Urwerk Puts A New Spin On The 110 With The 120 ‘Spock’

The Urwerk 110 has been an icon for the brand, producing some amazing editions and collaborations since its introduction nearly 10 years ago. This year, the platform gets a new generation with the introduction of the 120, which has been given the nickname of ‘Spock’ for reasons that will be clear when seen in action. The 120 is a push toward a more wearable case, and with smoother edges, trimmed dimensions, and articulating lugs it looks to be just that. Gone is the dramatic angularity of the 110, replaced by sweeping lines and a clear field of view into the simplified interior. The satellite theme remains, tracking time along a single edge of the case, but how it’s gone about it this time, is a bit different.

The 120 Spock naturally comes with the ‘live long and prosper’ tagline as the orbiting hour satellites are no longer single cubes, but rather two-piece objects that split and rotate along their axis to change the hour, and in the process create a V not dissimilar to the hand gesture made by the most famous Vulcan of the Star Trek universe. Each block splits, rotates, and rejoins itself prior to catching the minute track along the right side of the dial. The design doubles the drama, but in moving to the new layout, has lost the quirky oil change indicator and running seconds hand seen in the 110.

Overall the execution feels a bit cleaner, and this being the introductory reference of the new 120, keeps things relatively straightforward in terms of color palette. I’d expect to see that change with new variants to come in the near future. To me, Urwerk is at their best when they balance unexpected applications of color within their highly unique shapes; that’s where I expect the 120 to truly shine in its maturity. 

The smoother case design welcomes a new set of articulating lugs that should create a more natural fit on the wrist. A welcome consideration that again shows the brand’s thinking in attempting to translate their designs into more wearable objects without compromising on creativity. That said, the 120’s sandblasted titanium case is still 47 mm wide and 44 mm long with a thickness in the middle of 15.8mm.

Inside, Urwerk is using the new UR-20.01 to control the more complex maneuvers of the hour blocks, which now consist of 6 elements rather than 3. Inside, there’s a lyre-shaped spring which opens and then closes the satellite before and after the rotation. The governed rotor is visible through a small exhibition window around back, which is dominated by parallel grooves. 

The Urwerk 120 is available from retailers now, and starts from 100,000CHF. Urwerk.