Urwerk: 64 watches with prices

Urwerk Watches

Founded in 1997 by master watchmaker Felix Baumgartner and designer Martin Frei, Urwerk is built on the principle of crafting Haute Horlogerie watches using traditional craftsmanship and futuristic looks. Most of the brand’s timepieces are space-age looking and offer complicated displays of time. It has become one of the most sought-after independent brands by collectors and has even starred on the wrist of Robert Downey Jr in his role as Tony Stark, aka, Ironman.

History of Urwerk

On December 31st, 1995, Martin Frei organized a New Year party for students in a squat in Lucerne. He had invited his friend Christoph Draeger, who brought his cousin, Felix Baumgartner, a watchmaking apprentice. Shortly before midnight, the party was in full swing, with everyone dancing and shouting. However, Martin and Felix had found each other and were in a deep philosophical conversation about time and its perception.

The rest, as they say, is history. Felix Baumgartner and Martin Frei presented their first watch during the Baselworld watch fair in 1997, and since then, the brand has created numerous timepieces that always challenge the way we read time. The brand now employs 16 people and produces 150 watches a year.

The name Urwerk is a play on the German word for clockwork “Uhrwerk.” The “Ur” comes from the ancient Sumerian city known for its large sundials, and the “werk” comes from the German word for “work” or “creation.”