Wind Me Up: Urwerk Wind Powered Watch

Urwerk is getting a lot of notice right now. Not for it’s quirky company name, but for it’s UR 202 wind-powered watch that is quite the hit among high rolling technophiles, stylephiles and ecophiles alike. The watch, which uses compressed air from integrated wind turbines and kinetic energy to keep ticking, is made by third generation Swiss watchmaker, Felix Baumgartner and his design partner, Martin Frei. The pair, who met in 1995, shared a passion for design and a desire to take form and function to the next level.

While the use of air-friction isn’t new in the world of clocks (since the 18th century, it has been used in chiming clocks), the Urwerk design duo refined the systems to include dual turbines in their 202 model to automatically wind and prevent over-winding the classic timepiece.

The first series of watches out from this team ran around $150,000 USD. So, there is no doubt that these pretty pieces will be pricey. While the price point may not be realistic for the masses, the UR 202 creates an interesting intersection between technology and design while bringing time and space a little closer together.