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Urwerk finally resurrects its first watch, but gives it T. Rex scales
As Urwerk grows into a brand synonymous with innovative watch design, its original UR-101 model may still be the most straightforward. This simple yet unique wandering timepiece launched the brand in 1997 and is only now enjoying a true resurgence.
Granted, there’s nothing to be said for the UR-101’s minimalist aesthetic. However, Urwerk found a way to ditch the flat design of the case beneath the top-spring hour dial and give it some serious texture.
Some backstory on the UR-101
Co-founders Felix Baumgartner and Martin Frei founded Urwerk in 1997 and debuted the UR-101 at Baselworld, a quirky timepiece with a semicircular minute scale on top and a case inspired by the Millennium Falcon. A year later, the independent brand launched the UR-102, an update of the previous watch, this time with a case that mimicked the Sputnik satellite. Both of these early pieces were produced in limited quantities and are hard to come by today.Back in 2023, Urwerk decided to relaunch the UR-102 and its Reloaded version, taking some design cues from the original UR-101, including the flat case front, crown shape, and lug pattern. Now it’s time for the UR-101 to be resurrected, but in a different way than you might expect or even want. <p></p>replica Urwerk UR-101 T-Rex
URWERK UR-101 T-REX BASICS
Underneath the black curved dial on top of the case, the UR-101 T-Rex features a guilloche pattern that’s reminiscent of the scales of the eponymous dinosaur. It’s set on dark, hand-painted bronze metal, which has a very evocative aesthetic. Hardcore Urwerk fans might be a little disappointed that the first revival of the UR-101 has arrived in such a polarizing form. But for this Swiss brand, the unexpected has become par for the course.This isn’t the first time we’ve seen a T-Rexed Urwerk watch. In 2016, the company put scales on the UR-105, and then again on the UR-100V in 2021. However, given the minimalist principles of the UR-101, this is probably the purest version of the T-Rex yet. This means that, aside from that, there isn’t a whole lot going on, allowing us to focus on the case itself. And since this model has a heavy case, the texture extends to the lugs as well as the top of the case, above the dial.
More Than Just New Scales
There’s more than just a new T-Rex theme on the new watch. After all, it’s been nearly 30 years since the last iteration of the UR-101. As such, Urwerk has made some improvements to the original, deciding to move the crown from the right side of the case to the top. Likewise, the case now measures 41mm in diameter (larger than the original’s 38mm) and is 11.86mm thick. The watch is presented on a black fabric-look rubber strap lined with calfskin.Behind the black PVD-coated steel caseback is the new Vaucher UR-1.01V automatic hour movement that drives the movement of two satellites, each with six hour numerals. The current hour moves from left to right along a 180-degree minute track until the next hour appears. The black yellow-green numerals are also coated with Super-LumiNova.
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