Urwerk
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Urwerk is a watchmaking company, created in 1995 at a meeting of the two brothers, Felix and Thomas Baumgartner, both watchmakers, and their friend Martin Frei, an artist and designer.[1] Their goal is the development and new conception of expensive watches. The company is based in Geneva, Switzerland.
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[edit] 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 giant sundials to measue time. WERK means to work, create, evolve, shape, etc. in the German language.
[edit] Watch models
- 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 satellites display the hours, with each satellite indicating the time in both analogue and digital fashion as it arcs across the minute chapter.[2]
- 2004 Urwerk begins work on the watch model of Opus V in partnership with Harry Winston.[3]
- 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.
