The UR-230 Polaris is a wild, white leap for the Urwerk
The world of high-end watchmaking isn’t any stranger to daring, avant-garde statements. Nevertheless from time to time, a bit arrives that not solely defines the long term nonetheless takes the commerce unexpectedly. Enter the UR-230 Polarisa excellent new addition to Urwerk’s 230 sequence, launched in December 2024. This timepiece is an actual departure from the mannequin’s signature aesthetics, mixing innovation, technical mastery, and an all-new supplies palette. If the UR-230 Eagle was the first chapter, the Polaris is a complete new narrative—a superb, practically otherworldly evolution.
Urwerk has prolonged been acknowledged for its daring use of darkish, muted tones in watch design, typically favoring blacks, grays, and deep textures that suggest power and thriller. With the UR-230 Polaristhe mannequin takes a daring leap into the realm of white. Nevertheless this is not the kind of white you may anticipate. The case of the Polaris is crafted from a proprietary fiberglass-enhanced ceramic—a fabric that mixes high-tech polymers with woven ceramic layers and fiberglass, producing an end finish end result that is every extraordinarily sturdy and visually putting.
Felix Baumgartner, Urwerk’s co-founder and grasp watchmaker, explains the issue of working with ceramics. Standard ceramics, whereas extraordinarily arduous, are moreover liable to shattering beneath have an effect on—a important vulnerability in a mechanical timepiece. So, Urwerk set about rising their very personal decision: a further resilient ceramic composite that integrates fiberglass to face up to breakage whereas sustaining the technical advantages of ceramics.
This supplies innovation isn’t practically power—it’s moreover about delicate. The Polaris case performs with delicate in strategies hardly seen in watchmaking. As a result of the case is meticulously machined, the stacked layers of ceramic and fiberglass shimmer and shift, making a dynamic, ever-changing play of sunshine and shade. The ground can switch from a snug matte to a glowing brilliance counting on the angle, making the watch actually really feel alive—practically as if it’s in motion even when nonetheless.
The white is not simply an aesthetic choice nonetheless a deliberate nod to the space-age inspiration behind the design. Martin Frei, co-founder and paintings director of Urwerk, notes that the design evokes the seen elements of 2001: A Space Odysseyand the Apollo 11 mission. The putting distinction between the white case and the black movement inside creates a futuristic, space-inspired vibe, reminiscent of heat shields and the long-lasting spaceships from sci-fi cinema.
A Revolution in Time Present: The Signature URWERK Satellite tv for pc television for computer Complication
No Urwerk watch may be full with out a signature complication, and the UR-230 Polaris does not disappoint. The watch choices the wandering hours complication, an indicator of the mannequin’s ingenious genius. The time is displayed on rotating blocks, each exhibiting one in every of many hours, which switch alongside a 120-degree arc. These blocks are supported by a 3D skeletonized retrograde minute hand that ticks off the minutes on its journey.
On this mannequin, the minute hand and hour blocks are a really perfect match for the overall aesthetic: every are crafted in white, mirroring the extraordinary, pure ceramic case. As a result of the hand completes its 60-minute arc, it resets to zero, powering the next block of hours forward—an infinite, fluid cycle of time that feels every dynamic and futuristic.
Shock Absorbers and Air Stream: Two Enhancements for Sturdiness and Precision
Urwerk’s engineering expertise is on full present inside the Polarisnotably inside the two key technical enhancements that make this timepiece every extraordinarily sturdy and actual.
First, there’s the model new shock absorption system. Standard mechanical watches depend upon spring-loaded shock absorbers, nonetheless the Polaris introduces a completely new technique, that features a set of turbines designed to dampen exterior shocks. These turbines protect the delicate UR-7.30 movement housed inside, guaranteeing that the watch stays operational even beneath extreme conditions.
Second, the Polaris is provided with a first-of-its-kind air brake system. This method moderates the power feeding into the winding mechanism, adjusting primarily based on the wearer’s train. A rotating knob on the once more permits the wearer to control the winding power, and there’s even the selection to disengage the automated winding function solely, switching to handbook winding mode. These two options are every managed by intuitive, symmetrical indicators at 11 and 1 o’clock.
Refined Kind Meets Distinctive Carry out
The UR-230 Polaris doesn’t merely push the boundaries of provides and design—it moreover showcases unparalleled craftsmanship in every component. The UR-7.30 movement, which powers the watch, is encased in a hermetically sealed container to protect it from exterior influences, reinforcing the timepiece’s sturdiness. The titanium casebackdealt with with DLC (diamond-like carbon), offers one different layer of security and visual intrigue, whereas the Vulcanized rubber strap ensures every comfort and reliability.
The case itself retains the distinctive trapezoidal type that has develop to be an indicator of the UR-230 sequence, with its angular, elongated profile making a formidable seen presence on the wrist. The dimensions—44.81 mm big, 53.55 mm prolonged, and 18.38 mm thick—are substantial, making this a daring watch designed for people who search one factor really distinctive in every form and efficiency.
Given the trendy nature of the UR-230 Polarisit’s no shock that solely 35 gadgets will ever be made, together with an air of exclusivity to this already distinctive timepiece. Priced at CHF 150,000 (excluding tax), this watch is a press launch of workmanship, ingenuity, and inventive design—wonderful for collectors and watch followers who acknowledge the unusual and noteworthy.
Specs:
- Movement: UR-7.30, developed by Urwerk
- Winding: Computerized with handbook winding alternative
- Vitality Reserve: 48 hours
- Case Supplies: Proprietary white ceramic with fiberglass enhancement
- Case Dimensions: 44.81 mm x 53.55 mm x 18.38 mm
- Water Resistance: 30 meters (3 ATM)
- Worth: CHF 150,000 (excluding tax)
- Restricted Model: 35 gadgets
