In celebration of the emerging art scene and also its 25th birthday, independent Swiss watchmaker URWERK has teamed up with American contemporary artist Cooper Jacoby for a one-of-a-kind timepiece based on its iconic UR-102, dubbed the UR-102 “Reloaded”.
Not many UR-102 were produced back in the days when it was released and this one won’t be an easy pick since it is a single-piece example that will go on the block on December 10, 2022, at the first-ever TimeForArt sale organized by the Swiss Institute Contemporary Art New York. The watch will be auctioned under the auspices of Phillips.
The UR-102 “Reloaded” features the Swiss watchmaker’s signature wandering hour indicator but the dial face is now decorated with a lot more details, including the brief of the beginning of the brand, complete with the date “10 APR 1997” that started it all, and a clear marking of the minutes.
The star feature of this one-off example is the thermochromic pigments used. This pigment enables the dial to change color in response to thermal variations. This means the dial changes color based on the environment temperature and your bodily temperature. This also means an everchanging look as the day goes by which, IMHO, is lovely eye candy. It felt almost like the URWERK UR-102 X Cooper Jacoby aka UR-102 “Reloaded” was reborn for the 21st century.
The watch is powered by a satin-brushed finished caliber 2.02 automatic movement with 28,880 vph, 25 jewels, and 48 hours of power reserve. The movement is packed inside a 41 mm case featuring a titanium case middle and titanium lugs while the dial is shielded by a shaped sapphire crystal.
It is rated at 30 meters (3 ATM or about 98 feet) for water resistance, and the timepiece is paired with a handsome Baltimora fabric strap with a sandblasted finished titanium pin buckle.
The watch is estimated to fetch US$40,000-80,000.
All images courtesy of URWERK.
