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Urwerk UR-100V Lightspeed Ceramic
The spacetime continuum returns in a striking white case.
Urwerk always surprises, and the new UR-100V Lightspeed Ceramic is the best proof of that. While we've seen similar complications before, this time it incorporates some entirely new material innovations. Let's take a closer look.
It feels like just yesterday we visited Urwerk's headquarters during Geneva Watchmaking Days. Yet, only six months later, we're releasing some new watches we didn't even get to see then. This forward-thinking brand moves swiftly. In fact, today's release is lightning fast. Let's take a look at the new UR-100V.
Urwerk UR-100V Lightspeed Ceramic
Urwerk's latest watch is actually a derivative of one we've seen before. In 2024, my colleague Thomas reviewed the UR-100LS, which first featured this thought-provoking complication. The new UR-100V retains the original's 43mm case diameter, 51.73mm case length, and 14.55mm thickness. It also prioritizes practicality, featuring a screw-down crown and 50-meter water resistance. The watch comes with two textured rubber straps, one black and one white, both with folding clasps.
In fact, the matte black dial and various indicator colors are identical to the original. So, what's the difference? Urwerk developed a new ceramic case that solved a fundamental problem with this material—brittleness. This composite material is essentially glass and carbon fibers embedded within a polymer matrix. The polymer matrix is bright white, while the fibers are silver. Photos may not fully capture the charm of this case, as the contrasting colors give depth to the otherwise slightly plastic-like material.
A spaced-out display. At first glance, the UR-100V Lightspeed Ceramic watch seems to have an inverted movement, with the dial resembling an automatic rotor. However, this is not the case. The brand's signature satellite display is cleverly combined with a retrograde minute display. The hours are displayed on a rotating disc at the bottom of the dial, which runs along the minute arc. Additionally, a blue-green hand connected to the central gear points to the eight planets and indicates the time it takes for light to travel from the sun to them. This hand rotates once every three hours and is hidden below the minute markers for one-third of the time. Could this be considered an abstract complication? Absolutely.
The UR12.02 Movement and the UR-100V Lightspeed Ceramic watch are powered by the automatic UR12.02 movement. The movement is fully visible through the grade 5 titanium and sapphire crystal case back. Despite its slightly industrial design, this is a high-end luxury timepiece. Therefore, details such as circular graining, satin polishing, sandblasting, and shot blasting all highlight its superior quality. In terms of performance, the movement vibrates at 28,800 times per hour and has a 48-hour power reserve.
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Brand: Urwerk
Model: UR-100V Light Speed Ceramic
Dial: Matte black with satellite time display and light speed indicator
Case Materials: This white ceramic case was developed specifically for Urwerk, featuring silvered glass fiber fabric and carbon fiber inserts, with a titanium inner case.
Case Dimensions: 43mm (W) × 51.73mm (L) × 14.55mm (D)
Crystal: Sapphire crystal
Case Back: Grade 5 titanium with sandblasting and PVD coating, featuring a sapphire crystal display secured with four screws.
Movement: UR12.02: Automatic winding with manual winding function, 28,800 vibrations per hour (4 Hz), 48-hour power reserve
Water Resistance: 50 meters
Strap: Textured black rubber strap and white rubber strap with folding clasp
Functions: Time (hours and minutes) and light speed indicator via satellite.
Jacob & Co.'s Astronomia Régulateur follows a minimalist approach.
Its exterior is simple, but its internal structure is complex.
The Astronomia watch series is synonymous with Jacob & Co. About 12 years ago, it was this watch that catapulted the brand to fame, thanks to its highly dynamic orbital movement, featuring an off-center time display on its rotating arm, a multi-axis flying tourbillon, and decorative elements inspired by the solar system in many versions.
Over the past decade, the Astronomia watch series has followed two distinct paths. The first path has seen increasingly complex designs, incorporating more dynamic elements into the dial. The second path is the opposite: simplifying the design while enhancing mechanical performance.
This second path ultimately led to the Astronomia Régulateur, a significant improvement over its initial version. The orbiting planets and other decorative elements have disappeared. In their place is a minimalist display, with independent hour, minute, and second indicators rotating around the dial. It is the most minimalist yet technologically advanced model in the Astronomia collection to date, as evidenced by its movement.
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Combining Regulator Style with Orbital Movement
It's hard to imagine an Astronomia watch without astronomical elements, but it is. The Astronomia Régulateur embodies the brand's effort to simplify the collection to its essence: a wraparound tourbillon movement housed in a more wearable 43mm case, making it the smallest model in the collection to date.
As its name suggests, the "Régulateur" watch draws inspiration from regulator clocks commonly found in traditional watchmaking workshops. These clocks, serving as precise reference points, display hours, minutes, and seconds on separate dials to ensure optimal legibility. Jacob's interpretation also follows this principle of separation. However, unlike stationary clocks, these hands are not stationary but continuously rotate around the dial.
The hours and minutes are displayed on translucent sub-dials mounted on a three-arm support, the third of which houses a double-axis flying tourbillon. The seconds display is even more striking, taking the form of a disc that almost covers the entire diameter of the case, located below the support.
The most captivating aspect of this Régulateur watch is the intricate workings of its components. The movement, housing the hour, minute, and tourbillon hands, rotates once per minute, making it the fastest in the Astronomia collection. In comparison, the original Astronomia watch from 12 years ago took 20 minutes to complete one rotation, making this watch 20 times faster. As the movement rotates clockwise, the large seconds disc rotates counter-clockwise, creating a breathtakingly dynamic visual effect.
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The high-speed constant-force mechanism within the tourbillon. What appears to be a simple design concept actually requires more sophisticated mechanical innovation. The rotating disc of the Astronomia Régulateur operates at an unprecedented speed, requiring far more energy than previous Astronomia models. To power this movement, Jacob & Co. equipped the watch with a double mainspring barrel. However, the drawback is that the resulting torque is too great to be directly transmitted to the escapement. The solution is a constant-force escapement.
Unlike traditional constant-force escapements that charge and release energy once per second, the Astronomia Régulateur's constant-force escapement operates six times per second, matching the movement's 3 Hz (six oscillations per second) frequency. By replenishing and releasing energy with each oscillation, it provides a precisely measured torque to the escapement, thus improving the stability of the balance wheel's amplitude even with fluctuations in the mainspring torque. This constant-force escapement operates at an astonishing speed and is a signature technological achievement of the watch.
The engineering goes far beyond this. Although the hour and minute discs continuously rotate around the dial, they remain perfectly upright thanks to a differential mechanism that constantly compensates for their rotation.
Minimalist Color Scheme: When the Astronomia Régulateur first debuted, it was available with vibrant blue, green, and red dial versions. Now, Jacob & Co. takes this design philosophy to its extreme, offering a more understated black dial version. Featuring a rose gold case, this is perhaps the most striking piece in the collection to date.
The 43mm diameter case offers comfortable wear, and its sapphire crystal retains the Astronomia collection's signature clarity. At only 18mm thick, while still a substantial timepiece, it's significantly thinner than previous Astronomia models (approximately 25mm). This improvement enhances wearing comfort while preserving the collection's signature exquisite design.
Technical Specifications: Jacob & Co. Astronomia Régulateur
Movement: JCAM56; manual winding; 28-hour power reserve; 21,600 vibrations per hour (3 Hz)
Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds, and tourbillon
Case: 43mm x 18mm; 18K rose gold; water-resistant to 30 meters
Strap: Alligator leather strap with an 18K rose gold folding clasp
