Urwerk is an independent watchmaker that makes less than 150 pieces a year, and accordingly, each model is available in very limited numbers.
As a result of such a low production volume to make entirely new timepieces at Urwerk — the older models have to be discontinued. This is not such a bad thing in an industry that tends to produce way too many SKUs by brand. Managing and marketing excessive SKUs can result in reduced efficiency and profitability which in turn can be passed on to the consumer in the form of higher pricing, and perhaps worst of all if the watches are not turning over quickly enough discounts are often applied which ultimately reduces the resale value of the watch.
Thankfully, with minimal SKUs and an annual production that barely exceeds a dozen watches a month, at Urwerk, and many independents, you’re not likely paying for slow-selling models which are inflating the prices of the best-selling core watch references, nor are you typically having to contend with poor resale issues.
With this being said, today, Urwerk announced the UR-105 TTH “Tantalum Hull” which will be available in a limited edition of 12 pieces for a retail price of $88,000. Crafted from tantalum, a precious metal that has a distinctive blue-gray hue, and with a weight comparable to platinum (heavy), the natural look is similar to something that’s received a gray or anthracite coating — but this is the metal’s natural color.
Like with other Urwerk timepieces, the cover (or “hull” in this instance), pops open to reveal the mechanics beneath. Time indications can be read with or without the cover closed. Hours are indicated by a rotating carousel with the respective current large Arabic hour visible on the satellite, and with the current minutes indicated on the horizontal retrograde minute track via the vertical dash below each hour marker. Seconds are indicated by a wheel combined with a blue frame surrounding the current 10-second increment as the seconds wheel rotates in a circle. A crescent-shaped power reserve display sits in the lower portion of the dial, opposite the running seconds.
Flip the watch over and you can view the twin turbines which regulate the automatic winding of the timepiece. They can be fine-tuned to maximize performance by adjusting the level between “FULL,” “RED.” (REDUCED), and “STOP.”
The Urwerk UR-105 TTH “Tantalum Hull” measures 38.5 mm in diameter, 53 mm in length, and 17.8 mm in thickness. Water-resistance is rated to 30 meters. Each watch is paired with Vulcarbon© rubber reference “Kiska” strap with black DLC buckle. This is the last edition of the UR-105 CT, and ends the 105 line.
