Urwerk UR-100V Time and Culture III

Urwerk continues its exploration of time across civilisations and today unveils an extraordinary creation: the UR-100V Time and Culture III. This one-of-a-kind creation stems from an unprecedented artistic collaboration between the Swiss watchmaking house and the David Kakabadze studio based in Tbilisi, Georgia.

Through its “Time and Culture” collection, URWERK celebrates the foundational concepts of time transcription. A journey of remembrance through civilisations. After exploring Native American and Mesopotamian symbolism, the new UR-100V Time and Culture carries us to the heart of Georgian Orthodox tradition, to lands where spirituality, religion and art have for centuries been closely entwined.

A maniature work of art

The decoration adorning the UR-100V Time and Culture III, crafted from yellow gold, is a true masterpiece of 24K cloisonné enamel and miniature painting. It took 1,152 days to complete, using 19 different enamels and requiring 16 firings at 750°C. Each step, each colour and each curve testifies to the age-old expertise passionately passed down by the master artisans of the Kakabadze atelier.

Inspired by a fragment of the zodiac wall frescoes in Svetitskhoveli Cathedral, a true gem of Georgian cultural heritage, the composition pays homage to Christian liturgy: according to an ancient legend, a man named Elias brought Christ’s robe to Georgia after witnessing the Crucifixion. His sister, Sidonia, was so overwhelmed with emotion upon touching the sacred garment that she died clutching it. Unable to remove it from her grasp, she was buried with the robe, and a cedar tree grew from her grave. In the 4th century, following his conversion to Christianity, King Mirian III built Georgia’s first church on the site believed to be Sidonia’s tomb.

The design featured on the UR-100V Time and Culture III thus depicts Christ surrounded by 12 celestial symbols, representing 12 cycles of time: 12 months, 12 hours, 12 constellations.

Beneath this work of art beats Caliber UR 12.01. Time is expressed through a wandering hour satellite indication, URWERK's iconic signature.

A watch. A memory beyond memory.

This UR-100V Time and Culture III is a manifesto through which contemporary watchmaking engages in a dialog with ancient spirituality and the emotion of traditions. A time capsule where every second becomes a radiant glimpse of eternity.

Technical specifications

Urwerk UR-100V Time and Culture III

Unique piece

Case

• Material: 2N 18K yellow gold.
• Dimensions Width: 41 mm, length: 49.70 mm, thickness: 14 mm
• Glass: Sapphire crystal
• Water-resistant to 3ATM (30m)

Movement

• Self-winding UR 12.02 movement governed by a Windfänger airscrew
• Number of jewels: 40
• Frequency: 4 Hz, 28'800 vph
• Power reserve of 48 hours
• Materials: Aluminium satellite hours on beryllium-bronze Geneva crosses; aluminium carousel; carousel and triple baseplates in ARCAP alloy.

Finishing

• Circular satin brushing, sand-blasting, shot-blasting, circular satin finishing, circular graining
• Polished screw heads
• Hours and minutes painted in Super-LumiNova
• Dome beneath the sapphire crafted in cloisonné enamelled 24-carat gold

Functions/Indications

• Satellite hours; minutes

Strap and buckle

• Alcantara and leather, 2N 18K yellow gold pin buckle

MSRP: CHF 130'000 (excl taxes)

For more information, please visit art-in-time.com