Urwerk - UR-230 “Black Star”
The Final Chapter in the Cosmic Triptych
URWERK concludes its celestial 230 collection trilogy with the UR-230 "Black Star"—a timepiece that doesn’t simply seek light, but commands it. Following the raw, tactical "Eagle" and the pristine, lunar-inspired "Polaris," the "Black Star" arrives as the collection’s dark matter coda: a gravitational field of vibrant black where photons surrender to shadow, only to re-emerge as flashes of brilliance from the heart of night. This is URWERK at its most conceptually pure and technically ambitious.
The Philosophy of Black
"While Polaris evoked the brightness of the North Star, Black Star belongs to the interstellar void," explains Martin Frei, URWERK’s artistic director and co-founder. "This black doesn’t conceal—it breathes. In astrophysics, a 'black star' describes a collapsing star that absorbs light like a black hole, but not completely. It exists at the cosmic boundary between being and disappearing."
Frei’s vision transforms the watch from instrument to philosophical statement. The Black Star embodies this paradox: a deep, living black that reveals light by draping it in shadow—a glow born from the very heart of night. It’s timekeeping at the event horizon, where material science meets metaphysical depth.
The Material Paradox: A Ceramic That Doesn't Fear Impact
What makes the Black Star truly remarkable is its case— forged from a laminated composite ceramic developed exclusively for URWERK. Traditional ceramic, while beautiful and scratch-resistant, is notoriously brittle; a single sharp impact can shatter it. URWERK’s solution integrates braided ceramic layers with interwoven fiberglass and carbon fibre, all encapsulated in a polymer matrix. When machined, this structure reveals a lustrous, almost living texture: a flat black surface illuminated by sparkling micro-dots that shift with the light.
"I love ceramic’s clean, precise look," says master watchmaker Felix Baumgartner. "It’s hard, beautiful—and incredibly fragile. We had to find a solution that fulfilled this desire without compromise."
How Time Moves: The Satellite Complication
The Black Star tells time through URWERK’s signature satellite system—a mechanism that transforms minutes into a kinetic sculpture. Three four-sided cubic hour satellites rotate on a central hub, each bearing four numerals. These blocks journey across a 120° arc, where an openworked retrograde hand seizes the active hour and escorts it from 0 to 60 minutes.
At the hour’s zenith, the hand performs its signature ballet: snapping back to zero in 1/100th of a second to capture the next satellite. The magic lies in the engineering. URWERK replaced the traditional Maltese cross with a refined rack-and-cam system controlled by a speed governor. The result is a silent, fluid motion—like a perfectly timed camera shutter—eliminating the destructive shock that typically plagues such mechanisms.
For those who appreciate the specifics: the in-house Calibre UR-7.30 beats at 28,800 vibrations per hour, contains 50 jewels, and delivers a 48-hour power reserve. Super-LumiNova on the hour transporter and markers ensures legibility in any void, with the 60-minute mark and "Off" position for the winder hand-painted in red luminescence.
Intelligent Protection: The Dual Turbine System
The Black Star’s most revolutionary feature is its dual turbine system—URWERK’s answer to a question few watchmakers dare to ask: what happens to a high-complication watch in aggressive environments?
Turbine One: The Mechanical Crumple Zone Think of it as an airbag for your movement. The first turbine absorbs external impacts before they reach the delicate gear train. This is crucial: while the ceramic case can withstand shock, the movement inside needs its own defense against g-forces—whether from a spacecraft launch or an accidental desk bump.
Turbine Two: The Aerodynamic Brake The second turbine regulates airflow to the automatic winding rotor, functioning as a variable air brake. A knob on the caseback (11 o'clock) lets you adjust winding efficiency. During high activity—piloting, exercising, or simply an active day—you can reduce rotor speed to prevent unnecessary mainspring wear. A second knob (1 o'clock) allows complete decoupling, transforming the Black Star into a manual-wind piece for purists or periods of inactivity.
Two indicators on the dial show your current setting, making the system intuitive rather than obscure.
UR-230 Eagle
UR-230 Polaris
UR-230 Black Star
The Triptych Complete: A Story in Materials
The UR-230 collection’s three-year arc represents masterful material storytelling:
2023: The "Eagle" – Raw Carbon CTP with a deployable protective cover. Tactical, textured, assertive
2024: The "Polaris" – Pristine white ceramic composite, NASA-inspired, cover removed for pure display
2025: The "Black Star" – Living black ceramic composite, cosmic, the gravitational synthesis of its predecessors
Technical Specifications:
Case
Material: Exclusive ceramic composite, developed with and for URWERK
Dimensions: Width: 44.81 mm; length: 53.55 mm; thickness: 14.30 mm
Glass: Transparent sapphire crystal
Caseback: Black DLC-treated titanium and sapphire crystal glasses
Water resistance: Pressure-tested to 30 m/3 ATM
Strap: Vulcanized rubber, “Kiska” reference. Velcro fastening
Movement: Calibre UR-7.30 developed by URWERK
Winding: Modular automatic winding
Escapement: Swiss lever escapement
Frequency: 28,800 vph - 4 Hz
Balance: Variable inertia
Jewels: 50
Balance-spring: Flat
Energy: Double barrel
Power reserve: 48 hours
Materials: Baseplate in ARCAP P40, 3D minutes pointer in aluminium with counterweight; Steel central spring; hours transporter in aluminium; central carrousel and screws in grade 5 titanium
Functions: Hour-markers painted with Super-LumiNovaTM
Structure finely 3D-engraved with a circular satin-brushed pattern
Shotpeened satin-brushed subdial indications
Finely sandblasted carrousel with a shotpeened, circular satin-finished and black rhodium-plated cage
Finely sandblasted satellite cam with DLC coating
Finely sandblasted anodised 3D hand
Components hand-painted with Super-LumiNovaTM: yellow glowing blue for the hour-markers; yellow glowing blue for the automatic indication; red glowing green for the 60-minute marker and the OFF position of the automatic indicator; green for the ON indication.
Polished screws
Indications
Wandering hours on a satellite complication (URWERK patent)
3D retrograde minutes hand
Aerodynamic winding regulation indication (Air Brake)
Automatic winding status indication (On-Off)
Limited to 35 pieces
Price: HKD $1,500,000