Urwerk is a brand that always loves to look beyond Earth’s atmosphere into the depths of the universe. Founders Martin Frei and Felix Baumgartner have a passion for outer space (and Star Trek) and translate that in a unique way into their timepieces. Many of them look like they have been created as a spaceship, or at least to be worn when you are traveling on one.

With their signature wandering hours displayed within their collection through a wide variety of satellite configurations, they have created a universe of their own within the watch world. Among them, the UR-100 might not be the most extreme version, but (first) looks can be deceiving, in particular when it concerns the UR-100V Stardust.

Urwerk UR-100V Stardust

Let’s talk diamonds

Before I go into the watch itself, I first would like to highlight what gives this Urwerk the name ‘Stardust.’ This is a reference to the brilliant-cut diamonds that decorate the timepiece. As their fire and scintillation show a lot of resemblance with twinkling stars in the sky, the connection is obvious; the setting on the Urwerk, however, is not.

Four hundred diamonds are used on the UR-100V to create a spectacular effect. As the total carat weight is close to 1.90 carats, you can already deduct that the diamonds are all relatively small. Felix Baumgartner explained during Geneva Watch Days that the cost of setting these diamonds on the Urwerk is greater than the value of the stones combined.

Urwerk UR-100V Stardust snow setting

Being a brand with a profound love for mechanics, Urwerk values diamonds beyond their aesthetic qualities. While playing their role in the overall design of the UR-100V Stardust, their setting is profoundly technical. Urwerk opted for a so-called snow-setting. This type of setting was pioneered by Jaeger-LeCoultre but widely adopted in the industry. It combines brilliant-cut diamonds of various sizes, which are seemingly placed at random.

A snow setting requires quite a bit of planning, as the setter has to figure out where to put each diamond to achieve the desired effect. With the UR-100V Stardust, a marvelous job was done, as I don’t recall seeing a snow setting so tightly packed. This tremendous skill is even more visible near the lower lugs of the Urwerk, which dip down. The diamonds smoothly follow this curve with unbelievable precision. It takes a very gifted setter to achieve this.

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