Hands-On With The URWERK UR-220 Falcon Project CTP Carbon Fiber Watch

Oh boy, I am like a kid in a candy shop right now. This is the kind of stuff that really gets my horological spidey senses tingling. Lately, I have made no secret of the fact I am a big-time URWERK fanboy. I have no regrets and make no apologies for the fact. Today I get to indulge this adoration by going hands-on with one of the latest offerings from the Swiss masters of innovation: the UR-220 Falcon Project.

There is an old saying that you should never meet your heroes because you’ll only be disappointed. I think this has a certain level of aptness for the watch world too. When you see some watches in the metal for the first time, ones that you’ve dreamed about, sometimes that experience can be a little underwhelming. That was not the case with the UR-220 C81 — not at all. This was everything I had dreamed of, and then some.

The Falcon is reborn

Before the spectacular UR-100’s launch in late 2019, the UR-210 was my favorite model. While most of URWERK‘s watches have a distinct futurist, spaceship vibe about them, the UR-210 was the epitome of that trope in my eyes. The sleek, steel, and titanium behemoth was so alluring. Not only the case but also the time display was mesmerizing. Watching the hour “hand” sweep across the lower portion of the dial, only for it to satisfyingly snap back as the next satellite entered the frame was magical. It still is.

…the natural evolution of the UR-210.

Now, URWERK decided it’s time for the UR-210 to evolve. One of the things I love about the brand is its constant strive to innovate and grow. I mean, the UR-210 was already pretty advanced. Even back in 2012, when the Maltese Falcon first landed, it was advanced. That’s still the case today. However, Herr Frei and Herr Baumgartner saw the opportunity to make the UR-210 even better, so they did. Enter the UR-220, the natural evolution of the UR-210.

“Come in, Falcon Project”

Nicknamed “Falcon Project”, the UR-220 is the new and improved sibling of the original “Maltese Falcon”. At first glance, you could be forgiven for thinking not a lot has changed, and yet, so, so much is new. Although some of the key visual aspects of the UR-210 have been carried over, the entire movement has been redesigned from the ground up. The case, which looks so similar to its predecessor, is also radically different. It’s incredibly clever how much is new, and yet to the eye, the UR-220 is so obviously part of this same lineage.

Carbon fibre composite

Let’s start with that incredible case. The UR-220 actually comes with two case material options. The more traditional “All-Black” version with its DLC steel and titanium case is stunning enough, but it is the CTP carbon case of the “Falcon Project”, which really takes the biscuit. The CTP carbon was the material that URWERK chose to lead the UR-220 launch, with the “All-Black” coming a month or so later. It’s this stunning carbon-clad beauty I had in my hands, and wow. Just wow. Sometimes words don’t do justice, and I wish I could just stick with “wow” to describe this thing, but I can’t. That’d be lazy.

So, as I said, this is the CTP carbon. What is CTP carbon? Good question! The CTP stands for “Carbon Thin Ply”. Essentially, the composite is made of thin layers of carbon fibers reinforced in a thermoset epoxy resin. As the carbon fibers are carefully layered, the resulting composite displays the beautiful pattern you can see in the images after careful CNC machining. This is quite different from the other carbon composite commonly used in watchmaking, forged carbon. The carbon fibers are randomly set in that material, so the resulting material is more “chaotic” in its final appearance. The visual uniformity and order of the CTP carbon are more ideally suited to the UR-220 and its futuristic orderliness.

I hope you listened in science class

Apart from the obvious aesthetic benefits (general badass vibes), the more tangible benefits are multiple. Given that carbon composites have long been used in the automotive and aerospace industries, that in itself says a lot. Carbon fiber is a very low-density material with a high strength-to-weight ratio. That’s right; the material is both very lightweight (lighter than titanium!) and very strong. Both of which are qualities prized by watchmakers and enthusiasts alike.

…paying attention in chemistry class was totally worthwhile…

Additionally, carbon fiber is naturally resistant to oxidization due to the carbon-to-carbon bonds’ strength in the chemical composition. See, paying attention in chemistry class was totally worthwhile — that science stuff actually makes sense! This means that carbon fiber is well-suited for environments where it might be exposed to corrosive elements, such as salt-water. Sticking with the science, carbon fiber also has a low CTE (Coefficient of Thermal Expansion). This means it is more heat resistant and less likely to have its shape altered by heat exposure. Yet two more qualities that are useful for watch cases. So, while the CTP carbon fiber case looks infinitely cool and befitting a futuristic timepiece, the associated structural benefits are extremely beneficial.

A brand new engine

Urwerk’s brand-new Calibre UR-7.20 has 59 jewels and stores up to 48 hours of power reserve, operating with a 4Hz frequency. A cursory glance at the movement from the front would have easily fooled most into believing that the engine architecture was the same, but no. The movement has had the same level of scrutiny applied to it as the case, and it has been redesigned and rebuilt from the ground up.

No stone has been left unturned on URWERK’s journey of horological innovation. Sure, the brand’s signature satellite wandering hours complication is ever-present. The trapezoidal prisms used to display the hours command the eye’s gaze as they move across the lower minute track. The “Falcon’s beak” snaps to the new hour as the previous one elapses. The upper corners of the dial display two indicators, the same as the UR-210, but here we have the first change.

…a significantly complex task…

Previously these indicators were for two different uses. One was the power reserve, while the other was a winding efficiency indicator. The Falcon Project sheds the latter and instead features a pair of power reserve indicators, each showing 24 hours. When the movement is wound, the right-hand gauge fills up first, and as soon as it reaches 24 hours of power reserve, the left-hand gauge follows suit.

Splitting the power reserve into two separate indicators was a significantly complex task, requiring 83 individual mechanical parts to achieve. So, why did URWERK remove the winding efficiency indicator? Well, the UR-210’s automatic movement makes way for hand-winding in the UR-220, making the winding efficiency indicator somewhat redundant. This also allows for a thinner movement overall and a reduction in the case thickness (more on that later), which can only be viewed positively!

Crack out the engine oil

Flip the UR-220 over, and you’ll immediately be hit with something novel. The case back has an “Oil Change” indicator. Don’t worry; this is not something you have to do yourself. You are not required to open up your 145,000 CHF timepiece and top up the oil levels. This unique little complication could more accurately be described as a service indicator. It essentially lets you know when it’s time to take your watch in for a service…and an oil change. The more I thought about this, the more I liked it. The elapsed time helps the wearer to track their journey with the watch. Coupled with the new hand-wound movement, the level of personal interaction you have with this watch is far more than you would with an automatic watch.

…the old pay-as-you-go electricity meters from my days in my student accommodation…

The oil change indicator takes the shape of a numerical counter calibrated in months and is shown on two side-by-side rollers. The idea is that the watch’s owner starts the meter after purchase by removing a security pin and pressing the pusher on the watch’s back. I call it a meter as it really reminds me of the old pay-as-you-go electricity meters from my days in my student accommodation — and I mean that positively. From that point onwards, the counter displays the accumulated running time of the watch in months. When it reaches 39 months, it is time to take the watch to URWERK for a service and oil change — at which point the pin is replaced and the counter reset back to zero. In the photograph, the pin has already been removed. Unfortunately, I didn’t get the joy of doing that myself.

Velvet rubber

Even the strap on the UR-220 gets a makeover. Specifically made to complement the carbon case’s contours and lines, the Falcon Project’s strap is the first time URWERK has used rubber. However, this isn’t just any old rubber; it’s vulcarbonized rubber, giving is a smooth velvet-like feel on the skin. It’s exceptional. Perfect sizing is achieved by Velcro fastening.

…the strap is a part of the design…

I have long been a fan of rubber straps – I have hundreds of the things in my strap box, but nothing quite compares to this strap’s comfort. Not even my bellowed FKM rubber straps, which I thought were the second coming of Christ in the rubber strap world when I first discovered them. The UR-220 is pure luxurious comfort on the wrist, in no small part thanks to this strap. When a watch costs as much as the UR-220, the strap almost becomes an afterthought. After all, how can a strap really match up? In Falcon Project’s case, the strap is a part of the design, rather than just a means to affix the watch to a wrist.

Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee

Now it’s fair to say that if you’ve shelled out the required moolah to purchase this watch, you expect it to wear well. You expect a watch that feels worth the price you’ve paid. I am glad to say that this watch’s wearability and comfort allow you to focus on the exceptional horological masterpiece within. It may sting like a bee on visual impact, but it floats like a beautiful butterfly on the wrist.

…newfound svelteness…

I’m not going to try and say this is a small and under-the-radar watch. It’s not, but it’s not meant to be. However, the size has been improved across the evolution from the UR-210. The hand-wound movement allows for a much slimmer case profile, reducing the thickness from a hefty 17.8mm to a very wearable 14.8mm. While 14.8mm isn’t exactly slim per se, it’s slimmer than many dive watches and chronographs. The 43.8mm case width is also very manageable, especially coupled with the newfound svelteness.

The L2L is a lengthy 52.9mm, but I found this was offset massively by integrating the strap to the case. The strap angled down perfectly on my wrist to allow the case to sit perfectly on my wrist. Admittedly, when I first picked up the watch, before strapping it on, I really expected it to be ungainly, but it was a delight to wear. There’s a chance that my infatuation with the watch may be a small contributing factor to this delight!

Mission successful

In all, this is a fantastic watch, albeit one out of the leagues of mere mortals like me. I’ve heard people suggest that URWERK’s watches are just novelties for the rich, but my disagreement was only solidified upon spending time with the UR-220. This is a very serious piece of horological innovation. It transcends the idea of being a novelty and is URWERK displaying its watchmaking chops in ways that other brands could only dream of. The Falcon Project is a resounding success. Want to read more? Take a look at URWERK’s website here.