{"product_id":"urwerk-ur-102-wandering-hours","title":"UR-102 Wandering Hours | Titanium","description":"\u003cp\u003eAn example of the UR-102, nicknamed ‘night watch’ and ‘Sputnik’. Based on the wandering hours display of a 17th-century papal night clock, its minimal layout is a visual reference to early attempts to read time based on the position of the sun in the sky. The black ceramic coating adds matte texture and a stealthy appearance, marking an early expression of their later aesthetic, and their willingness to experiment with materials. \u003c\/p\u003e \u003c!-- SECTION BREAK --\u003e \u003cp\u003eIt is not often that we come upon a watch that marked the genesis of one of the original independent brands. Urwerk was born out of conversations about space, time, and design between third-generation watchmaking brothers Felix and Thomas Baumgartner and their friend and conceptual artist Martin Frei at a house party in Berlin in the mid-1990s.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt yielded pieces such as the UR-102, often referred to as the ‘night watch’ and ‘Sputnik’. While the UR-101 design preceded it, it was the UR-102 that became the first serially produced watch from the brand after it was exhibited at Baselworld in 1997. Famously, the watch was presented on a camping-style hotplate display, a conceptual display designed to convey the message that the young makers behind the brand were ‘cooking up something hot’. It was a fresh approach, even within the nascent independent scene.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHowever, its inspiration was rooted in the past. Its wandering-hour time display was much like the one in the 17th-century night clock designed for Pope Alexander VII by the Rome-based Campani watchmaking brothers.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe UR-102 represented a distinctly minimal expression of this technology. The only part of the watch the wearer interacts with, the 180° window, which is traversed by an oval-shaped aperture with a digital hour display, is also a poetic reference to the earliest attempts at time-telling, based on the position of the sun in the sky. This is believed to have originated in the Sumerian city of Ur and serves as a philosophical basis for the brand.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eUnderpinning it is a system based on three rotating discs mounted on Maltese cross bases, with just one of the discs rotating every hour while the other makes its way across the visible display, graduated into quarter hours. There are four smaller markers in between on this scale to aid more precise time-reading. This was a thoroughly experimental exercise to see what a modern watch could be. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe pebble-shaped case is 38mm wide and 12mm tall at its highest point. While the brand would later choose to experiment with the latest production techniques, in the early days it was limited by a shoestring budget. As a result, early cases such as this one were handcrafted. This particular case features a black ceramic coating on the front of the watch, adding a stealthy appearance and matte texture to the piece in contrast with the polished steel version. The watch marks an early expression of their later aesthetic, and their willingness to experiment with materials.  \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAt 12 o’clock, there is a semi-circular track, displaying the wandering hours and pointing to the minutes. The track is finished in a circular grain, helping with legibility but also offering welcome contrast with the rest of the watch. An elevated section on the bottom of the track is marked in 5-minute increments. At 6 o’clock, the brand name Urwerk is proudly marked into the case. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe lugs on this watch remain relatively close to traditional watchmaking. Whereas other UR-102 watches feature teeth-like lugs, this UR-102 has two straight lugs, similar to the UR-101 Nightwatch. Overall, the case measures 38mm in diameter, though it wears larger on the wrist thanks to the extended proportions. The caseback is brushed and secured by six screws and simply features the number of the watch out of 50. Powering this minimal setup is an automatic winding calibre.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhile 50 examples were planned in stainless steel, with another 50 to be made with black ceramic coating such as in the case of this example, far fewer were produced in the end. This was due to production limitations the makers faced. This example, which was created in 1998, is not only an early example but one of only a small number in existence today.\u003c\/p\u003e\n \u003c!-- SECTION BREAK --\u003e \u003ch6\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCloser look \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h6\u003e \u003ctable\u003e \u003ctbody\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd width=\"63\"\u003eBrand:\u003c\/td\u003e \u003ctd width=\"213\"\u003eUrwerk\u003c\/td\u003e \u003c\/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd width=\"63\"\u003eModel:\u003c\/td\u003e \u003ctd width=\"213\"\u003eUR-102\u003c\/td\u003e \u003c\/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd width=\"63\"\u003eMovement:\u003c\/td\u003e \u003ctd width=\"213\"\u003eautomatic\u003c\/td\u003e \u003c\/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd width=\"63\"\u003eFunctions:\u003c\/td\u003e \u003ctd width=\"213\"\u003ewandering hours\u003c\/td\u003e \u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd width=\"63\"\u003eFeatures:\u003c\/td\u003e \u003ctd width=\"213\"\u003emonocoque case, solid caseback\u003c\/td\u003e \u003c\/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd width=\"63\"\u003eCase material:\u003c\/td\u003e \u003ctd width=\"213\"\u003etitanium\u003c\/td\u003e \u003c\/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd width=\"63\"\u003eCase diameter:\u003c\/td\u003e \u003ctd width=\"213\"\u003e38mm\u003c\/td\u003e \u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd width=\"63\"\u003eCase thickness:\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/td\u003e \u003ctd width=\"213\"\u003e12mm\u003c\/td\u003e \u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd width=\"63\"\u003eLug-to-lug:\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/td\u003e \u003ctd width=\"213\"\u003e43.5mm\u003c\/td\u003e \u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd width=\"63\"\u003eCrystal:\u003c\/td\u003e \u003ctd width=\"213\"\u003esapphire front\u003c\/td\u003e \u003c\/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd width=\"63\"\u003eStrap:\u003c\/td\u003e \u003ctd width=\"213\"\u003eUrwerk green alligator strap; Urwerk black alligator strap, Urwerk black anodised pin buckle\u003c\/td\u003e \u003c\/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd width=\"63\"\u003eLug width:\u003c\/td\u003e \u003ctd width=\"213\"\u003e16.5 x 16mm\u003c\/td\u003e \u003c\/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd width=\"63\"\u003eYear:\u003c\/td\u003e \u003ctd width=\"213\"\u003eN\/A\u003c\/td\u003e \u003c\/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd width=\"63\"\u003eAccompanying materials:\u003c\/td\u003e \u003ctd width=\"213\"\u003eUrwerk service papers\u003c\/td\u003e \u003c\/tr\u003e \u003c\/tbody\u003e \u003c\/table\u003e \u003ch6\u003eCondition\u003c\/h6\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis Urwerk UR-102 is presented in excellent overall condition. The case and lugs show virtually no signs of wear and have recently been refinished with a new black ceramic coating by Urwerk. The dial, hands, and movement are free from imperfections and have been exceptionally well preserved throughout. All engravings remain crisp, deep, and clearly defined.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch6\u003eWarranty\u003c\/h6\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe watch comes with a two-year warranty from A Collected Man, alongside a lifetime guarantee of authenticity. Urwerk has additionally offered a complimentary service to the future owner which can be exercised within the first six months of purchase, extending the warranty by a further two years from the date of completion.\u003c\/p\u003e  \n","brand":"Urwerk","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":64629566144889,"sku":"WTI_U2053","price":62000.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0606\/5325\/files\/Urwerk_UR_102_titanium_A_Collected_Man_London_Thumbnail_00.jpg?v=1789722767","url":"https:\/\/www.acollectedman.com\/products\/urwerk-ur-102-wandering-hours","provider":"A COLLECTED MAN","version":"1.0","type":"link"}