Over the years, the people over at Urwerk have come up with a pretty comprehensive line of watches, all included in the 103 family. However, back in the first half of 2008, the watchmaker has decided to finally move on and inaugurated the 202 collection with the UR-202 model, touted to be the world's first watch to use compressed air for winding purposes.
One of the most interesting innovations encountered in the case of the UR-202 is the fact that the rotating vanes used in the past have been replaced by miniature twin turbines (miniature air compressors), which are coupled with the winding rotor. According to the position of the selector lever, the turbines act as shock absorbers, cushioning the sharp movements of the rotor and thus reducing wear and increasing the lifespan of the movement.
Furthermore, the turbine system is totally self-contained within the waterproof case, which provides a better level of protection even when the user decides to go for some extreme sports-related activities. The air flows from under the turbines and is channeled up past them under a sapphire plate and down through holes leading to a tiny air chamber.
The turbines are controlled by a 3-position selector switch. This functions by adjusting the level of air compression the turbines generate by selectively regulating the amount of air flowing from inside the case. The device doesn't really tell the time in the manner you might be accustomed to, since one can find out the exact hour and minute by watching the telescopic minute hands operating through the middle of three orbiting and revolving hour satellites.
The telescopic minute hands precisely adjust their length to follow the three vectors marking the minutes: 0 -14, 15 - 44, 45 - 60. Extended, they enable the UR-202 to display the time across a large easy-to-read, dial. Retracted, they allow for a very wearable and comfortably sized case; thus providing the wearer with the best of both worlds. Another interesting feature included in the U-202 is the fine-tuning screw, a precision adjustment function allowing the user the possibility of adjusting the watch's timing up to 30 seconds +/- per day. This enables the watch to be adapted to changing lifestyle or wearing habits which may influence the timing.
The half-slotted adjustment screw points to a surrounding scale clearly defining its function. It's also important to point out the fact that, while the URWERK satellites display accurate time, when setting the time the exact minutes and seconds may be needed. The dual-dials featuring a 15-minute and seconds indication provide this information.
All of these features are included on the control board, placed on the back of the watch. Since it's the latest product coming out of the Urwerk laboratories, the U202 is not exactly very cheap, so you'll be able to find it somewhere in the 50,000 - 100,000 US dollars price range.
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