First Take: The Urwerk AMC, An Atomic Clock-Controlled Take On The Breguet Sympathique

Urwerk has a long history of experimenting with high accuracy timekeeping. Their most recent experiment in this arena is the Urwerk AMC. AMC stands for “Atomic Master Clock” and the basic idea behind the AMC is a very old one: you have a portable watch, which may keep time reasonably accurately but you would like to have it be corrected by a more accurate time standard from time to time.

The first watchmaker to experiment with this idea was Abraham Lous Breguet. His Sympathique clocks and watches consisted of a pocket watch that could be docked to a high precision pendulum clock, which would automatically set the watch and wind it. The Urwert AMC takes this idea and brings it into the 21st century: the master clock is no longer a high precision pendulum clock with a constant force escapement, but an atomic clock. Let’s take a closer look at how the inspiration of one of watchmaking’s greatest geniuses has been reinterpreted by one of modern watchmaking’ s most innovative companies.

[snazzy]

This is absurd in every way imaginable. I want it.

[jboomhauer]

Good luck getting through airport security with that thing.

[DanboShaw]

This is hilarious. Even if the Urwerk watch is regulated to COSC specs and set to the correct time, after a few hours it still might be further off than a quartz G-Shock. Even if the Urwerk is synced on a daily basis, if the G-Shock has Multiband 6 (and hence can automatically sync with the NIST atomic clock like the G-Shock Rangeman), the quartz watch will still be more accurate for most of the day.

But as the ultimate horological toy for someone with more money than he knows what to do with, I can see the spirit of this Urwerk thing.

[thesilverphist]

set it to 1985 baby we're going back to the future

[richardscott]

Hot damn Jack!!! You come up with some intriguing watch topics. For what its worth, (and it ain’t much), my personal well done. Thanks.

[sectrialsectrial]

The oldest guy on this team is the best at conveying a great explanation and sounding delightfully human! Amazing!

[FinnishPanther]

And here I was thinking the Juicero was the most over-engineered thing on the planet. Love this thing though, absolutely beautiful.

[southport]

okay, this is fucking awesome. i can't believe there are red-blooded adult males out there who wouldn't find this cool as anything... i mean, remember loving gadgets as a kid? put your inner watch snob aside for a minute and just dig this as a cool gadget. reminds me aesthetically of old nagra reel to reels.

[garyabrahams]

Very stupendously cool, for the aficionado with serious dosh of course.

[Corndog]

Wow! Can’t say much else. Very very cool

[lexidium]

Only two words spring to mind . . . . . Heath Robinson!

[valour]

Whats the price for this little baby then?

[mrmichaellepp]

God bless all the people who hate Urwerk. It keeps their prices more stable for the rest of us 😂

[brandonbuehler]

Feels quite timely (yes, pun) and political.

[hagakureone]

My wife would kill me if i bring this home and she ask me what is this? And i say a timekeeper

[valebliz]

Sorry but i really don't get this, looks like the definition of gimmick to me.

[maksuree]

What a waste of scientific labor. Atomic clocks belong in a laboratory, fuelling important research and providing free and open synchronicity to the world's timekeeping organisations.

They should not be a rich man's plaything.