For the new Urwerk EMC TimeHunter White Ceramic the nickname „Stormtrooper“ was chosen. Everyone who knows Baumgartner & Frei is not surprised by this choice because of their love of science fiction and the heavy influence of the Star Wars universe on their own designs over the years. The signature armour of the Stormtrooper was an instant icon ever since it appeared on screen in 1977. The Stormtrooper was designed to intimidate but also to look super cool and super clean.
The EMC Stormtrooper evokes the same characteristics. The whole watch belongs like it belongs in a sci-fi movie, and for this limited edition the white ceramic case set it apart from the previous models, indeed all previous Urwerk watches. Because gone is the trademark black look, as the manufacture embraces white for the first time in its history.
The EMC TimeHunter Stormtrooper belongs to the Ur-Chronometry family, which encompasses Urwerk watchmaking concepts dedicated to outstanding precision. An EMC TimeHunter is essentially a dual measuring instrument. Its appearance and even its surface all signal its nature. The EMC Stormtrooper is crafted from steel and its caseback from titanium. Its aesthetic is not round, square or cushion-like, nor indeed any of Urwerk’s signature indefinable shapes. This hyper-technical machine hugs the contours of the movement inside and submits to the constraints of its various organs. It is not symmetrical, regular, flat or curved, yet remains aesthetically pleasing and distinctive, embodying a truly unique personality.
Moreover, its stainless steel „hood“ is micro-beadblasted and then given a hard, matt ceramic lacquer-type treatment. As a result, the surface of the EMC TimeHunter „Stormtrooper“ has a grainy finish reminiscent of military equipment. The case measures 43 mm in diameter and 51 mm in length and is water-resistant up to 3 atm.
The same functionalism reigns on the dial with its matt black surfaces. Each indication zone has its own clearly marked space. Each unit is painted with fluorescent green Super-LumiNova to perfect the contrasts. In addition to the main dial with its chequered hand grenade pattern, which displays the hours and minutes, the EMC TimeHunter features a smal disc-type seconds hand at 1 o’clock, graduated in five-second increments. It is complemented by a power-reserve indicator at 7 o’clock.
The indications linked to the chronometric monitoring function are concentrated at 11 o’clock and indicated by the „EM Control“ marking on the screw-down bezel.
At the very heart of the EMC concept lies an electronic/mechanical system that makes each of these timepieces one-of-a-kind, bestriding two worlds. It is an entirely mechanical watch, optimised with the help of an electro-optical circuit. Designed exclusively for the EMC collections, the UR-EMC2 calibre is entirely crafted, finished, assembled and adjusted by Urwerk.
It incorporates an electronic module whose function it is to measure the rate of the mechanical part. It has its own power source, separate from the rest of the movement. On one side the engine, on the other, the control unit. These two integrated units make the EMC TimeHunter a truly wearer-adjustable watch.
The hand-wound movement works at a frequency of 4 Hz and offers a power reserve of a maximum of 80 hours.
The EMC TimeHunter Stormtrooper is a very limited edition of only 5 pieces.