Urwerk, the brand that spoiled us with satellites, orbits, and time running sideways, has unveiled something that at first glance seems almost classic. The UR-10 Spacemeter has a round dial and central hands. But don't be fooled — this is no everyday watch. It's a mechanical manifesto about how fast our planet is spinning. Literally.
For almost three decades, Urwerk has been shattering the notion of what a watch even is. Their creations are more like space instruments than wristwatches. And now, just when you think they've shown everything that's possible, here comes UR-10 Spacemeter — their first model with regular hands and a round dial.
It sounds almost blasphemous. But it is precisely this “normality” that is the trick. Felix Baumgartner and Martin Frei, founders Urwerk, with this model, they proved that even a conventional form can hide a concept that transcends time and space.
A story that begins in the 19th century
The inspiration for the UR-10 came from the family archive. In the 1990s, Baumgartner's father restored an old 19th-century Gustav Sandoz pendulum clock. The clock had three mysterious subdials that showed neither hours, minutes, nor seconds. After much research, he discovered that they were intended for measuring the Earth's motion through space — its rotation and path around the Sun.
Almost three decades later, Urwerk has brought this idea to life. The result is a watch that not only measures how much time has passed, but also How far has the Earth traveled while you were waiting for your coffee?.
Classic form, space function
The UR-10 Spacemeter builds on the UR-100 line, but in a slimmer, more elegant form. The sandblasted titanium case measures 45.4 mm wide and just 7.13 mm thick — making it one of Urwerk’s most wearable watches to date. The crown is classically positioned at 12 o’clock, and the bracelet flows seamlessly from the case.
At first glance, you could mistake it for a Gérald Gente sports-luxury watch, but look closer and you'll see three sub-dials that don't track hours, but rather Earth's cosmic paths.
- The sub-counter at 2 o'clock shows how many kilometers the Earth travels due to its own rotation — each revolution represents 10 kilometers.
- At 4 o'clock, a counter rotates, measuring the Earth's path around the Sun — each circle is 1,000 kilometers.
- And at 9 o'clock? There he combines both pieces of information into one cosmic display, almost poetic in its meaninglessness.
On the back of the watch is a peripheral indicator that shows one rotation of the Earth in 24 hours, along with the engravings “Rotation” and “Revolution.” A symbolism that reminds us that even though we are sitting, we are constantly traveling.
Mechanical poetry
Inside the case ticks the UR-10.01 caliber, developed by Urwerk based on the Vaucher Manufacture movement and then almost completely reworked. Five additional gears, new axles and ultra-light components made using the LIGA process allow all this cosmic mathematics to spin without losing power.
The drive is taken care of by the system Dual Flow Turbines — two small turbines that use air resistance to regulate the automatic winding. Instead of a mechanical brake, they use the physics of air. The result? Less wear, more hypnosis as you look through the sapphire caseback.
The power reserve is 43 hours. This is not a record, but honestly — a watch that measures the movement of the planet doesn't need 5-day autonomy, but an audience that gets the joke.
Limited edition for a limited number of minds
The UR-10 Spacemeter is available in two versions: black or gray dial, both with PVD coating and circular grinding. Only 50 pieces will be made in total (25 of each color), and the price is approximately 70,000 Swiss francsWhich is no small feat — but for Urwerk fans, it's not about a purchase, it's about a ticket to cosmic thinking.
Why is this hour important?
The UR-10 Spacemeter is Urwerk's most paradoxical model: their most conventional, but at the same time most conceptual. It reminds us that timekeeping is not just a practical act, but a cultural ritual. The clock is essentially a manifesto — a mechanical proof that even something “ordinary” can become a space for an idea.
Baumgartner and Frei have created a watch that could be worn by a NASA engineer or a poet lost in the stars. The UR-10 Spacemeter is not a watch that measures minutes. It's a watch that measures wonder.
Price and availability
The UR-10 Spacemeter is not only a technical but also a financial universe unto itself. The price is 70,000 Swiss francs (approximately 78,000 USD or 72,000 EUR), which puts this watch in a class where buyers don't ask "how much" but "why not." It is available in two versions — with a black or gray dial, both with PVD coating and circular grinding. Each color is limited to 25 pieces, so together only 50 hours for the entire planet. Ironically, a clock that measures the Earth's movement through space will itself probably rarely leave its owner's safe.
