Urwerk Marks 10 Years of the EMC with the SR-71
Urwerk’s highly technical and unique approach to watchmaking is captured in the EMC SR-71, a limited edition of 10 pieces to mark the 10th anniversary of a model that has a built-in user-regulation device. This edition boasts a special and tangible link to military aviation with a crank handle from alloy retrieved from the fuselage of an SR-71 “Blackbird”, the famous Cold War-era, supersonic spy plane. Initial thoughts Although sci-fi and even extravagant in terms of mechanics, materials, and shapes, Urwerk timepiece have a certain hyper-functional, instrument-like quality to them. Trademark features like the “oil change” indicator make its watches feel like actual pieces of machinery. The original EMC was launched in 2014 as an endeavour in blending traditional watchmaking with contemporary electronics and micro computing technology. Though advanced, the EMC complication is esoteric and never really gained traction. However, for a specific niche of watch geeks and nerds, the EMC is an intriguing and original idea. The bit of an SR-71 “Blackbird” in the watch adds to the geeky appeal without being too gimmicky. The EMC is not the only watch with a piece of the SR-71 in it – in fact other such watches are mostly far less expensive – but it is certainly the most advanced and innovative. The Blackbird connection Fundamentally identical in terms of function and mechanics, the EMC SR-71 is special because it features components made from an alloy recast from t...
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