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!
