T-Rex is the name given to the latest iteration of Urwerk’s UR-100 collection. It carries both Urwerk’s genome in its satellite hours and that of its namesake in the primal texture ofits reinforced hide of bronze.
In addition to its massive jaws equipped with 60 dagger-like teeth, it has a hide like a rasp. The 41-mm UR-100V T-Rex features satellite wandering hours and a new type of self winding system. However, its hide, in a mosaic of scales, has a somewhat more sensual texture.
Its case is in solid bronze that has undergone three successive treatments. The first lies in the unusual composition of the alloy which results in a delicate patina. The bronze is then in the hands of a computer-controlled milling station that carves the pattern of scales on the top and sides of the case. The final processes, sand-blasting and Urwerk’s proprietary method of biochemical burnishing, give the watch its distinctive colour.
The scales, in the form of raised lozenges, cover the head and sides of this magnificent reptile and surround the flattened dome of sapphire crystal and the big knurled crown. The bevelled pyramids have been truncated and polished to present a surface that is pleasing to the touch, while the PVD blackened titanium case back is fully skin compatible.
In Urwerk’s animal kingdom, the signature satellite indication does the talking. Three satellites,each of four hours, rotate on a three-armed carousel. In turn, each satellite, displaying the hour, carries a red pointer along a 60-minute scale.
The regular orbit of the hours, as old as time itself, replicates the planetary dance in miniature. The watch is wound while you wear it by a rotor. This is coupled to a device called the Windfänger that is specific to the UR-100 models. It’s a planetary gear that limits the action of the rotor to avoid overwinding and excessive wear.
Once the red pointer of the satellite hours has completed its 60-minute journey, it reappears to show the distance travelled by the planet. In the scale at 9 o’clock on the case the pointer shows the 555.5 km travelled by a point on the equator in a period of 20 minutes. The 20-minute scale on the other side of the dial shows the 35,742 km Earth travels in its orbit around the sun in that time.
For more information, visit the Hour Glass website.
