Measuring Time and Space: Meet the Urwerk UR-10 Spacemeter

Surprising at first glance with its traditional case and hands, the UR-10 Spacemeter nonetheless reveals itself as an Urwerk through and through—horological innovative, highly unconventional in terms of design, and unmistakably classy. The three-hand watch, with the syringe-shaped hands filled with Super-LumiNova and the black or gray PVD dials manufactured in-house, features three sub dials that measure the distances our planet travels across the time-space continuum. The sub dial at 2 o’clock, labeled Earth, records every ten kilometers the planet travels in its daily rotation in 500-meter increments. The counter at 4 o’clock, labeled Sun, advances in 20-kilometer steps, logging every 1,000 kilometers of Earth’s orbit around the Sun. The sub dial at 9 o’clock, labeled Orbit, combines these trajectories, marking 1,000 kilometers of rotation and 64,000 kilometers of solar orbit on two synchronized scales.

As if that  wouldn't be enough celestial magic, on the case back, a peripheral hand traces the hours on a 24-hour scale, mirroring a full rotation of the Earth. It is engraved with indications of both rotation and revolution: rotation reads clockwise, while revolution is read anti-clockwise. This striking opposition reflects the Earth’s own anticlockwise revolution, a poetic reminder of the cosmic dance. The steel and titanium case measures 45.40 by 44 millimeters with a thickness of only 7.13 millimeters. Behind its clean looks is a complex engineering. The titanium upper case and the steel case back are fitted into one another and sealed shut with a longitudinal screw. 

The UR-10 is powered by the self-winding UR-10.01 caliber. The independent partnered with Vaucher Manufacture to develop the base movement, however, the complication module is conceived entirely in-house. The same rings true for the patented Dual Flow Turbine with two propellers rotating in opposite directions to regulate winding efficiency. The beautifully finished movement beats at a frequency of four Hertz or 28,800 vibrations per hour and provides a power reserve of 43 hours.