orange 
UR-105 TA "Raging Gold"
UR-105TA A.K.A. “Clockwork Orange”
UR-105 T-Rex   
UR-105 CT “Kryptonite” Black Titanium

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Press Release - 2019
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Media contact:
Ms Yacine Sar
Telephone: +41 22 900 2027
Mobile : +41 79 834 46 65
press@urwerk.com
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URWERK – UR-111C Edition

URWERK – UR-SATELLITE UR-111C Steel Special Limited Edition

URWERK’s new UR-111C .
FROM INTENTITION TO REALITY

Singapore – September 2018. URWERK’s departures from its signature theme of wandering-hour indications have always been spectacular, and the selfwinding UR-111C is no exception. This latest exercise in complex micromechanics is a worthy rival to the brand’s other "Special Projects" line, in both originality and mechanical virtuosity. For the independent company’s 17 dedicated team members, the UR-111C proved a fiendishly difficult puzzle to solve.

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In the URWERK tradition, none of the indications of this UR-111C watch are conventional: The minutes are shown in two different ways - linearly for eyes pleasure (this new creation is a descendent of the UR-CC1 King Cobra watch and digitally for precision.

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 URWERK – UR-CC1 King Cobra White Gold Limited Edition
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MOVEMENT - UR-CC1
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Never has a roller on the case performed the functions of the crown, nor have the running seconds meandered across a cluster of optical fibers.

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Nor would it be an authentic URWERK watch if its case didn’t look as if it had been designed by a Sci-fi passionate.

New design, new sensations

Felix Baumgartner and Martin Frei, the co-founders of URWERK, have always considered the owner’s interaction with the watch of extreme importance. “Wearing a fine mechanical object is a source of pleasure and pride,” declares Felix Baumgartner. “There has to be a strong bond with a mechanism that merges into your wrist and communicates with you.

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A mechanical watch is like the first steps towards enhanced intelligence: a machine that becomes part of you and which gives you information in return for energy. It’s an exchange. You take care of your watch and it will provide you with a lifelong service.”

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Then these two had to turn their intention into reality and create a new interface with the watch. So instead of the conventional crown at the end of the stem, they conceived a roller integrated into the top of the case above and parallel to the winding stem.

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Rolling the long fluted cylinder with your thumb to wind the watch is indeed a new sensation, but making it possible requires miniature gearing, complex articulations and intermediate wheels to connect the controls to the winding stem.  The same applies to the original way of setting the time. Instead of pulling out a crown you swing out a lever from the side of the case and turn the roller in either direction.

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The hours and two versions of the minutes are displayed within glass sapphire covers along the side of the case so that you can see them at a glance without turning your wrist or letting go of the steering wheel. Again, converting the horizontal movement to a vertical time display required precisely angled transmission with miniature bevel gears. The jumping digital hours and progressive minutes are displayed on rotating truncated cones left and right of the retrograde linear indication of the minutes.

Forward action for a retrograde indication

Of course, the linear display of minutes has been done before by URWERK in the CC1 King Cobra watch, but Martin Frei decided to set an extra challenge to URWERK’s construction engineers for the UR-111C.

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He wanted to produce something visually different and make the linear track longer at the same time. He therefore decided that the linear track of the display should slant diagonally across its aperture, instead of horizontally in line with the rotating cylinder that carries the helix marker along the track of minutes.

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Because of the slanting track, the cylinder rotates 300 degrees about its axis to bring the helix to the 60th minute, at the same time arming a long, coiled spring. To bring the helix back to the start, the spring releases to snap the cylinder forward another 60 degrees and make the hours jump to the next hour.

Seconds brought to you by optical fiber

The UR-111C’s digital seconds are mounted alternately on two tiny wheels: 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 and 60 on one wheel, and 5, 15, 25, 35, 45 and 55 on the other. Each openwork seconds wheel weighs 0.018 grams (0.025g with numerals) — miniature lacework in metal thanks to the LIGA process.

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The seconds numerals look strangely close as they pass across a circular window in sinuous progression. They appear alternately, transported into visual range by a dense cluster of precisely aligned optical fibers, known as an image conduit, positioned a tenth of a millimeter above the numerals. This is a world Première in the watchmaking area!

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The final touch of complexity in an already complex machine is its case. The movement with its unique indications, complicated transmission systems and selfwinding gear have to be slotted from the side of the case, once the panels have been removed and the time-setting lever dismantled. This is a slow and delicate operation given the tiny clearances and fragile mechanisms.

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The various finishes of the case are worthy of note — a harmonious combination of surface textures that have been sanded, shot-blasted, polished or satin finished. A simple screw can be finished in a number of different ways according to the surface on display.

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The various finishes of the case are worthy of note — a harmonious combination of surface textures that have been sanded, shot-blasted, polished or satin finished. A simple screw can be finished in a number of different ways according to the surface on display.


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Technical Specifications

Collection: UR-SATELLITE

Model  UR-111C

Edition
UR-111C - 25 in Iron polished steel and 25 with a gunmetal finish

MOVEMENT
Caliber: UR-111C
Selfwinding caliber with stop seconds.
Jewels: 37
Escapement: Swiss lever
Frequency: 4 Hz
Power reserve: 48 hours
Materials: Anodized aluminum cylinder; LIGA-processed nickel second wheels.
Surface finishes: Circular graining, sanding, côtes de Genève, polished screw heads.
INDICATIONS
Jumping hours, retrograde linear minutes, digital minutes, digital seconds.
CASE
Dimensions: Width 42mm x length 46mm x thickness 15mm

• Polished steel 
• Gunmetal finish steel

Glass: Sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating
Water resistance: Pressure tested to 3ATM / 100’ / 30m

 Limited Edition  to only 25 pieces

Price
CHF 130’000.00 (Swiss francs / tax not included)

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Press Release - 2018
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Media contact:
Ms Yacine Sar
Telephone: +41 22 900 2027
Mobile : +41 79 834 46 65
press@urwerk.com
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www.facebook.com - URWERK
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www.Urwerk.com