14 February 2024 - Xaya Design

THE UR-100V LIGHTSPEED BY URWERK SHOWCASES THE SPEED OF LIGHT AS IT TRAVELS THROUGH OUR SOLAR SYSTEM

admin / 14 February 2024

Animals have an innate sense of time, but humans have historically looked to the skies to measure it. Astronomy has long inspired watchmakers, with moon phases being a popular feature. However, the concept of using the speed of light for timekeeping has been less explored until now. Urwerk’s UR-100V LightSpeed watch is a realization of this idea. Part of the UR-100 series, it focuses on the time it takes sunlight to reach each planet in our solar system. This concept is portrayed through a miniature solar system on the watch’s dial, featuring a wandering hour carousel. The UR-100V stands out from other Urwerk watches due to its depiction of the eight planets of our solar system and how long it takes for sunlight to reach them. For example, sunlight reaches Earth in 8.3 minutes, while it takes 4.1 hours to reach Neptune. This concept might seem complex, considering that light travels at a speed of 299,792,458 km/s, represented by the symbol “c” in Einstein’s theory of relativity and in science fiction universes like Star Trek and Star Wars. The UR-100V LightSpeed captures the beauty of distance, time, and light in our solar system. The Sun serves as the main reference point, inspiring the design of the black PVD-treated aluminum rotor visible through the sapphire caseback. Martin Frei, Urwerk’s artistic director and co-founder, explains, “We calculated and illustrated the time it takes for a ray of light to reach each of the planets, starting from the Sun.” “Wearing this watch is like carrying a piece of the universe with you, a miniature cosmos on your wrist,” Martin comments. The UR-100V LightSpeed showcases cosmic wonder and timekeeping through a self-winding, in-house movement regulated by a Windfänger airscrew. With a 48-hour power reserve, the movement drives three rotating satellite arms along an arc at the bottom of the dial to indicate hours and minutes without traditional hands. This exquisite high-end watch is housed in a sturdy 43mm case crafted from grade-5 titanium. It’s coated with layers of black carbon DLC, sand, and a shot-blasted finish. Urwerk complements this impressive craftsmanship with a red textured rubber strap featuring a folding clasp. Interestingly, there’s no indication that this is a limited edition. If you have CHF 65,000 (about $75,000) to spend, you can own this celestial marvel for your wrist today!

SMART EARRINGS CAN MEASURE YOUR TEMPERATURE, LEADING TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF INNOVATIVE WEARABLES

When we think of wearable tech, we often envision smartwatches and fitness trackers worn on the wrist. However, any technology worn on the body qualifies as wearable. Current trends and technology have limited us, but smart rings offer a promising alternative. They enable people to track their health while still wearing traditional watches. These rings demonstrate the potential for jewelry to provide similar features while maintaining fashion sense. For example, earrings that can read body temperature, a feature still uncommon in smartwatches. Our bodies hold a wealth of information, depending on the area you’re examining. Smartwatches and smart rings use light to gather health data, with smartwatches focusing on the wrist and smart rings on the finger. While these areas provide valuable insights, some researchers argue that certain body parts, like the earlobes, offer more accurate biometric data. The Thermal Earrings project is built on medical research, aiming to develop a wearable that is both practical and stylish, particularly for women. The device features two sensors: one clips magnetically to the earlobe to measure body temperature, while the other hangs slightly below to measure room temperature. By comparing data from both sensors, it provides a more precise body temperature reading compared to smartwatches, which struggle to distinguish ambient temperature. This accuracy is important not only for monitoring body temperature but also for women to track ovulation and periods. The small size of the Thermal Earrings poses challenges and opportunities. They consume minimal power and utilize low-power Bluetooth to send data to a smartphone. While theoretically, they could be charged using solar or kinetic energy, developing a reliable charging system is proving challenging. Additionally, since only one earring is needed to measure body temperature, there’s a question about the purpose of the other earring. Should it simply be a non-smart decoy or could it also measure another biometric? The Thermal Earrings pave the way for a new type of wearable accessory. While the current prototype is somewhat constrained by its electronics, it can already be personalized with charms and gemstones. Further exploration into different materials and designs could result in more fashionable styles that women would feel proud to wear.