Urwerk Watch Reviews

Urwerk was founded in 1997 by Felix Baumgartner and Martin Frei. Both men are Swiss German, a fact that influenced the pair’s chosen brand name. ‘UR’ refers to the city of UR in Mesopotamia, a place where the ideas of time were shaped some 6000 years ago. ‘WERK’ is derived from the German word meaning ‘work, create, evolve, shape, forge and to arouse emotions’.

Baumgartner is a hugely talented watchmaker, something that has been recognised with several prestigious GPHG trophies and even a Gaïa prize.

While Baumgartner is a fabulous watchmaker, Urwerk is very much a double act. Martin Frei is an exceptional designer who has masterminded some incredible timepieces over the years. Clearly a man with a penchant for ‘blue-sky thinking’, he has reinterpreted the Campani brothers’ wandering hours displays of the 17th century with notable success.

Today, Urwerk is known for its ‘UR-Satellite’ and ‘UR-Chronometry’ models which masterfully unite cutting-edge materials with the high-end finishing, all presented in neoteric form.