Urwerk’s UR 230 Polaris watch was inspired by 2001: A Space Odyssey

Check out this new timepiece which looks like a spacecraft from a movie

By Nathan S.R Published December 11, 2024

Urwerk UR 230 Polaris — Urwerk UR 230 Polaris Urwerk / Urwerk

Popular for its high-end watches, Urwerk always rolls out pioneering timepieces with unique elements into the market. The latest watch, Urwerk UR 230 Polaris, is inspired by a classic sci-fi movie: 2001: A Space Odyssey.

Every single detail—from the casing’s design to the color scheme—has a space-like theme. To be more precise, the overall color scheme is influenced by the Discovery One spacecraft from Space Odyssey.

Recommended Videos

While most Urwerk watches have dark color accents, the UR-230 Polaris side is unique, thanks to its bright shades. From Urwerk’s perspective, switching from a darker hue to a brighter color changes the brand’s primary aesthetics, redefining the conventional way of doing things.

Brighter colors are quite effective in accentuating elements featured on the dial, so this was definitely a smart move.

The casing is constructed with a ceramic composite, a product of two materials—fiberglass and ceramic. The top sheet is also covered by a resin that highlights white accents.

According to Felix Baumgartner, Urwerk’s co-founder, “These materials are heat-sintered, which makes them prone to shattering in case of a strong impact. We had to go past that limitation. So we decided to develop a ceramic, by and for ourselves. Thanks to the glass fibers it contains, it doesn’t break.”

Apart from that, geometrical curves on the casing can create a beautiful light interplay that complements white shades with a shiny appearance.

Just like other Urwerk watches, the dial is characterized by an open-work design, which offers beautiful views of the mechanical movement. Since the dial has dark elements, it stands out elegantly.

The watch is equipped with the Calibre UR-7.30 for high-quality performance and precision, which delivers a 48-hour power reserve.

Only 35 pieces will be launched into the market, and each will retail at $169,491.

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Nathan has devoted his life to collecting watches, studying horology, reviewing watches, and writing about timepieces. As a…

Topics

Watches

Fashion & Style

Lancia and Eberhard unveil a bold new HF watch celebrating racing heritage

Lancia and Eberhard & Co. launch HF luxury watch honoring iconic racing legacy

The 'High Fidelity' timepiece up close

Bringing together the finest in Italian design and Swiss watchmaking mastery, Lancia and Eberhard & Co. have teamed up to create the Lancia HF ('High Fidelity') luxury watch — a striking timepiece that revels in the brand’s iconic motorsport history. The collaboration marks another milestone in Lancia’s resurgence, merging cutting-edge technology with timeless racing heritage.

Released at Lancia Design Day, the HF timepiece epitomizes the fearless spirit of the brand’s legendary High Fidelity (HF) performance badge, a symbol of speed and innovation. Eberhard & Co., a Swiss watchmaker revered since 1887, has masterfully crafted a chronograph reflecting Lancia’s dynamic aesthetic while upholding the highest standards of precision engineering.

Fashion & Style

From regatta to deep sea: The top maritime watches for serious collectors

From regatta-ready chronographs to deep-sea divers, these five luxury watches dominate the high seas.

The Rolex Yacht Master series, up close.

When navigating high society and the open seas, possessing a luxury sailing watch becomes a statement piece that opens doors, recognized as a masterclass in engineering. There is a wide range of exceptional maritime watches on the market today, but the best sailing watches are able to impeccably combine precision tide tracking, anti-corrosive robustness, and exceptional accuracy, all while retaining an elevated look of sophistication. No matter what your current status is as a sailor, sea explorer, or collector, these luxury maritime watches from top luxury brands have been designed to make a statement.

Rolex Yacht-Master II: The regatta chronograph

Fashion & Style

Casio brings back its impossibly small ring watch

Second chance: Casio's miniature ring watch returns to American market

Casio Ring Watch CRW001-1

Casio announced the US restock of its Ring Watch CRW001-1 on July 1st, bringing back the small timepiece that sold out quickly after it came out in America in late 2024. The restock follows successful lottery sales in the UK and Japan, showing that people around the world want this digital watch that goes on a finger.
The Ring Watch CRW001-1 shows Casio's bold way of looking at wearable technology—it shrinks standard digital watch functions into a ring that measures only 25.2mm across and weighs 16 grams. Even though it is small, the timepiece keeps necessary features, including support for two time zones, a stopwatch that measures 1/100th of a second, and hourly flash alerts.
Casio US confirmed the July 1st restock on Instagram, saying the watch would only be available through the brand's online store, not in physical shops. Compared to the lottery systems in other places, American customers will buy the watch in the order they arrive—this might cause a lot of competition among people who collect things and those who like technology.
The small digital screen has a backlight so you can see it in different light. The stainless steel build makes it sturdy, even though it is small. The ring fits size 22 fingers (US 10.5, EU U), and you can adjust it down to size 19 (19mm inner diameter) or size 16 (18mm inner diameter).
The engineering needed to put normal digital watch parts into a ring shape shows how well they made it. The 1/100th second stopwatch is as exact as bigger Casio watches. Travelers who want to check the time without others knowing will like the two-time zone feature.
Casio did not say the exact restock time but told interested customers to sign up for email notifications about when it would be ready. That way may help manage the internet traffic while making sure serious buyers learn about buying chances in time.
The Ring Watch's appeal shows more people are interested in other types of wearable devices, not just ones worn on the wrist. Casio's good result with this unusual approach shows that people want new watch designs that question common ideas about what a watch should look like.
The quick sellout after the US launch, along with international lottery systems, suggests that collectors are very interested and that the watch might sell for more later. Casio has not said anything about more restocks in other places after the July 1st US availability, keeping the watch special.
This restock gives American buyers a second chance to get one of the most noticeable wearable technology releases of the year, bringing together Casio's history with digital watches and its push to make things very small.