Urwerk - UR 120 Blue Planet
The Final Salute from the Cosmos
The third and final iteration of a now legendary model UR-120, UR-120 Blue Planet claims blue as its signature: deep, almost liquid, suspended somewhere between Earth seen from orbit and the endless azure of infinity. Lifted by touches of gold, this final UR-120 appears to drift between two realities — one governed by the cold precision of mathematical mechanics, the other by tales of exploration, distant galaxies, and heroes raising one last farewell before vanishing from sight.
The Case: A Technical Object in the Service of Style
The UR-120 Blue Planet is built on an interlocking two-part case construction, a structural principle dear to URWERK. Here, blue does not soften the UR-120. It sends it elsewhere. The watch becomes the hull of a space module. Its smooth upper surface, free of visible screws, seems to stretch forward. The domed sapphire crystal draws the eye into the display. The articulated lugs — a rare feature in URWERK design — extend the case with seamless continuity, while a spring concealed within the 6 o'clock lug fine-tunes the fit on the wrist.
"I've always been drawn to this two-part case approach — a base and an upper shell that fit together with precision. A hallmark of Gerald Genta's work. Technically, it's remarkably clever. You find that idea of a carapace, of built-in protection. The seam vanishes, the assembly becomes invisible.”
— URWERK co-founder and artistic director Martin Frei
The Calibre: Kinetics of a Salute
At the heart of the UR-120 Blue Planet beats Calibre UR-20.01, a mechanism designed not only to indicate time, but to stage it. Three hour satellites orbit a central carousel. Each advances in turn along the minute track before leaving the stage to prepare for the next hour. Then comes the gesture. As a satellite reaches the left-hand side of the case, it opens. Its two rectangular arms split apart to form a V. The Vulcan salute comes to life. The carousel rotates. The satellites counter-rotate to remain legible. The arms pivot independently on their own axis. Their opening and closing are controlled by a lyre-shaped spring, while Maltese crosses choreograph each sequence with absolute precision.
Gold: When Function Becomes Light
Against the deep blue architecture of the UR-120 Blue Planet, the lyre springs and Maltese crosses are finished with a 24K yellow-gold PVD coating. Here, gold is not an ornament. It reveals the function. It draws the eye to the active components, the points of tension, the parts where energy is stored, released, and transformed into motion.
Technical specifications
Movement
Calibre: UR-20.01, self-winding
Jewels: 32
Escapement: Swiss lever
Frequency: 4 Hz (28,800 vph)
Power reserve: 48 hours
Materials: beryllium copper, anodised aluminium, ARCAP, titanium, brass, LIGA-processed, blue ALD-treated, 24K yellow-gold PVD-treated
Finishing: circular graining, straight graining, sandblasting, Côtes de Genève, polished screw heads
Indications
Analog minutes + dragging satellite hours on triple planetary gears
Case
Dimensions: 47 × 44 × 15.8 mm
Material: sandblasted steel
Crystal: anti-reflective sapphire
Water resistance: tested to 3 ATM (30 m)
Strap
Blue Cordura-textured calfskin, satin-brushed steel pin buckle
Limited edition: 20 pieces
Price: HKD 1,150,000