Today I’d like to share with you a watch that is truly unlike any other, the incredible Urwerk EMC.
For those of you who were at Baselworld this year, you might remember Urwerk teasing us by presenting the movement of a yet to be announced piece. At the time I was told that the watch would have electrical components, which frankly freaked me out. The first thing that sprung to mind was a watch with two movements; one mechanical and one quartz à la HD3 Raptor, which I’m not particularly a fan of. Turns out I couldn’t have been more wrong.
The URWERK EMC is a total departure from the rotating satellites and spaceship-inspired cases we’re used to seeing from Urwerk. In fact, the EMC is unlike any other watch on the market and is truly the first of its kind.
A hybrid watch by definition, the Urwerk EMC (Electro Mechanical Control) incorporates an electronic component into a more traditional mechanical watch movement to allow the owner/wearer to fine-tune the watch’s rate. The EMC is all about precision, and one could even argue that this is Urwerk’s first chronometer-oriented timepiece.
The EMC is equipped with optical sensor controlled by an integrated circuit board with a 16’000’000hz reference oscillator, so you be quite certain it is extremely accurate.
But perhaps the most interesting aspect to me at anyways is that the EMC’s motoring unit isn’t powered by a battery, which makes it feel a lot less quartz-y in my opinion. Instead, it uses a manually wound charging super capacitor hooked to the Maxon® micro-generator; the same Swiss company that has developed motors for NASA’s rovers. I guess there is space-age touch in the EMC after all!
The way it works is quite simple: to obtain the rate of the watch, simply wind the electronic unit by rotating the pullout crank on the side of the case (it’s quite fun!). It only takes about 20 turns or so to provide enough energy for about two tests worth. To start the test rate test, simply push the integrated button on the left side of the case. The sub dial in the up-left corner will display the rate from -20 to +20 seconds per day.
To adjust the watch, you don’t even need to open the caseback to get the balance cock. Instead, simply give the screw located on the caseback a slight turn in either direction.
But what about the watch itself? As I said, this isn’t your typical Urwerk, though it does retain much of the brand’s DNA. The sloping titanium and steel case’s silhouette shares something in common with the UR-CC1 Cobra, as does the large crown placed at an atypical location. Otherwise, it’s a different machine entirely.
I love how each indication has a separate dial on the brushed metal case, with the seconds hand having the biggest one, as befits a chronometer focused on precision. The dials are done in matte slate grey with the same luminous marking you’ll find on other Urwerk pieces. I also quite like the mix of different hand styles, with the seconds counter taking on a more restrained look typical of pocket watches and other chronometers of yesteryears, opposite the more futuristic rounded hour and minute hands.
The mechanical movement, developed and manufactured entirely between Urwerk’s ateliers in Geneva and Zürich, is also spectacular in its own right. Though you can’t quite see it in the final product, the movement is fitted with a balance wheel made of a non-magnetic and anti-corrosion material called ARCAP, shaped and sized to allow for optimal reading by the optical sensor. The movement provides 80 hours of power reserve when fully wound from two vertically stacked mainspring barrels mounted on a single shaft and connected in series. Otherwise the movement is decorated with traditional Côtes de Genève stripes, finished in a more modern dark grey plating.
On the wrist, the 43mm x 51mm case of the EMC is easier to pull off than I would have imagined. The 15.8mm height, while definitely on the thicker side, doesn’t render the watch nearly as bulky as I would have thought it to be. Thanks to the light titanium case with steel elements, the EMC was a delight to try on.
Urwerk have taken a leap of faith with the EMC, and in my opinion the result makes it a risk worth having taken. The beautiful thing about is that there’s enough geeky-coolness about it to appeal to the typical Urwerk fan while still remaining a serious, innovative piece of precision chronometry.
The Urwerk EMC is limited to 55 pieces and comes with a price tag of around $120’000.
More information on www.urwerk.com
