The Earth, the land we stand on, is hurtling through space at high speed. The UR-10 Space Meter is an ambitious piece from Urwerk that visualizes that speed on a wristwatch. The Earth is "faster" than you might imagine.
Text by Yousuke Ohashi (Chronos-Japan)
Edited by Yukiya Suzuki (Chronos-Japan)
[Article published in the July 2026 issue of Kronos Japan]
Urwerk's challenge: depicting the Earth's rotation and revolution with a needle
Urwerk is known for its futuristic watches with hour satellite movements and a sci-fi feel. However, while this watch may look like a conventional watch at first glance, its concept is typical of the brand. Automatic movement (Cal. UR-10.01). 44 jewels. 28,800 vph. Power reserve of approximately 43 hours. Ti + stainless steel case (diameter 45.40 mm, thickness 7.13 mm). Water resistant to 3 bar. Limited to 25 pieces worldwide. Priced at 70,000 Swiss francs (excluding tax).
The Earth appears to be stationary, but in reality, it rotates at the equator at about 465 meters per second and revolves around the sun at about 30 kilometers per second. In other words, the Earth is "a land traveling at a speed of one second."
Urwerk's UR-10 Spacemeter is a wristwatch that visually displays the Earth's rapid motion: rotation and revolution. While at first glance it looks like a chronograph, it can also display how far the Earth has moved. The sub-counter at 2 o'clock, marked EARTH, indicates the distance the Earth has rotated around the equator, with one revolution taking 22 seconds, equivalent to 10 km. The sub-counter at 4 o'clock displays the distance of the Earth's revolution, moving 1000 km in 34 seconds. Finally, the sub-counter at 9 o'clock, marked ORBIT, moves 1000 km around the equator and 64,000 km in its orbit, completing one revolution in 36 minutes.
These three hands move faster than you might imagine. You would never imagine that the planet you are standing on is moving at such a speed. This watch is truly enlightening, bringing this fact to your very eyes.
Felix Baumgartner, co-founder of Urwerk, said of the film: "In our daily lives, we barely notice how fast the Earth moves. I want this film to make you feel its power."
Rather than measuring time, the movement of the hands allows us to feel the movement of the world we live in. This watch awakens our sense that "the Earth is moving, and at high speeds," something we don't even notice in our daily lives.
It certainly looks modest, but its poetic attempt to express the dynamism of the universe through timekeeping is very much in keeping with Urwerk's style.
