Limited to 25 pieces, the Urwerk 103.01 EW speaks to the brand's whimsical, futurist design philosophy. Reminiscent of an aircraft or spaceship, integrating an atypical wandering hours display, it embodies the contrarian design principles which birthed the brand. This first generation 103.01 is widely considered the reference that successfully put the manufacture on the map.

Urwerk is the creative brainchild of young watchmakers Felix and Thomas Baumgartner (Thomas left in 2004), alongside founding partner and industrial designer, Martin Frei. Felix Baumgartner first learnt about watchmaking in his father’s atelier, who restored historically significant clocks. He would later attend the prestigious watchmaking school in Solothurn and create complicated watches for independent maker Svend Andersen. The other half of Urwerk, Martin Frei, has a background in graphic and industrial design, complementing Felix’s watchmaking abilities.

This Urwerk 103.01 EW is the first of the Urwerk 103 collection and is part of a limited release of just 25 pieces in white gold and rose gold respectively. This Urwerk 103.01 EW offers a contemporary take on the wandering hours complication, with a monochromatic colour palette and a futuristic design inspired by science fiction and space exploration. This radical piece is widely considered to be the reference which put them on the map, with a redesigned wandering hours complication and an entirely new case profile.

Aesthetically, the 103.01 EW embodies Urwerk's approach to watchmaking, with a futuristic design which has become synonymous with the brand. The case is made from white gold, which has developed a light patina over time, emphasising the charm and character of the watch’s history, much like an old coin, and gives the feeling of wearing a small gold ingot on your wrist. Deep, linear, engravings run vertically down the curved case surface, whilst a curvaceous sapphire crystal offers full view of the wandering complication. The atypical sapphire crystal and distinct case proportions are reminiscent of a spaceship, enhancing the whimsical nature of the watch.

The watch displays time thanks to three satellite discs, which rotate on a centre wheel, where the hour and minute hands are usually attached. The hours on the disks point to the minutes on a 120-degree sector, gliding over them over the course of an hour. The rotating ring turns 360 degrees, one full turn, in 3 hours.

The 103.01 EW is powered by Urwerk’s manual-winding calibre 3.03 and possesses a user-adjustable fine-tuning screw on the caseback, a feature more usually found on traditional pocketwatches. With this, the wearer can adjust the rate to gain or lose up to 30 seconds a day, and it is a very rare feature in modern wristwatches.

If sold within the United Kingdom, this Urwerk 103.01 EW will be subject to 20% VAT.

Closer look

This Urwerk 103 is in good condition overall. Superficial marks and scratches can be found on the case consistent with wear over time. The textured gold areas of the ridged case show contrasting polished and brushed vertical lines enhancing the alluring oxidation and general signs of age. More pronounced imperfections in these can be seen in photography. The hallmarks and engravings on the case back are crisp and well defined.

The watch was recently returned from servicing with Urwerk and comes with the remainder of its servicing warranty. Alongside a lifetime guarantee of authenticity from A Collected Man.