A few days before SalonQP, a few privileged people including myself received a special invitation from Urwerk. An appointment on a Friday morning, during the Fair ... not around the Saatchi Gallery, but in the workshop of the famous British designer Timothy Everest located a few steps from Liverpool Street Station. Our curiosity was piqued and as a guest stated it to me in front of the workshop: "I have no idea what I'm doing here but I'm sure it will be something very exciting to discover!".
Elder Street: I must admit that I was just as confused and excited at the same time. Urwerk is one of my fav brands for many reasons: the ability to reinvent the old principle of the wandering hours, the consistency of the design with the time display, the technical breakthrough, the exclusivity, the availability and the kindness of the team ... I could mention many more. So it was not the chaotic behaviour of the Circle Line (I will never understand in which direction the trains move so I'm always on the wrong platform...) that would prevent me from discovering the surprise proposed by Felix Baumgartner and Martin Frei ... without forgetting to mention our host of the morning!
The Timothy Everest workshop: It was definitely not a day like any other: after having knocked at the door of the workshop located in the charming and typical Elder Street, a kind of island surrounded by the buildings of the City, I discovered a Timothy Everest with one arm in a sling. A bit annoying for someone who has to handle the scissors and measuring tape ... but this very temporary inconvenience due to a bicycle fall did not prevent him from being stylish! Even in the most unusual situations a dandy remains a dandy! I can imagine the careful selection of the tissue that would support his arm!
A very nice decoration and believe me all the other frames are in the same style: I also thought the same about Felix Baumgartner and Martin Frei, impeccably dressed in their beautiful three quarters length fitted jackets obviously designed by Timothy himself ... but hey, we were not there to talk about fashion in this place oh so pleasant and furiously british because there was indeed a story about a watch in this event!
Martin Frei, Timothy Everest and Felix Baumgartner: The real surprise was actually related to the watch: the event was organized to introduce the final versions of the UR-110 declined in a new context for Urwerk, by taking advantage of the partnership with Timothy Everest. At first, this idea may seem far-fetched. After all, it is hard to imagine a greater contrast than that between the classic style and the traditional creations from Everest and the daring watches from Martin Frei! That's the whole point of this joint project. If you had to associate aims that are always going in the same direction, it will only lead to boredom. The sparks are caused by the clash of characters!
These fabrics are not there by chance and you will understand why! Both UR-110 Eastwood are the result of an encounter between the two worlds of fashion and watchmaking which find here a subtle and delicate balance point to achieve. They give the opportunity to discover a new facet of Urwerk, perhaps less contemporary, less strict but certainly warmer, a bit like if the history of the brand had started a few decades ago not in Switzerland, but in this workshop in London.
The UR-110 Eastwood with the dark ebony: They also point out that there is much in common between Urwerk and Timothy Everest as we might think. In each case, I find the will to achieve perfection in the practice of their trades, a tribute to the tradition, the pleasure of producing in very small series, in other words, true craftsmanships. And then ... the practiced eyes can find or recognize details full of originality that sprinkle Everest's creations, certainly less noticeable than those of Urwerk but real!
The UR-110 Eastwood with the vivid ebony, close to burgundy: The real question was how to integrate Timothy Everest's touch and atmosphere in the UR-110, which is distinguished by its vertical minutes scale and the effect of parallelism given by the behaviour of the satellites supporting the hours and hands that follow the graduation mark. The UR-110 is not a UR-103 would have received a kind of 90 degrees rotation counterclockwise. Its interest lies in the unique behavior of the satellites, constantly moving so that they keep their perfect alignment. In a sense, it is perhaps the Urwerk with the most rigid and stricter display. However, its greatest asset comes from the "horizontal"orientation and the fluidity of its lines. Thanks to its sensual case shape, the UR-110 constantly gives the urge to caress it with the palm of the hand. Is it this feeling that made ??emerge the idea of using wood for the top of the case (I don't call it bzel!)? In any case, the outcome is reached! Caressing a UR-110 is like slipping your hand along a wooden ramp ... a real tactile experience!
The Prince of Wales tweed strap: To achieve this result, a timber with properties adapted to the context of a daily wear of the watch was required. The Macassar ebony for its color, its hardness, was the perfect choice. Coming from Indonesia, its origin located on the very far east of Geneva explains the name given to this final edition of the UR-110. The fans of Clint Eastwood will be disappointed but it must be noted that there is no hidden tribute to the Inspector Harry in this watch!
The case base material remains Titanium: The generous size of the UR-110 (47mmx51mmx16mm) creates a sufficient area to enjoy the texture and color of the wood. Two dominant colors are available: one that can be considered as similar to dark chocolate, the other to a vivid burgundy. Each is attractive and sets its own atmosphere. The most surprising watch is obviously the brighter one. As such, it is in my opinion the most interesting because it is the one which deviates the most from the "classic" (funny expression in this context!) Urwerk. But in each case, it is very surprising to realize how the UR-110 is transformed. From its tendency to look like an aggressive spaceship , it seems to land to become a peaceful and comforting object.
On the wrist of one happy guest: While wood reminds me the traditional tailoring workshops, something however was lacking to fully transcribe the special atmosphere of Timothy Everest. Don't we usually say that a strap dresses a watch? New strap... new watch... And naturally, the designer created two tweed straps to suit the UR-110, one of which featureshis favorite pattern, the Prince of Wales. Thus completed, the UR-110 Eastwood releases an irresistible charm, that of a watch that Jules Verne would have not denied: a timepiece designed for the future a few decades ago.
The chevron Tweed strap: Wearing the UR-110 Eastwood is a rare experience. Wood surprises a lot thanks to its texture and it is interesting to observe that this traditional material becomes the main point of originality of the watch to almost forget the singularity of the time display. The UR-110 Eastwood is a piece out of time, defining an unusual universe for Urwerk. In my point of view, it is the perfect " grand finale", full of daring and creativity and closes elegantly one of the prettiest chapters of Urwerk history. And when it comes to elegance, it is hard to find better ambassador than Timothy Everest.
A grand finale full of elegance and charm: The UR-110 will definitely be presented during the SIHH 2015 week in Geneva. 10 watches will be made but the numbers per wood color will depend on prior orders.
Thanks to Timothy Everest and Urwerk teams for their warm welcome at the Elder Street workshop.
Pros:
+ the pleasure of seeing again the UR-110 in an unusual atmosphere for Urwerk
+ its originality thanks to the use of the wood, its texture and shades
+ the charm of the tweed straps
+ the parallel behaviour of the satellites
Cons: - an extra budget is required to buy the Everest suit that will match the strap!
Fr.Xavier