Urwerk UR-102 Reloaded: The New One-Of-A-Kind Timepiece

Photo: Urwerk

Swiss watchmaker Urwerk is a respected independent company that produces a number of the most cutting-edge and creative timepieces available. To create a one-of-a-kind watch inspired by their renowned UR-102, they have now teamed up with modern designer Cooper Jacoby. This remarkable Urwerk UR-102 “Reloaded,” composed of titanium, features a dial that adjusts to your body’s temperature by morphing through an array of endlessly varied color schemes and shifting in reaction to temperature changes.

Due to Urwerk’s relatively low annual production, each watch they produce is unique. Although manufacturing appears to have increased over past years, as recently as 2020, the Geneva-based company only made 150 pieces annually. As a result, the Urwerk group is relatively limited, even in the high-end realm of Swiss manufacturing. 

The most recent endeavor of Urwerk is a one-of-a-kind 102 piece created for an upcoming auction. Although it seems particularly distinctive to Urwerk, this watch’s design is fanciful and pleasant.

Photo: Robbreport

The Urwerk company celebrates its 25th anniversary this year. Given that the 102 was the initial project that Felix Baumgartner and Martin Frei collaborated on, it shouldn’t be shocking that it is being given another consideration. The UR-102 “Reloaded,” a homage to the original piece, is a deserved inclusion in the Time for Art sale that will be conducted in New York as an aspect of the bigger Phillips sale going down on 10th December. The Swiss Institute, an autonomous arts group that emphasizes fostering experimental craft, is the institution behind Time for Art, the first-ever charitable watch auction designed to help modern artists.

Martin Frei, who founded the United Swiss Artists Association in New York soon after he graduated from art college alongside a team of like-minded colleagues, naturally sees a link to the Institute’s goals. He has characterized his own U.S.A. Association to have the same ideology as the Swiss Institute’s strategy. Their participation in this endeavor was thus obvious. 

Photo: Robbreport

Considering the scope of the sale in which the UR-102 “Reloaded” is listed, it should come as no surprise that Cooper Jacoby, an upcoming designer, and sculptor, is primarily responsible for the aesthetic concept. Jacoby is renowned for his expertise with materials, including rubber and silicon, and for coming up with inventive techniques for treating metals such as nickel and copper. 

For the UR-102, also known as UR-102 “Reloaded, Jacoby has added thermochromic tints that consistently respond to temperature to the well-known Urwerk roaming hour indicator. The time indicating display will, therefore, alter as the day progresses, and the UR-102 is subjected to various indoor and outdoor temperatures (as well as variations in your body temperature). This also entails a constantly shifting appearance throughout the day, which is beautiful eye candy. 

The URWERK UR-102 X Cooper Jacoby appeared to be resurrected for the twenty-first century. While warm temperatures give rise to green, blue, and purple hues on the clock, cold temperatures produce red and pink colors. On the other hand, the dial surface is now embellished with many additional elements, such as the history of the company’s founding, completed with the date “10 APR 1997,” and a distinct minutes marker. 

Photo: Robbreport

Technically, the watch is powered by Urwerk’s own caliber 2.02, an automated movement featuring a power reserve of about 48 hours. This movement also beats at a frequency of 28,880 vph, comprises 25-jewel, and has a satin-polished surface. A curved sapphire crystal protects the dial, and the mechanism is housed within a 41-millimeter and thickness of 11.3mm casing with titanium lugs and a case center.

In addition, it comes with a water-resistant rating of 30 meters (3 ATM, or approximately 98 feet). The watch is also matched with a stylish Baltimora material strap and a sandblasted titanium clip clasp.

Photo: Bless This Stuff

The crown is a noticeable aspect of the case that sets it apart from the initial UR-102. It is placed at the 4 o’clock mark and is sunken into the casing on this latest iteration. This gives the piece the elegant and cutting-edge style you’d expect from a device such as this. The original is among the few Urwerks with a classic crown in the typical place. Seeing pictures of those vintage timepieces constantly recalls how the company’s style evolved to become what it is now.