Earlier this year, avant-garde watchmaker Urwerk unveiled the UR-210 ‘Final Edition’, the last outing of one of its most emblematic timepieces. Launched in 2012, it was nicknamed the ‘Maltese Falcon’, its distinctive minute hand inspired by the beak of the bird. However, its spirit continues in its latest release, the UR-220 (or ‘The Falcon Project’), which retains Urwerk’s unmistakeable design while enhancing the ergonomics of the watch.

One popular and unusual feature that has made a welcome comeback is its quirky ‘oil change’ indicator. Most watch collectors can be guilty of not servicing their watches as often as they should, and this cleverly solves the problem by giving the wearer a handy reminder. Removing a security pin and pressing the pusher on the back starts the log of the movement’s running time. From then, the accumulated time is displayed in months on the rear of the watch; when it clocks in at 36 you know its time to take it into the shop.

The case, too, has been rethought, presented in high-tech carbon comprised of 81 ultra-thin layers of high-resistance 150g CTP carbon compressed into a hard resin. It is not only incredibly strong and lightweight but also aesthetically pleasingly, lending a unique patterned effect to each piece. The attention to detail continues to the strap, the first time the watchmaker has used rubber. However, like anything Urwerk produces it is anything but standard, here cured, moulded and textured using the Vulcarboné process to create a velvet-like feel. Even the typography on the dial has been reimagined to make the hours and minutes even sharper, rendered in Urwerk’s trademark radioactive green.

urwerk.com