In a continuation of their UR100 collection, URWERK has released the next iteration in the model line, the UR-100V Magic T – “T” being Titanium, and if you think you may have seen this before, you’re not totally wrong!
Back in Novemeber of 2021, URWERK released the UR-100V Full Titanium Jacket (Which you can read about here), and was a combination of greys – from Payne grey to lead grey, and everything in between. Such a hit it was, URWERK’s artistic director and co-founder Martin Frei, wanted to take this to another level – and today, introduce the UR-100V Magic T.
The core difference in the new Magic T is the way URWERK has finished the Titanium. Martin Frei goes on to explain “All the beauty of the metal is there. We also worked on the legibility of our timepiece, adding complexity to the dial that is now broken down into several elements to give it more structure.”
“This UR-100V Magic T fully deserves its nickname evoking the magic of titanium. This material lends itself beautifully to the finest finishes“
Martin Frei – URWERK Co-founder
Like the Full Titanium Jacket, the new Magic T works on the satellite time configuration, with wandering hours and minutes, and continues on with the design elements of tracking the earth’s rotation and orbit around the sun. The first is a counter for kilometres – those travelled by the Earth along its own axis in 20 minutes, namely 555. The other also counts kilometres – this time those travelled by the Earth around the Sun during the same period of time, namely 35,740.
The wandering hours takes a little bit to get used to, as a very unconventional way of displaying the time. As the wandering hours hands move across the minutes track, it showcases the time in the large widow adjacent to the minutes indicator and the red and yellow minutes hand indicate at what point past the hour it is. Once the minutes reach 60, the next wandering hours hand comes through and the process starts again. Pretty ingenious when you think this mechanism is from the 17th Century!
And night time reading of the UR-100V is done with ease. URWERK have given the Magic T lot’s of Super-LumiNova across the minutes track, all the hours and even the model and Earth rotation tracks. This makes what could be described as a hard to read watch in the day a little easier at night. And under the lens, looks stunning when viewed up close.
The way the URWERK has been able to take the one material and create both colour variations as well as surface textures is a feat in itself, or rather should I say, Magic. The UR-100V Magic T case for the most part is Sand shot-blasted Titanium, where as the movement has contrasting circular graining, sanding, shot-blasting, circular satin finishing and even chamfered screw heads, all in one watch, and from one material that’s notoriously hard to work with, and is finished impeccably.
Inside the UR-100V Magic T is the calibre 12.02 governed by a Windfänger airscrew. This calibre 12.02 drives the carousel which is the wandering hours and minutes on the three “satellites” shown on the dial. The Calibre 12.02 movement operates at a frequency of 28,800 VpH (4Hz) and can power the watch for up to 48 hours.
The URWERK UR-100V Magic T is surprisingly wearable at 41.0 mm and 49.7 mm across the wrist and only 14 mm thick. The lack of lugs and the integrated bracelet that hugs the wrist and drops straight away will help with the wearability, and when you see the images of this on the models wrists, especially the women, you can see that this won’t wear large at all.
Final Thoughts
The URWERK UR-100V Magic T is, like most URWERK pieces unique. But this is part of the brands appeal – you won’t meet too many people on the street that have one. And this is a seriously cool watch with some great engineering put into it. Whilst you look at the watch and think it to be bulky, the design and the fact that it is made from Titanium will mean it wears well, and judging on the first release images, fits on the wrist, even smaller ones. If you’re after a statement and talking piece, and have the means to buy it at around $98,000 AUD (if you do the conversion to Australian Dollars, yet to be confirmed), then this could be a great choice – albeit a bold one!
Reference: UR-100V Magic T Limited Edition
Specification:
- Case: Width: 41mm, length: 49.7mm
- Thickness: 14mm thick
- Case Material: Sanded shot-blasted titanium
- Dial: Satellite hours on beryllium-bronze Geneva crosses; aluminium carousel; carousel and triple baseplates in ARCAP alloy
- Crystal: Domed sapphire crystal
- Water resistance:30m / 3bar
- Movement: Selfwinding UR 12.02 movement governed by a Windfänger airscrew
- Power reserve: 48 Hours
- Bracelet: Titanium, with 32 sanded shot-blasted links
