The Urwerk UR-230 will be joining the UR-210 and UR-220 in the historical pieces collection with the release of the final reference called the Black Star. The 230 lineage began with the Eagle in 2023, and followed through the Polaris in 2024, and this week, closing out 2025, we’re getting the Black Star, which ramps up the drama from the previous two, and serves as a fitting endcap to the series that represents the most contemporary expression of Urwerk’s unconventional design language.
While the previous two entries in this series featured cases rendered in carbon TPT, the Black Star uses a newly developed composite ceramic over a titanium core. The result is matte black with shimmering reflections that give the watch its somewhat oxymoronic name Black Star. Urwerk claims the inspiration being a collapsing star in the process of presumably becoming a black hole, which “absorbs every ray of light… only to release it on its own terms”, an apparent nod to Hawking radiation, which is the only form of light escaping from such an environment (that I am aware of, at least).
Urwerk have long had a knack for inventive storytelling, and a part of that is the story of these names. There’s nothing all that imaginative about the reference numbers we often throw around to denote certain watches, almost robbing them of their true identity to all but the most knowledgeable enthusiasts. The Black Star, Polaris, and Eagle all elicit an emotional reaction of some sorts, firing up a child-like imagination about what it might look like, and when it comes to Urwerk, that vision rarely disappoints.
As cool as the case is, it kind of takes a back seat to what’s happening within the dial itself. This is Urwerk’s most expressive wandering hours arrangement tracking against a 3D retrograde minutes display. A large carriage swings back to pick each new hour as it rotates into place, and it’s all pointed directly at the viewer. There is no hood here, with the full carriage on display under an expansive sapphire crystal. Powering the display is the caliber UR-7.30 with dual turbines regulating the automatic winding system (which can even be deactivated).
The black theme continues within the dial itself, with bright yellow accents highlighting the pertinent information. A vulcanized rubber strap with a stepped design and a velcro fastening system is rendered in the same yellow. The unconventional case measures 44.8mm x 53.5mm, so that strap is doing a lot of the heavy lifting. The shape and lightweight construction keep it within reasonable territory on the wrist, but if we’re being honest, this probably isn’t a great daily wear candidate.
The Urwerk UR-230 Black Star is a 35 piece limited edition, and is priced at $198,000. This will undoubtedly give way to a new generation of the platform in the coming years, as we’ve seen it evolve from the 210 series. Whatever follows will likely share a similar base design structure, but with Urwerk, no bet is safe. Urwerk