In the world of horology, where innovation knows no bounds, URWERK has once again pushed the boundaries of watchmaking artistry with the unveiling of the UR-100V Stardust. Sparkling with celestial brilliance, the UR-100V Stardust not only tells time but also reveals the tales of stars, distant constellations, and the very essence of the universe itself.
URWERK has once again pushed the boundaries of watchmaking artistry with the unveiling of the UR-100V Stardust.
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Martin Frei, URWERK’s Artistic Director and co-founder, explains the profound connection between stardust and this remarkable watch. “The entire universe is composed of stellar particles, making their presence inevitable in all the forms of matter that surround us. Whether in their raw or transformed state, from carbon to cut diamonds, from iron mineral to steel alloy, this stardust is omnipresent. It’s crazy to think that we, as human beings, are also made of this celestial substance. So, the nickname Stardust, logically associated with the setting of this UR-100V, also extends to the watch itself and to its future owner.”
What truly sets the UR-100V Stardust apart is its setting of 400 diamonds (VVS1, Color D), totaling nearly 1.90 carats of pure carbon. The technique employed here is known as snow-setting, a method designed to replicate the randomness of the starry heavens. Felix Baumgartner, master watchmaker and co-founder of URWERK, elaborates on this distinctive approach, “We wanted a setting reminiscent of the starry heavens, with nothing at all uniform, more like ordered chaos. It wasn’t so much the size of the stones that was important to us as their arrangement, this almost random design.”
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These 400 diamonds, carefully chosen from eight different formats, adorn the case of the UR-100V Stardust, leaving only the edges of the watch untouched. Running your fingers over this mosaic of diamonds, you’ll discover a structure that is soft to the touch, smooth, and fluid. Yet, crafting this setting was a formidable challenge, owing to the unyielding nature of the steel used in the watch. Nonetheless, the artisans at URWERK have masterfully combined complex and meticulous jewelry craftsmanship with precision engineering to create this stunning masterpiece.
Beyond its enchanting aesthetics, the UR-100V Stardust is inherently spatial. A member of the 100 collection, it features two recesses on the sides of its satellite carrier. The first recess serves as a kilometer counter, tracking the Earth’s rotation on its axis over 20 minutes, equivalent to 555 kilometers. The second counter charts the Earth’s journey around the Sun during the same time frame, covering a staggering 35,740 kilometers. As you wear the UR-100V Stardust, it bears witness to the Earth’s voyage through the vastness of space, passing by millions of suns and reflecting their luminous essence.
