Independents

I had the great pleasure of speaking with Mr. Martin Frei and Mr. Felix Baumgartner (the co-founders of Urwerk) last evening, as well as a chance to see some of their magnificent pieces up close, including the recently launched EMC x-ray. In full disclosure, I'm not currently an owner of any Urwerk pieces. I'm just a fan like many here.

A few key takeaways for me are as follow:

1. They have a great respect for horology- the Urwerk designs may seem avant-garde, but their signature satellite display was inspired by a clock from 400 years ago. I asked why they apply super luminova on the markers. Well, because that aformentioned clock was a night clock. It just makes perfect sense.

2. They put the watchmakers' skills front and centre- I discussed with Felix on the use of silicon in watch movements. While he of course fully understood the advantages, my intepretation was that he didn't prefer it as it'd take away the watchmaker's job. Silicon is argubly far more disposable. He also told me in a previous encounter that he most valued a watchmaker's ability to assemble and adjust the watch movement. After all, a watch has to function or else it's useless.

3. They believe in interaction between the wearer and the watch- it should be the wearer's watch, not a watch for anyone who happens to land on a particular wrist. The 210 monitors the activeness of the wearer and the ECM lets the wearer measures the accuracy of the watch and adjusts it. Are they essential features of a watch? Probably not. Are they insanely cool? Absolutely yes.

4. It's a long-term evolution- They repeated a few times that each of their new pieces should be seen as a step forward from the last. On one end, there's the satellite display which put them on the map initially, with the 210 now being the pinnacle of the art. On the other end, the EMC is a new chapter to them. They told me that they're content with their size, and intend to keep the operation as such. As one of the more established independents with a history of commercial success and recognition, I'm inclined to believe that they'll be around for a long time.

Another thing that truly impressed me, other than the watches, were the two co-founders. They're very proud of their work (as they should) without ever coming across as obnoxious (it takes a lot of confidence to complment a piece from a friendly rival that I was wearing). I was grateful to Martin and Felix for spending nearly an hour and a half explaining to me their designs and values, as well as answering every question that I could possibly think of. This only happens in the independent watch world. Please correct me if I'm wrong.

A big thanks to the local dealer for making the arrangement.

I'm really looking forward to the day when I can put on my own Urwerk. Until then, I have a tough choice to make between the beautiful 210 and the uber-technical EMC.

Ken

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