Review: Urwerk UR-110
It's every boy's dream to own a Lamborghini, but of the few that go on to achieve the kind of success that puts one in reach, very few realise that dream and take ownership of their boyhood fantasy. The ever-practical Porsche 911 scoops up the sales from the Lamborghini's maturing audience, the nagging voice of sensibility overriding exuberance, excitement and ultimately, satisfaction. But on the other hand, what's so exuberating about a £6,000 clutch replacement every few years?
Supercar money brings supercar reliability and running costs, and so to painstakingly graft this analogy onto watch ownership, it would be fair to dismiss an Urwerk offering for something sensible like a precious metal Rolex instead. It would also, however, be stupid, because this UR-110 is anything but unreliable. It isn't fragile, it isn't temperamental—it even has sensible service intervals. It's a Lamborghini with Ford reliability. Granted, you still have to pay for the Lamborghini in the first place, but once you have, you'll be reminded every day what an awesome decision you made.
The UR-110 has perhaps the most complicated and yet most simple way of telling the time ever invented (or at least until Urwerk devise something even crazier). What that means in a roundabout way is that it is incredibly quick and easy to read the time, but the method for manufacturing that ease is vastly complicated. If you're like me and often find yourself staring at the dial of your watch without actually having read the time, have no fear—using the UR-110 is a cinch. The hour is read numerically from a revolving satellite, which also doubles as a hand that points out the minutes from an almost vertical track. Five-minute intervals are marked out numerically too, so getting an accurate yet quick glimpse of the time is very easy. The shape of the watch even allows just the time-reading section to poke out from under the cuff whilst the rest stays hidden.
Lamborghini realised that there was a market for outlandish supercars with everyday usability, so they created the Gallardo. The size of a family car, yet with an engine howl that could summon the dead, it has become a spectacular success for the Italian manufacturer. Urwerk's UR-110 does the same job; it's small enough and light enough to wear comfortably, it won't fall to pieces if you wear it everyday, it doesn't mind a spot of rain and most of all, it's the absolute bee's knees.
Watch Spec | Urwek UR-110 ST
Case: Steel and titanium Dimensions: 47mm x 15mm, 16mm thick Crystal: Synthetic sapphire Water Resistance: 30m Movement: Calibre UR 9.01, automatic Frequency: 28,800 vph Power Reserve: 39 hours Strap: Black alligator Functions: Time (by satellite display), day/night indicator, service indicator, air turbine winding regulation
