Visiting URWERK in Geneva
10th April, 2025
Tucked under a little archway lies the door to the URWERK atelier in Geneva, Switzerland. Tucked between quaint antique shops and art galleries, their shop is located in the heart of Old Town. It is a charming district of the city, flushed with cobblestone streets, winding roads, and historical architecture.
URWERK appeared on the watchmaking scene in 1997. Since then, its revolutionary view of time has ruffled the traditional world of fine watchmaking and delighted collectors. The glass windows and clay tiled shingles of the shop are deceptively minimal - URWERK creations are far from being simple or conventional.
As a young, pioneering company, it thrives on a rebellious and non-conformist spirit, setting an example among independent watchmakers. Producing just 150 watches a year, the company sees itself as a craftsman’s studio where traditional expertise coexists with avant-garde styling. The company manufactures modern and complex watches that are unprecedented but in line with the demanding criteria of fine watchmaking: independent design and research, advanced materials and handcrafted finishes.
Pasted upon their walls are a myriad of sketches, designs, and drafts. On the left is a colored illustration of the UR-230 “Eagle”, which encompasses a dual turbine system. To its right is the user manual of the Spacetime Blade, which acts as both decor and a timepiece, with a variety of time and spatial indications. When the current is switched on, a warm orange glow features hundredths of a second ticking away. We were told that the display can change at a stunning 500 times per second.
Futuristic & sci-fi-esque
URWERK’s watches are futuristic and evocative of something out of a science fiction film. Their unique geometric silhouettes typically incorporate other indications besides time, such as cosmological data (eg. the distance traveled by the Earth in orbit) or retrograde functions. Like the UR-150 “Scorpion” pictured above, their creations are most often dark with points of neon green and red, striking with a touch of mechanical artistry. As its name suggests, the UR-150 is a model with a unique retrograde minutes hand, which sweeps across a 240-degree arc like a scorpion's tail poised to strike
In the model’s retrograde mechanism, a flying carousel bearing the three hour satellites follows a route determined by a cam. The latter orchestrates the motion of the carousel, a performance that lasts precisely 60 minutes. As the hour hand reaches ’60’, a specially made URWERK spring triggers the UR-150's lightning-fast attack: the retrograde hand makes a 240° jump and the hour satellites simultaneously rotate 270°.
The making of the UR-150
We were invited to observe the intricate and careful craft of the UR-150’s making. Among this was the preparation of the hour discs for the satellite hour display system. Their team also gave a demonstration of the process of Perlage finishing on the watch movement. The detailed explanations provided by the team were incredibly insightful and deepened appreciation for their craftsmanship.
We were able to see a wide variety of URWERK’s other unique pieces. One of these is the EMC, pictured below, which is the world’s first precision mechanical watch in which the timing can be both monitored and adjusted by the user to suit their lifestyle.
URWERK’s range of timepieces truly exemplify a marvel of engineering and showcase their blend of cutting-edge technology with traditional mechanical watchmaking.
We thank the URWERK team for the warm welcome and for generously taking the time to walk through their watchmaking processes step-by-step with us.