Last saturday was the third European GTG for Horomundi members. The joy of meeting fellow watch aficionados and sharing our passion for fine watches didn’t last long enough…

After attending the first European GTG in November 2007, i just can’t get enough of these kind of meetings. The second European GTG, a two day event, was also the launch of Holland’s most prestigious watch brand Grönefeld with the Grönefeld GTM-06. I could inform you about the activities, organized by Wim, Horomundi moderator the Glashütte-Original forum…. However let that just be a sweet memory for those present and go on to the part most of us are moved by… the watches!

Rene Marx from Glashütte Original came all the way from Germany to share the afternoon with us and show Glashütte Original’s novelties from Baselworld. Not only this year’s novelties where present, but also two watches which, in my opinion, do not get enough attention, the Senator Chronometer and the Senator Sixties collection.

During such a meeting everyone wears at least one, but usually two watches. Most people find this the best way to bring their two favorite watches. Late in the afternoon i shot some photos of the wrists present, however i didn’t photograph everyone’s wrist. The watches missing in the photo collection below: Grönefeld GTM-06 in platinum, URWERK 103T Mexican Fireleg, Bremont MB2, Rolex Airking, my own d.m.h and probably several more.

The GTG was, again, something unique. Getting the chance to see 3 URWERK’s, a Jean Daniel Nicholas tourbillon and 2 Grönefeld’s GTM-06… my goodness! A mere mortal does not often get the chance to see so many beautifully crafted and finished, complex and highly complicated watches at once.

Here are’s a photo Ian Skellern made of the 3 URWERK’s:  103T Mexican Fireleg, 103T AlTiN and a black 103 that i have never seen before.

In the evening Tim and Bart Grönefeld presented their new watch, the Grönefeld One Hertz. I’m still very much impressed with the independent deadbeat seconds and because this mechanism is incredibly rare, the chance you’ll find it on other watches is next to zero. When there’s more news, maybe a video of how the deadbeat seconds mechanism works, i will keep you informed of course.

One last photo of this spectacular day…. the table shot!

Thanx to Wim for organizing this great GTG again, thanx to Glashütte-Original for presenting their collection, thanx to Tim and Bart Grönfeld for telling us more about the new One Hertz and thanx to Ian Skellern for letting me use some of his photos.

To read more about the third European Horomundi GTG visit Horomundi forum.

One of the most interesting places at Baselworld was The Dream Factory. Located in the Palace pavillon, URWERK, MB&F, Peter Speake-Marin and Christophe Claret displayed their incredibly beautiful horological machines.

URWERK celebrates the 7th anniversary of its 103 collection the two new 103T models and at the same time says farewell, since the production of the collection will end at the end 2010. After last year’s 103T Tarantula and 103T in grey and red gold it’s time to present the 103T Mexican Fireleg and Shiny-T.

The 103 T Mexican Fireleg will be limited to 60 pieces and the Shiny T to only 33 pieces. And from 2011 on… no 103 models anymore. The Mexican Fireleg is quite a funky design with it’s orange hour and minute markers. The Shiny-T stands out because of it’s sapphire hour disks, a nice detail… or actually more than just a nice detail. It reveals more of the satellite turning inside the orbital cross.

The new Urwerk UR-103T models have the manually wound calibre 3.03 movement, which operates at a frequency of 21,600 vibrations per hour and offers a 43-hour power reserve. The front side indicates hours and minutes. The back side features a control panel with the power reserve display, a 15-minute and seconds setting dial, as well as an hour adjustment screw.

Both models are available in AITiN-treated steel or 18K gold and are 50mm x 36mm and 13.5mm thick. And i must add, it wears very comfortable and looks very elegant/design/funky/different/cool.

Conversation with Martin Frei

During the meeting Martin Frei, co-founder of URWERK joined us and talked about the different ways to display time. He says that on a watch with hour and minute hands, it’s easy to see know the hand’s position for the next meeting. This way you will have a visual picture of ‘the future’. URWERK’s watches display time in a linear way which makes the experience of past and future completely different.

Martin tells about a conversation he once had about the way the ancient Greeks looks at time. They didn’t have the same consciousness of time like we do. We have a reasonably clear picture of the past and many plans for the future. The ancient Greeks much more lived in the present. This is way of experiencing time has more similarities with the way URWERK displays time.

I never thought of it this way, but since the fascinating conversation, it’s on my mind every time i look at my wrist. So now i will have to buy an URWERK? If that only was possible. To me these timepieces are the summum of futuristic looks, daring design and technical apogee.

If you’re considering buying a URWERK 103 T model, than make up your mind fast. The limited production stop at the end of this year.

Next year URWERK will come with something new… but what? All i can say is that it might have a date function.

Another interesting day at Baselworld… and besides several meetings and running into some of the very best watchmakers on planet earth during a book-signing, it was also time to finally get my new MIH Watch!

Today the book 12 Faces of Time was officially released with a book-signing. Elizabeth Doerr, writer, and Ralf Baumgarten, photographer, really did an excellent job. Not only is the book great, later more about that, the book-signing was one of the most interesting events during the Baselworld fair. At least for me as an admirer of independent watchmakers.

12 Faces of Time is actually a piece of art about the art of watchmaking. It’s very stylish, designed beautifully and Ralf Baumgarten’s photography perfectly suit the style of the interviews. This perfect match between the style of interviews and photos is something that absolutely adds to the joy of reading this book.

Another thing i really like, is the personal approach of the interviews. It’s no attempt to let a watchmaker describe his own watchmaking chronology, no it’s about the watchmaker, his vision, his drive and motivation. These are the factors that matter, as they are critical for the timepieces created by these watchmakers.

If you like mechanical watches, whether it be TAG Heuer, Omega, Rolex, Panerai, Patek Philippe or watches made by independent watchmakers, than this book will surely be a bonus to the experience of your passion. The book ’12 Faces of Time’ can be bought online from Amazon or other bookstores.

By the way, I can also recommend the interview Tom Mulraney from The Watch Lounge did with Elizabeth Doerr.

Earlier on day three i had maybe my most interesting conversation at Baselworld. It was with Martin Frei, designer and creative genius, and together with Felix Baumgartner co-founder of URWERK. In a following blog story i’ll share more of this conversation and the newest URWERK 103T Shining T (see photo above) and Mexican Fireleg and the URWERK 203.

Last but not least, the moment to strap my new MIH Watch on my wrist had finally arrived. From the hands of Beat Weinmann, engine behind the birth of the MIH Watch and manager of watch store The Embassy in Luzern, Switzerland. Later more about the MIH Watch, but for now the first wristshot (although it’s a crappy photo).

URWERK released a new version in the 200 collection, the URWERK 203. It’s main difference with the rest of the collection, is that it reveals its micro-mechanics for all to see.

The URWERK 203′s case is made of black platinum, a great addition next to the rose & white gold and the AlTiN coated URWERK 202. AITiN was also used for the URWERK 103 Tarantula. However the main difference is it shows the robotic functions of URWERK’s mechanisms to show time.

Robotics? Yes robotics, because URWERK doesn’t use an hour and minute hand like the majority of mechanical watches. The satellite complication is the nerve centre of the UR-203, crafted from ARCAP P40, a stable non-ferrous and non-magnetic alloy. The intricate structure is skelletonized to reveal the internal clockwork. Within the UR-203 the cams, the rubies and the transporters that ensure the alignment of the telescopic hands indicating the minutes, are all revealed.

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-203 to display the time across a large easy-to-read, dial. Retracted, they allow for a smaller, comfortably sized case providing the wearer with the best of both worlds.

To make a stripped down model distilled to its pure essence, like Martin Frei (URWERK co-founder and designer) wanted, they had to start again at the beginning. Felix Baumgartner, URWERK co-founder and master watchmaker, says they sat down at the drawing board and completely reconsidered the satellite module. “The horological challenge with this complication was to develop a complex mechanism with the minimum of components to ensure its reliability and longevity.”

Now the carousel, hour satellites, telescopic minute hands and dial weigh 65% less than the proceeding model (UR-202). The satellite complication now tips the scales at a feather-light 3.57 grams.

Click on the photo to enlarge

The dial shows an «Oil Change» indicator and a 150 year «Horological Odometer». The «Oil Change» indicator informs the wearer when a service is due; an operation recommended every three years of movement operation. Similar to the odometer of a car, the UR-203′s «Horological Odometer» keeps track of the total number of years of operation of the movement.

The UR-203 is also equipped with URWERK’s double turbine system, the same automatic winding system that is used in the watches of the 200 collection. The turbines are mounted on rubies and are controlled by a three-position lever offering the choice of « FREE », « SPORT » or « STOP ». The position determines the force available from the automatic rotor to wind the mainspring. FREE, where the turbines spin freely; SPORT, where the air pressure generated by the turbines reduces the winding rate by approximately 35%; and STOP, where the turbines and rotor are fully blocked. The speed of the turbines can reach a maximum 16,500 RPM.

Check out the URWERK website for more details and other models.