Urwerk started its journey in 1997 when traditionally-trained Swiss watchmaker Felix Baumgartner and art designer Martin Frei decided to show the world that it was time to change their perception of watches. Thus, these two visionaries embarked on a journey that would change the world of modern-day watchmaking. Despite a rocky start to the company with the founders being afraid that their watches were perhaps too ahead of their time, Urwerk began making profits by the time they released their now-legendary Opus 5 collection in 2005, collaborating with Harry Winston. Currently, almost 24 years since its creation, the company has turned into one of the most recognizable and premium brands with futuristic designs and avant-garde watchmaking. Quite ironic to their design philosophy, the name Urwerk has ancient origins. The prefix Ur comes from the Mesopotamian city of Ur where time was first conceptualized. The term werk has its roots in German meaning work, create and evolve a philosophy that lies at the core of Urwerk watchmaking.
