Urwerk UR-150 Scorpion: The Sting of Time

At the heart of the UR-150 is a true mechanical spectacle. For the first time, URWERK has introduced one of the largest retrograde hands ever built, capable of making an instantaneous 240° leap—a motion as aggressive as it is precise. Every 60 minutes, the minute hand snaps back to zero, while the hour satellites rotate in sync to mark the new hour—all in just 1/100th of a second.

This complex mechanism has been completely reengineered. URWERK has moved away from the traditional Maltese cross system in favor of an innovative setup featuring cams, racks, and a specially developed spring, all manufactured in-house. The force of this movement is so intense that it required the addition of a speed regulator, akin to those found in minute repeaters, to control the impact of the retrograde hand’s return.

Despite its technical aggressiveness, the UR-150’s design is far from threatening. Martin Frei, URWERK’s co-founder and creative director, describes the watch as “a balance of tensions”: the curvature of the sapphire crystal and the case forms a smooth, continuous arc that sits comfortably on the wrist. Even the internal components—satellites, hand, and carousel—follow this ergonomic slope, making the UR-150 easy to read without moving your wrist.

The overall aesthetic is a fusion of soft lines and sharp angles. This is a watch that plays with contrast: delicate design versus powerful mechanics, calm looks versus dynamic force. For Frei, this tension is the true essence of beauty.

Beneath its sculptural surface lies the UR-50.01 automatic movement, regulated by twin turbines that protect the rotor from shocks and over-speed, ensuring maximum energy efficiency and shock resistance. The movement delivers a 43-hour power reserve, maintaining perfect isochronism even during its most extreme jumps.

The case measures 42.49 mm x 52.31 mm, with a thickness of 14.79 mm, and comes in two variations:

Titan: sandblasted titanium and steel

Dark: sandblasted titanium with anthracite PVD-treated steel

Both editions are limited to just 50 pieces each.

The UR-150 Scorpion isn’t just a watch—it’s a mechanical performance that puts time on stage. Each hour doesn’t simply pass—it happens, with rare theatricality. The absence of a seconds indicator emphasizes the slow, steady passage of minutes, interrupted only by that brief, thrilling moment when everything resets—and everything begins again...