Urban Jürgensen made its comeback earlier this year with an impressive line-up that includes the flagship UJ-1 Tourbillon. Much of the credit for the brand’s watches and watchmaking goes to Kari Voutilainen. Mr Voutilainen has imbued Urban Jürgensen’s watches with the high standards of quality synonymous with his own brand, resulting in watches that are equally exquisitely craft and steeply priced, but arguably worth it.

Though best known for his eponymous brand, Mr Voutilainen is also co-chief executive of Urban Jürgensen (and also a minority shareholder). His fellow steward of the Danish marque that is now headquartered in Bienne, Switzerland, is Alex Rosenfield. While Mr Voutilainen is in charge of watchmaking, Mr Rosenfield leads marketing and branding.

From left: Kari Voutilainen, Andrew Rosenfield, and Alex Rosenfield. Image – Urban Jürgensen

Given the opportunity to speak at length with Mr Voutilainen, I could not refuse. We discussed the true nature of artisanal work, ranging from movement decoration to guilloche, the details of Urban Jürgensen’s movements, and more. You can find his insightful answers below.

But interestingly, my conversation with Mr Voutilainen reminded me of the first time I met him, which was at Baselworld 2006 when he launched the Masterpiece Chronograph (with a special hairspring from what turned out to be a questionable supplier). Even two decades ago, well before he was famous, Mr Voutilainen was passionate about the same things, traditional craftsmanship and quality.

The movement of the flagship UJ-1 Tourbillon

Back in 2006, he told me, “Today the tendency is to be able to produce the watch as efficiently as possible [where] all the work is done… with machines, even finishing is done with machines with as little handwork as possible.”

“The value is we can do something with [our] hands, we can’t transport that,” he added, “You can pay the people in the Vallee de Joux millions, but they won’t go elsewhere.”

Nineteen years on, he’s still hard at it, in the Vallee de Joux.

The interview was edited for length and clarity.

On artisanal techniques

SJX: Judging by the three watches launched, it’s clear that Urban Jürgensen is not just complications, but it’s also about finishing and decoration – the movement, guilloche. Why is that so important for you and for this brand?

Kari Voutilainen (KV): Personally, I like it when things are done properly so if we do finishing, it should beautiful.

For me, the starting point is always the quality of work. Then afterwards we see how much time it will take and what it will cost. If we fix the price and time first, then we limit the creativity; it is a compromise and you see it on the final product.

It’s the same for cars. You have industrial cars; Mercedes is beautiful but they are all the same. A Bugatti is beautiful and unique. A Mercedes will never be a Bugatti and Bugatti will never be a Mercedes. And of course the price is not the same.

The time-only UJ-2

SJX: Would you say that the quality of the Urban Jürgensen watches is the same as Voutilainen?

KV: Yes, but we try to do it differently. We are always trying to improve the quality. So, if you look at the dials and engine turning, decoration – we can’t do any of that in an industrial way.

All the small details are finished. I don’t see any interest in seeking an industrial method to make it quicker and cheaper. I prefer to do it well, explain the work, and then charge a price. Instead of saying, let’s buy the screws, let’s find somebody who can stamp the thing, and that’s it.

The UJ-1 movement that’s inspired by the historical “Jürgensen” calibre

SJX: What do you think of the advanced machine finishing today? Now watchmakers can create parts that look like they’re 100% hand-finished but are actually done on a machine.

KV: My opinion is that we should remain credible and honest. Because today the world is so open. When you do these things, one day somebody will find out.

SJX: I think it has become difficult for the customer to understand or to tell what is really done by hand. Even I don’t know the difference sometimes. I look at some of these movements and it looks like hand finishing, but actually it’s machine finishing done by very good suppliers, with very little hand finishing at the end. As an expert, can you tell?

KV: Not always, but I can see after visiting some suppliers. It’s interesting to see that some suppliers – without naming any names – say they do everything by hand but…

For us, when customers come to visit, we can show what we are doing. We can show that the finishing is done on these antique machines. And you as the customer can compare afterwards.

SJX: I was speaking with the decorator earlier today and he was explaining how the finishing on the Urban Jürgensen movements is done – it’s really artisanal. He also really enjoys working for you, in fact, he said working for Urban Jürgensen and Kari is a dream come true.

KV: Thank you.

Kari Voutilainen (second from left) with his daughter Venla, and the Urban Jürgensen team, including Bertrand Savary, brand president (second from right), and Stéphan Bastide, decorator (extreme right). Image – Urban Jürgensen

SJX: Today, does the very best CNC guilloche looks the same as a traditional guilloche?

KV: It depends because there are two ways to do it. Often guilloche is milled [on a CNC machine] using a turning tool. When you’re machining it, the tool is not very rigid so it doesn’t give the same result. To mask the technique such dials are often sandblasted so they’re matte.

Antique [engine turning] machines have high pressure since the head is heavy and they have a counterpoint. And then the cutting tool is on the cross slide, which is pretty massive, and the tool is sticking out only perhaps half a centimetre, so it’s rigid.

The UJ-1

The UJ-2

SJX: The [Urban Jürgensen dials] are glossy, so they are not blasted.

KV: Yes, applying a matte finish will hide all the problems [with a milled dial]. When you have [traditional and milled dials] next to each other, you can see it, like this one looks really clean and sharp.

And then we do the colour of the dial, so nothing can be hidden. If you have a tiny scratch on the dial, the scratch will become extremely visible after colour treatment.

Guilloche dial plating. Image – Urban Jürgensen

On movements and construction

SJX: What was the most difficult aspect of constructing the Urban Jürgensen movements?

KV: There was no technical information available on how to build the flying barrel of the tourbillon. There was also no information on how to make the constant force mechanism. For instance, the spring that’s between the driving wheel and escape wheel – how much pretension, what sort of spring and so on. There were a lot of open questions.

SJX: How did you figure it out, trial and error?

KV: That’s sort of it, because [in the constant force escapement for example,] we did the calculations and we were very happy that the fabrication of parts was precise. It worked really well, but with the [tourbillon] cage it was much more challenging to set up.

The shafts [for the two escape wheels] are very small. Then the two escape wheels must be pivoted separately so that they are extremely free spinning, because more closer you go to the [balance], if you have a like extra friction somewhere it will kill the amplitude.

Inspired by the Oval pocket watch, the movement of the UJ-1 with its “floating” barrel and flying tourbillon

SJX: Where did you get this inspiration for the design of the tourbillon cage? Was it to balance the weight or a historical shape from Urban Jürgensen?

KV: It’s about the balanced weight as the tourbillon has more weight on one side because of the pallet and two escape wheels. We had to poise the cage and also the balance wheel with weights.

If the cage is not balanced, you have a huge difference on the vertical position. Of course, in the long term the timing will still be good in the vertical [because of the tourbillon].

The poised flying tourbillon cage

SJX: The UJ-1 and UJ-2 are actually quite thin, but UJ-3 perpetual calendar is quite thick. I’m sure when you constructed it, you tried to make it thinner. Why is it still this thick?

KV: The construction was done with Andreas Strehler, while [the UJ-1 and UJ-2] are entirely our own constructions. Andreas’ mechanism is [reliable], he has done this calendar before. It’s a new calendar mechanism, but principles are the same. It’s not very thin as a calendar, but it is [mechanically sound].

Since it was a collaboration with him, the UJ-3 is half integrated. There are elements that can be integrated down, but we still have a moon phase and another disc underneath, so they are top of each other.

If we had constructed it ourselves, we would do it in different way by [repositioning] the moon face here. That would already reduce the height.

SJX: You could potentially redesign the perpetual one day?

KV: Yes, we have been doing a construction in a way that echoes the [Reference 2 of the 1990s].

The UJ-3. Image – Urban Jürgensen

SJX: In the past Urban Jürgensen also had the chronograph with a Zenith El Primero movement. Are you planning a chronograph?

KV: Certainly, one day. But not soon because now we are obliged to concentrate to deliver these.

SJX: Are you planning to have an automatic movement?

KV: Not yet, because it’s a challenge in itself.

SJX: Today Urban Jürgensen will only use movements that you develop and produce. You’re not going to buy movements from others?

KV: It was my decision that when there was a change of the ownership, we had to change the whole thing to put the company in the different position and create a strong identity. So starting with a blank sheet of paper; we didn’t keep the old designs and old movements.

Watchmakers doing assembly at the Urban Jürgensen workshop in Bienne. Image – Urban Jürgensen

The brand

SJX: You mentioned the position of the brand. The price is almost the same as Voutilainen, are you targeting the same clients?

KV: In longer term, we want to target a new customer.

But in the short term, there are certainly a lot of customers who are already clients of Voutilainen. The group of collectors who buy watches in this price range is big, but for me, the customer who buys my watches is usually wearing Patek Philippe, F.P. Journe, Lange, and that’s it.

SJX: Who is new customer you want to target for Urban Jürgensen?

KV: So those are people that Alex [Rosenfield] has in mind, people are interested in art and culture for instance.

Co-chief executives of Urban Jürgensen, Kari Voutilainen (left), and Alex Rosenfield. Image – Urban Jürgensen

SJX: Is your involvement in this brand a long term commitment?

KV: Yes, that is the aim.

SJX: Do you think one day you’ll be focused on Voutilainen and Venla does Urban Jürgensen?

KV: Well, it’s too early to say how it will go. She has been doing [after sales service for Urban Jürgensen] and she has been managing the workshop.

SJX: Let’s a customer comes to you and says he has 100,000 Swiss francs. Should he buy an Urban Jürgensen or Voutilainen?

KV: I suggest Urban Jürgensen because you will get it sooner than a Voutilainen.

SJX and Brandon Moore kick off episode seven of the SJX Podcast with the relaunch of Urban Jürgensen (which includes a tribute to Derek Pratt’s Oval pocket watch), discussing why this time might be different.

Also on the docket is a recap of the spring auction season, which included strong prices for hot names in independent watchmaking, though other “indies” waned, surprising showings from hitherto esoteric clocks and pocket watches, and some value buys with out-of-vogue timepieces. Lastly, we recap Breguet’s 250th anniversary launches so far, which have met with a mixed reception, but demonstrate signs of life for a historic brand.

Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube.

Urban Jürgensen has been revived in fine style thanks to its investors and of course Kari Voutilainen. With the Finn in charge of watchmaking, the reborn brand made its debut with a trio of watches led by the flagship Urban Jürgensen UJ-1 Tourbillon.

Inspired by the Oval pocket watch made by Derek Pratt for Urban Jürgensen, the UJ-1 is impressive in its execution, from construction to decoration. The quality is evident across the watch, which is unsurprising given Mr Voutilainen’s role in its conception and production. And the occasionally controversial lugs give an otherwise classical watch a distinct character.

Initial thoughts

The fine details of the UJ-1 are easily apparent in the metal. The movement decoration and construction are both impeccable, and so is the guilloche on the dial. But it is details like the engine turned case back and typography that give the UJ-1 that little bit of extra refinement.

It is obvious from the photos, the movement quality is outstanding. Frosting, black polishing, chamfering, and so on – all are expertly accomplished. Moreover, all of the decoration is done in a traditional, often manual manner, rather than being mostly done by machine and then finished off by hand as is increasingly the case now.

But finishing is merely the more obvious aspect of the appeal. The construction of the movement is equally impressive. It captures the style of the Oval pocket watch, including the three-dimensionality and clean aesthetics. Even though it’s a complex movement, just like the pocket watch was, the calibre conceals many of the moving parts, leaving only the best bits on show.

There are still a few elements I would have liked to be done differently, though they are a matter of taste rather than intrinsic quality. One is the shape of the tourbillon cage, which is chronometrically optimised but not decorative.

Another is “Copenhagen” on the dial, which feels like it’s trying a little too hard. Fortunately, the city name is fairly discreet at six o’clock.

But more than anything else, perhaps the most polarising element of the design are the quirky lugs. I, however, like the case and the lugs.

Replicating the teardrop lugs that characterised the Urban Jürgensen watches of the nineties would have been easy, and would have likely resulted in watches that are more widely liked. But it would have been formulaic and perhaps repetitive.

The stubby lugs wear well and look good. Though the look might seem odd at first glance, they also recall some esoteric case designs of the 20th century. Importantly, they are distinct and instantly give the brand a recognisable identity, which is not the easiest task given the classical guilloche dial and Breguet hands.

Notably, the lugs also underline the overall quality of make. Each lug is a separate piece, but the tolerances of the case and lugs are so fine that the joints are barely discernible, even under magnification.

The most obvious alternative to the UJ-1 is the Voutilainen anniversary tourbillon. Interestingly, both are essentially miniaturised replicas of pocket watches. Although both are equally accomplished in terms of quality, the UJ-1 reproduces the elegant, concise calibre of the Oval pocket watch better than the Voutilainen wristwatch does with its inspiration.

The movement in the Voutilainen anniversary tourbillon feels constricted, as if too much was squeezed into the space, illustrating the challenge of scaling down a pocket watch movement. In contrast, the UJ-1 calibre feels airy and architectural. This is despite both wristwatches being about the same size.

The UJ-1 is arguably more sophisticated in several ways, including movement architecture, but it is substantially more expensive than the Voutilainen. It’s hard to argue that the difference in price between the two is rational – the UJ-1 costs some CHF80,000 extra – but if money were no object, which is definitely the case for the typical UJ-1 buyer, I would pick the UJ-1.

Oval remade

The UJ-1 takes inspiration from the Oval pocket watch, but only in terms of the movement. The external styling sticks to the pola of the reborn Urban Jürgensen brand.

Produced by hand over two decades – and then eventually completed by Kari Voutilainen – the Oval pocket watch was the magnum opus of Derek Pratt, the English watchmaker who was a contemporary of the more famous George Daniels and by many accounts equally talented.

Pratt sold the unfinished Oval to Peter Baumberger, the then-owner of the brand, just two years after he started work on the watch in 1982 due to financial constraints, explaining why the large-format pocket watch is branded Urban Jürgensen.

He was engaged by Baumberger to finish the watch, and did so for almost 20 years, although the final completion, especially the decoration, was eventually done by Mr Voutilainen. Pratt regretted he could not finish the project according to his family, but the Oval remains very much Pratt’s creation.

The striking calibre of the Oval was translated into wristwatch form by Mr Voutilainen. Even though the UJ-1 movement is modelled on the Oval, it is an entirely new calibre built from scratch.

I spoke with Mr Voutilainen at length about the movement, and he outlined several of the challenges in its conception. But the fundamental problem was the fact that no plans or drawings exist today for the Oval movement, so Mr Voutilainen had to construct the calibre from the ground up – while still retaining the style of the Oval.

According to Mr Voutilainen, one of the most complex elements was the “floating” barrel, which is typically employed in ultra-thin movements, but in the pocket- and wristwatch movements contributes to the three-dimensional appearance.

At 76 mm by 62 mm, the Oval is big, even by pocket watch standards, so the depth and architecture of its movement was more easily achieved than in a wristwatch case. The UJ-1 case is a more modest 39.5 mm in diameter, but the calibre inside still feels three dimensional.

As in the pocket watch, the UJ-1 movement is dominated by a few raised elements like the “floating” barrel and flying tourbillon, with plenty of negative space that emphasises the architecture.

The construction of the UJ-1 movement can be more easily appreciated when compared with the time-only UJ-2. Placed side by side, the two calibres are entirely different, even though the quality of decoration is identical.

Ironically, both are based on pocket watches, but from vastly different eras. The UJ-1 is modelled on the 20th century Oval while the UJ-2 gets layout from a 19th century movement sometimes known as a “Jürgensen” calibre (though in actual fact it wasn’t invented by Jules Jürgensen, a descendent of Urban).

The UJ-1 (left), and UJ-2

But UJ-1 movement is more than a visual tribute to the original. The construction replicates the elegant approach found in the pocket watch movement, which hides many of the movement parts below the base plate. Only the most important elements, like the barrel, tourbillon, and power reserve, are raised, creating the negative space that refines the aesthetic.

Notably, the power reserve indicator also takes after the original, employing the cone and feeler mechanism that was historically found in marine chronometers. This mechanism is anachronistic because of the space it occupies, but it adds to the visual appeal of the movement.

The cone of the power reserve indicator. Image – Urban Jürgensen

And the UJ-1 also reproduces one of the most important mechanical elements of the pocket watch, the remontoir integrated within the tourbillon. This particular implementation of the constant force mechanism was devised by Derek Pratt, at least in the timeframe of contemporary watchmaking, and consists of a Reuleaux triangle embraced by a two-pronged lever and a tiny concentric spring. The mechanism ensures the escapement receives a constant impulse, regardless of the mainspring’s state of wind.

In the Oval, the Reuleaux triangle was synthetic ruby while the lever was steel; the UJ-1 inverts the materials and employs a steel triangle and ruby pallets on the lever. This steel-on-ruby interaction minimises wear over time.

But the remontoir is more than just about chronometry. The remontoir also illustrates the extreme fineness of the components in the UJ-1 movement; here it is many orders of magnitude smaller than that in the Oval pocket watch.

The tourbillon cage also takes after its inspiration with a three-armed design, but in not quite the same design as the pocket watch. While the carriage in the pocket watch movement is radially symmetrical, the UJ-1 cage has its arms at almost 90-degrees to each other.

This design is entirely functional. According to Mr Voutilainen, the cage was shaped for perfect poising of the tourbillon assembly, especially since the weight of the remontoir has to balanced out on the opposite side of the carriage. The resulting cage, however, unfortunately doesn’t have the beauty of the original.

The UJ look

On the outside, the UJ-1 is rendered in the Urban Jürgensen house style that was also conceived by Mr Voutilainen. It’s clearly classical, but with subtle twists that make it unique, including the obvious, like the lugs, and the less apparent, like the “0” at 12 o’clock.

The case design gives the watch a substantial feel, even though the case is neither large nor thick. It’s 39.5 mm wide and 12.2 mm, which is smaller than the Voutilainen tourbillon. The case design works well with the overall style of the watch, and importantly, it wears well on the wrist.

As I wrote earlier, while the lugs are controversial, I like them; I also like the overall look of the UJ-1. The lugs are separate from the case, but so perfectly machined that the seam between the two is invisible.

One of the best details of the case is largely concealed. This is the fine grain d’orge engine turning on the case back that frames the movement and adds an elegant flourish to the case. Mr Voutilainen also pointed it out as one of his favourite details.

I imagine that this decoration complicates servicing a little bit more as the case back has to be removed carefully and with the right tools in order to avoid damaging the guilloche.

A similar guilloche is of course also applied to the dial. Here the grain d’orge (or “barleycorn”) pattern is horizontal, but engraved perfectly as is expected of Voutilainen. The seconds counter is finished with clous de Paris guilloche for contrast.

The hands are classic Breguet style, and surprisingly slender. I would have preferred slightly bigger hands with a more pronounced form, maybe even the hands from the nineties models, but the hands as they are pair well with the restrained look of the watch.

On the prototypes shown at launch, a few inconsistencies in fitting were visible on some dials, but I expect this will be resolved in the production watches.

I would, however, have liked different (or more) colours on the dial, especially for the platinum model with blued hands. That version is the most traditional, but it also looks a bit flat because the dial lacks contrast. My ideal iteration would be a platinum UJ-1 with a custom dial.

And the last thing I would tweak is the buckle for the strap, which looks a little too much like a Voutilainen buckle.

The UJ-1 is available in three variants, two in platinum and one in rose gold, with each limited to 25 pieces. Image – Urban Jürgensen

Conclusion

Beyond the watch, the UJ-1 is surprisingly appealing and authentic despite the “corporate” nature of the brand. Even though it is an independent watchmaker in most senses of the term, Urban Jürgensen is corporate by virtue of its structure – Mr Voutilainen runs the watchmaking and is a shareholder, but most of the company is owned by investors.

Going by the trio of watches the brand launched, that hasn’t been detrimental to the product at all. The UJ-1, in particular, is as good as gets in tangible respects. The brand will have to maintain these standards over time, which seems likely given the owners’ commitment and finances. But for true success over the long term, Urban Jürgensen will also need to become a brand that stands on its own, one that evolves beyond the Voutilainen name.

Urban Jürgensen’s co-chief executives, Kari Voutilainen (left), and Alex Rosenfield. Image – Urban Jürgensen

Key facts and price

Urban Jürgensen UJ-1 250th Anniversary Watch
Ref. UJ-1-PT-S-001 (platinum, silver dial)
Ref. UJ-1-PT-G-001 (platinum, grey dial)
Ref. UJ-1-RG-S-001 (rose gold, silver dial)

Diameter: 39.5 mm
Height: 12.2 mm
Material: 950 platinum or 5N rose gold
Crystal: Sapphire
Water resistance: 30 m

Movement: UJ-1
Features: Hours, minutes, seconds, power reserve indicator, and flying tourbillon
Frequency: 18,000 beats per hour (2.5 Hz)
Winding: Manual winding
Power reserve: 47 hours

Strap: Leather with 950 platinum or 5N rose gold pin buckle

Limited edition: 25 pieces for each of the three variants
Availability: Direct from Urban Jürgensen
Price: CHF368,000 excluding taxes

For more, visit Urbanjurgensen.com.

Despite missing the original 2023 target, the revival of Urban Jürgensen has proceeded surprisingly swiftly, especially since the brand is making its debut with three all-new models, including the flagship UJ-1 tourbillon – a substantial achievement in a relatively short period of time.

The brand was only acquired at end 2021 by a consortium led by American financier Andrew Rosenfield, which installed Kari Voutilainen at its helm, whose presence explains a great deal of the brand’s momentum and product quality.

The impressive UJ-1 movement with a flying tourbillon incorporating a remontoir

Mr Voutilainen is now co-chief executive of Urban Jürgensen as well as a shareholder; the watches certainly bear the hallmarks of his work, namely top-class execution. Rosenfield senior’s son, Alex, is fellow co-chief executive primarily focused on crafting the brand’s image, which is a little fresher than the artisanal watches would imply.

Now in his seventies, Rosenfield senior is president of Guggenheim Partners, the investment bank and asset manager, but more importantly, a collector of independent watchmaking for several decades. Mr Rosenfield has been a client of Mr Voutilainen’s for many years now, and owns one of the biggest collections of the watchmaker’s timepieces in the world.

Andrew Rosenfield. Image – Urban Jürgensen

The allure

A wealthy, successful individual buying a watch brand is not a novel happening. The allure of owning a prestigious luxury watch marque is undeniable.

Such ventures rarely end well, often because the investors understanding business and finance but not the watch industry; the watchmakers or brand entrepreneurs take advantage of that ignorance.

One of the earliest instances of such a venture that I encountered personally was Cabestan around 16 years ago. That did not end well.

Urban Jürgensen, however, is a story that will probably unfold differently. The brand has several factors in its favour, all of which imply longevity.

The UJ-1

The people

The most obvious strength of Urban Jürgensen is not that brand itself or its history, but Kari Voutilainen. Mr Voutilainen is a great watchmaker, but also a businessman, and I mean that in the best possible way. He has built his own brand into a vertically integrated enterprise that produces watches as well as many of the components required, mostly famously guilloche dials but also cases and soon, even enamelling.

Crucially, Mr Voutilainen has managed to expand and integrate the business while maintaining an impressively high standard of quality. I’ve said this before and will repeat it again: Voutilainen produces exceptional watches on a surprisingly large scale for its level of artisanal quality. Granted, delivery times have suffered and the wait for a Voutilainen is now officially six to eight years, though I expect that to shorten in due time because Mr Voutilainen knows what he’s doing.

The UJ-1 from the back

Mr Voutilainen’s partners also seem to be the right fit. The Rosenfield family can afford to bankroll a watch brand, but more than that Rosenfield senior seems to have grasp the nuances of watch collecting, watchmaking, and the watch industry. He told me he’s in the business for the long term, and I believe him.

Alex Rosenfield, on the other hand, has brought a new approach to building Urban Jürgensen as a brand. The watches are unquestionably old school in styling and quality, but the branding is offbeat and whimsical, with several humorous references to Urban Jürgensen’s Danish roots including fish, chinaware, and a Great Dane.

The only brand I can think of that successfully blends luxury and whimsy is Hermes, so the bar is high, but it is a useful way an otherwise niche watch brand to a new audience. For the traditional audience, the quality of the watches – and the Voutilainen name – are enough.

Kari Voutilainen (left), and Alex Rosenfield. Image – Urban Jürgensen

The product

Today’s Urban Jürgensen watches far exceed the quality of the 1990s watches. While the earlier generation of wristwatches had fine, artisanal cases and dials, the movements were largely off-the-rack calibres, mostly from Frederic Piguet. The Ref. 1 of that period was powered by the Zenith El Primero, a decidedly mid-range movement at best.

Now Urban Jürgensen is genuine high-end watchmaking, through and through. The styling and quality is familiar and reminiscent of Voutilainen, but also different. The fact that Urban Jürgensen is its own brand probably allowed Mr Voutilainen to experiment a tiny bit more than he would have with his own brand.

Mr Voutilainen cleverly designed a riff on the teardrop lugs that were once a hallmark of Urban Jürgensen but are now more synonymous with Voutilainen. The stubby lugs work surprisingly well and instantly give the new watches a distinct identity, despite the overall classical styling.

The signature lugs of the revived brand

The watches are made by Voutilainen in some sense, but in reality much of the value added, namely decoration, is done by the Urban Jürgensen team in its Bienne workshop – in the proper, manual manner.

Modern manufacturing and clever suppliers can fabricate parts today that are appear almost finished out of the machine, with only a quick veneer of hand finishing required to simulate the appearance of tedious traditional decoration.

The refined engine turning on all the dials is the work of Voutilainen naturally

The time-only UJ-2 is powered by a movement inspired by the 19th century “Jurgensen” calibre

I spoke with Stephan Bastide, one of the brand’s decorators, and quizzed him on the techniques employed, including how frosting is applied and if mechanical methods are employed for the tubular steel bridge. Mr Bastide responded convincingly and precisely on the work done; I am glad to say that Urban Jürgensen still does it the old fashioned way.

Ironically, the latest trio of Urban Jürgensen watches are arguably more authentically artisanal and haute horlogerie than several of today’s “hot” indie watchmakers. Even though the brand is owned by investors across the Atlantic, Urban Jürgensen is the real deal.

The UJ-1 movement was modelled on the Oval pocket watch made by Derek Pratt for Urban Jürgensen from the 1980s to early 2000s

The brand’s intellectual property is in-house, much of the design work was done by Mr Voutilainen, the manufacturing is partly in-house, while the decoration and completion is entirely in-house.

The only weakness of Urban Jürgensen today, in my opinion, is the pricing. It’s steep for an unproven brand, though it is arguably appropriate given the quality since the three models are priced comparably to equivalent Voutilainen watches.

Even if the pricing is justified, it isn’t the strong value proposition that an emerging independent brand should be. That said, the price index of the watch market as a whole is at a high, and I would buy a UJ-2 over many of the similarly priced time-only watches from other new(ish) independent makers.

Also, Urban Jürgensen is planning to sell direct to clients for the most part, rather than having retailers and distributors. This makes sense, since independent brands with the right products, like Urban Jürgensen, arguably do not need third-party channels to sell watches. Going direct to the client also means the brand retains most of the margin, which helps its longevity.

Urban Jürgensen closes its newly launched model lineup with a surprising creation, the UJ-3 . An integrated perpetual calendar that elegantly builds on the base of time-only UJ-2, the UJ-3 is equipped with a calendar module developed in collaboration with independent watchmaker Andreas Strehler. The UJ-3 is the third and final watch in Urban Jürgensen’s relaunch lineup, which was among this year’s most unexpected (but welcome) surprises.

Initial thoughts

The introduction of a perpetual calendar along with the two other models is an impressive move by the team at Urban Jürgensen. Brands typically debut with a single model; Urban Jürgensen has managed three all-new watches.

The fact that in addition to a tourbillon (and a special one at that) of the UJ-1, Urban Jürgensen managed to develop a complex perpetual calendar is nothing short of remarkable. Moreover, the perpetual calendar of the UJ-3 integrated with the movement, and not merely added as a module. 

Urban Jürgensen is being transparent in revealing the UJ-3 is a collaboration between Voutilainen and watchmaker-engineer Andreas Strehler. This openness is important, especially for independent watchmakers. The acknowledgement also adds pedigree to the piece given Mr Strehler’s good reputation.

Personally, I find the UJ-3 more cohesive in design compared to the UJ-2. The calendar indications better fill the dial space, and the hands are no longer too small for the face.

Also, the dial appearance evokes the perpetual calendar wristwatches made under the direction of Peter Baumberger, the former owner of Urban Jürgensen, such as the lack of a dial-side leap year indicator, bridging the gap between the brand’s recent past and its perspectives.

The only downside of the UJ-3 is its thickness. It’s a consequence of the calendar module, and not merely design, but the case is almost 14 mm high and looks it on the wrist.

The UJ-3 is the most novel and possibly most interesting from Urban Jürgensen’s lineup, as it seems suggestive of Urban Jürgensen’s direction moving forward. In comparison, the UJ-1 looks back on the past, honouring and taking inspiration from Derek Pratt’s work for the brand. But as with the other two models, the piece is priced rather high – retail is CHF168,000 – all things considered. 

A balanced display 

It is clear that the UJ-3 is built on the base of the time-only UJ-2. Key elements of the UJ-2, namely the off-centred main dial, the eccentric small seconds, and the hand-applied engine turning, are all found in the UJ-3 as well. 

The design, however, does lead to a possible legibility issue on the register at five o’clock showing both the seconds and the date. Hands for both are in the same shade and nearly the same length, making it difficult for the wearer to tell the date from the seconds at a passing glance. Bluing either of the two would probably solve the problem.

The calendar indications are laid out around the dial, with the day of the week and month on opposite sides, cutting into the dial ring. The day of the month is co-axial with the small seconds, saving space.

There is also a small moon phase display, placed under the day of the week indication, which balances the oversized seconds and date sub dial. Interestingly, the moon phase display is accurate to a day in 14,000 years. This points to Andreas Strehler’s involvement, who until 2024 held the record for the most accurate mechanical moon phase, one day deviation in two million years.

The UJ-3 movement

Andreas Strehler’s involvement with the project is indeed exceptional, since he is one of the most talented movement constructors today. Having both Kari Voutilainen and Andreas Strehler build a timepiece for a historically prestigious name like Urban Jürgensen is a rare occurrence. Notably, the two greats have only worked together once before, at least publicly, for the Maîtres du Temps Chapter Three.

One of Mr Strehler’s most famous works is the perpetual calendar movement that’s the trademark of H. Moser & Cie. Mr Strehler designed that complication from a whole different angle. There are some parallels to be drawn with the Moser perpetual calendar, also designed by Mr Strehler. Both are entirely different movements, but share some construction cues, which is unsurprising given their common creator.

The UJ-3 caliber has a pointer date display and reinterprets the classic perpetual calendar with the date, day of the week, month and moon phase all displayed. There are small pushers on the case, pointing to the fact that the calendar is not entirely set through the crown.

The UJ-3 caliber seems to have benefited from Mr Strehler’s past experience with perpetual calendars. The calendar display jumps instantly at midnight. The moon phase also jumps instantly, which is not usually the case with traditional calendars. As the mechanism slowly creeps to the next date, it drags the moon phase along. Here, since the calendar works jump instantly, the moon phase follows suit, presumably geared off the other display. 

Like the Moser calibre, the UJ-3 movement has its leap year cycle displayed on the backside and has an instantaneous date jump. But the similarities between the Moser and Urban Jürgensen calendars run deeper, to the core of the date-changing mechanism. 

Upper disk, with a functional cutout.

The months are displayed by two coaxial disks, each holding six months. The upper disk has a cutout; after March ends, the cutout locks in place, allowing the disk underneath to display the months from April on.

Also, the uneven edges of the two-month disks suggest the assembly might even serve as the month cam, from which the mechanism reads off the lengths of the months.  

Lower disk

From the back, the UJ-3 caliber is practically identical to the UJ-2, save for the leap year indicator next to the barrel. The 5N rose gold gilding is the same, with most of the surfaces heavily grained, edges rounded and generous perlage on the mainplate. 

The 2.5Hz free-sprung balance is powered by a double wheel direct impulse escapement — in fact virtually the same design as the Voutilainen uses in his Vingt-8 series. The system is the same used in the UJ-2. 

The UJ-3 features the same case as the other two models; it’s 39 mm in diameter and 13.9 in thickness — slightly more than the thinner UJ-2. It has a simple case band that’s brushed, with a stepped and polished bezel, along with refined engine-turning on the case back.

Each being a separate piece secured to the case middle, the lugs are described as “reinterpreted teardrop”.

Considering the styling of the watch, the lugs feel a little too modern and angular, but the need to establish a new design identity is understandable. Much like the other models, the UJ-3 is available in two metals, platinum or 5N rose gold.

Key facts and price

Urban Jürgensen UJ-3
Ref. UJ-3-PT-B-001 (platinum, black dial)
Ref. UJ-3-RG-B-001 (rose gold, black dial)

Diameter: 39 mm
Height: 13.9 mm
Material: 950 platinum or 5N rose gold
Crystal: Sapphire
Water resistance: 30 m

Movement: UJ-3
Features: Hours, minutes, seconds, power reserve indicator, perpetual calendar
Frequency: 18,000 beats per hour (2.5 Hz)
Winding: Manual winding
Power reserve: 52 hours

Strap: Leather with 950 platinum or 5N rose gold pin buckle

Limited edition: No
Availability: Direct from Urban Jürgensen
Price: CHF168,000 excluding taxes

For more, visit Urbanjurgensen.com.

Urban Jürgensen’s entry-level model is now the time-only UJ-2. The brand’s new design language includes nods to the past without being repetitive. Compared to the limited-edition UJ-1 tourbillon, the UJ-2 is a simpler and (relatively) more accessible watch, with a calibre inside that can serve as a base for complications in the future.

Initial thoughts

The UJ-2 shows no obvious direct influence from past watches and marks the beginning of Urban Jürgensen’s new approach. The styling is reminiscent of Breguet’s work, but the fine details are traceable to Jürgensen’s own creations.

Inside, a new movement bears Voutilainen’s unmistakable touch. The gilded, grained caliber appears plain at first glance, but it is of high quality and strikingly original in many respects.

Among the four versions of the UJ-2, one in particular catches the eye. The rose-gold model in particular, with its bright silvered dial recalls George Daniels’s Millennium series, thanks to the off-center dial and gold dial rings.

The small seconds sub dial is rather large, with its diameter almost spanning the watch face diameter. Along with its lopsided placement, it makes for an interesting sight. The dial as a whole looks classical, but with a slight minimalist touch — same as in the UJ-1.

The movement inside looks to be the base for models to come. In a growing trend of using new materials, longer power reserves and high frequencies, the UJ-1 caliber remains quintessentially traditional, taking inspiration from classic pocket watches but with an interesting twist.

The UJ-2 is a very appealing proposition, although the price of over CHF100,000 seems steep for a time-only watch on its face. The UJ-2 is priced similarly to the Voutilainen Vingt-8, which is perhaps the most immediate alternative, making it arguably fairly priced.

Engine-turned dial

There are four versions of the UJ-2, with a choice of two case materials and two dial shades. Regardless of the colour scheme, the dials share the same construction. A thick grain d’orge engine-turned band encircles the offset dial, and a prominent seconds sub-dial is finished with a Clous de Paris pattern.

The main dial, however, is left flat with no engine-turned pattern, which works well for the design. The transition between the dial and sub-dial is marked by brushed rings, each punctuated with circular dots of varying sizes in the style of Breguet. The observatory hands are clean and polished, though they appear slightly too small for the overall proportions.

The UJ-2 Caliber

Inside the UJ-2 is a hand-wound movement of exceptional quality. Simple in concept—with a single barrel, a widely spaced going train, and a large balance—the caliber nevertheless incorporates very interesting details. It includes a power-reserve function to chart its 52-hour power reserve, but it does not use the elaborate screw-and-cone mechanism found in the UJ-1.

Architecturally, the rose gold-plated movement is reminiscent of early 1900s pocket watch calibers, particularly in its winding works and central bridge. The movement has a 32 mm diameter, and its components are widely spaced so that the entire going train is easily visible.

Thick graining covers the plates, while the edges are finished with anglage; the baseplate is decorated with perlage. The finishing is excellent and clearly reflects Mr Voutilainen’s personal style.

The most interesting part of the UJ-2 caliber has to be the regulating system and the escapement that drives it. The free-sprung balance has numerous timing and posing screws around its rim—far more than is typical for a modern balance.

The hairspring features a prominent Phillips curve, and its pinning point is immobile since the stud is rigidly fixed to the balance cock. This should improve stability over time, although it also adds complexity during assembly. Likely, this choice relates to the escapement, which requires the balance wheel to be perfectly centered at its neutral point.

Double direct impulse escapement

The 2.5 Hz regulator is driven by a direct double-wheel escapement—very close to Breguet’s original natural escapement concept. Although it is not explicitly stated, this escapement is the same as that used in Voutilainen’s Vingt-8 movements. Here, the finish differs slightly: the impulse wheels are not heat-blued, but the overall architecture, including the impulse jewels on the balance and the locking lever, remains the same.

The same escapement in a Vingt-8. Image – Voutilainen

The choice of this escapement is somewhat ironic, since in the early 2010s Urban Jürgensen launched a wristwatch with a detent escapement that never worked as intended. Although the project initially involved Derek Pratt, the movements were ultimately outsourced to Jean-François Mojon’s Chronode.

Voutilainen’s Vingt-8 movements—featuring his take on the natural escapement—have operated flawlessly, and incorporating this alternative escapement into an Urban Jürgensen timepiece finally fulfils Pratt’s original intention.

We have covered double-wheel escapements more extensively in the past, but in short, this design achieves more direct and efficient power transmission to the oscillator, reducing friction-related losses. Mr Voutilainen argues that this escapement is roughly 30% more efficient than a traditional Swiss lever, although that claim is bold and difficult to verify.

Enclosing all of this is what seems likely to be Jürgensen’s new signature case, here in a 39 mm diameter and 10.9 mm thickness. It is pleasingly simple, with a brushed case band and a polished stepped bezel. The most elaborate portion is actually the case back, which features a wide grain d’orge engine-cut pattern.

The lugs are stepped and polished, shaped like reinterpreted teardrops. Compared to the overall dimensions of the watch, the lugs seem slightly short—but that, at least, should improve wearability.

Key facts and price

Urban Jürgensen UJ-2
Ref. UJ-2-PT-S-001 (platinum, silver dial)
Ref. UJ-2-PT-B-001 (platinum, blue dial)
Ref. UJ-2-RG-S-001 (rose gold, silver dial)
Ref. UJ-2-RG-B-001 (rose gold, blue dial)

Diameter: 39 mm
Height: 10.9 mm
Material: 950 platinum or 5N rose gold
Crystal: Sapphire
Water resistance: 30 m

Movement: UJ-2
Features: Hours, minutes, seconds, power reserve indicator
Frequency: 18,000 beats per hour (2.5 Hz)
Winding: Manual winding
Power reserve: 52 hours

Strap: Leather with 950 platinum or 5N rose gold pin buckle

Limited edition: No
Availability: Direct from Urban Jürgensen
Price: CHF105,000 excluding taxes

For more, visit Urbanjurgensen.com.

Led by Kari Voutilainen and backed by an American collector, Urban Jürgensen has been revived in grand style. The brand’s inaugural watch is undoubtedly one of this year’s most surprising launches, the UJ-1 250th Anniversary Watch. The first of three new models, the UJ-1 is a limited edition that pays tribute to the Oval, a pocket watch created by Peter Baumberger and Derek Pratt that is perhaps brand’s greatest timepiece.

Having been dormant for a while and a little confused in terms of focus (including jumping on the fad of an integrated bracelet sports watch), the brand is now running full steam ahead and going back to its high horology roots with a trio of models, led by the UJ-1 that lives up to expectations, and then some.

Initial thoughts

The UJ-1 sets the tone for what is to come from Urban Jürgensen by Kari Voutilainen. Even before turning the watch over and admiring its movement, the execution of the dial hints at the quality within, reflecting the fact that Mr Voutilainen is an undisputed master of guillochage.

At first sight the piece shows an engine-turned face that is tastefully restrained. The collective style of Breguet, Jürgensen, Pratt and Voutilainen can be immediately discerned from the dial. While wearing all the marks of traditional engine-turned dials, the proportions, the typeface and the “zero” marker make it look a little updated and almost leaning on the minimalistic.

The subtle change suggests that the brand is truly going into a new and decisive direction and not merely recycling the old recipe. A sort of quite minimalistic undertone is felt all around the piece (except maybe for the movement), with the redesigned lugs and simple but beautiful case.

Perhaps the only controversial aspect of the new design are the stubby lugs described as “reinterpreted Jürgensen teardrop”. Personally, I find the classic teardrop shape more appealing and fitting for the classic format. All things considered, the simple and well-executed case fits the piece, since the internals remain the main point of interest.

The main showpiece of the UJ-1 is the movement inside, which is modelled after Derek Pratt’s Oval tourbillon. Voutilainen’s talent and intimate connection to the original piece are clearly apparent here, with the caliber being exquisite in both conception and finish.

This UJ-1 is surely one of the most surprising launches of the year so far. From dial to movement, the piece does not disappoint as it tastefully pays tribute to one of the most exquisite pocket watches of the modern era.

That said, the quality and sentimentality come at a hefty price, and any prospective buyer will need to depart with almost CHF400,000 for any of the 75 pieces in the limited edition run.

The Oval connection

Officially, Urban Jürgensen is making a comeback on its 250th Anniversary, though for the sake of accuracy, 2025 actually marks the brand’s 252nd anniversary, since the Jürgensen brand was established back in 1773 by Jurgen Jürgensen, the father of Urban.

The flagship anniversary edition, however, is far more recent than that. The Oval was started in the 1980s and took some decades to finish. We covered the Oval, just before it was sold at Phillips in 2024. The piece is among the masterpieces in contemporary horology and one of Pratt’s greatest works.

While the late Pratt died before completing the movement, Kari Voutilainen picked up the build, applying the exquisite finishing. Now the Finn pays a thoughtful tribute to the Oval, adapting the unique and celebrated movement to a wristwatch version.

The resemblance between the UJ-1 movement and the original Oval pocket watch is uncanny. Beyond the general appearance, the two movements are structurally very similar and share some key details. 

In simplistic terms, the two movements are almost identical; they share a flying mainspring barrel design, a prominent centre wheel and a flying tourbillon cage containing a constant force device.

Part of the magic of Pratt’s design is that the remontoire is located inside the tourbillon cage, meaning the entire cage advances in one-second increments, as does the seconds hand. This behavior differentiates the UJ-1 from other constant force tourbillons that locate the remontoire ‘upstream’ of the escapement.

The two movements are not entirely identical however. There is the obvious shift to a smaller, circular form factor, compared to Pratt’s original ellipse-shaped large pocket piece. Also, constrained by the smaller dimensions and different fabrication techniques, the tourbillon cage looks slightly denser, compared to Pratt’s slender metal work.

An interesting change comes in the remontoir d’egalité system itself. Pratt was well known for his love of the Reuleaux triangle cam remontoir, which he used consistently across his pieces.

While the original concept was actually conceived by Barbezat-Bôle, a long defunct Swiss company, Pratt improved the design and famously used a ruby three-lobed cam as the central piece of the system, for reducing friction.

The UJ-1 uses an easier-to-cut steel cam, but the square follower has ruby liners which engage with the triangular cam. A similar approach is taken by Bernhard Lederer in his Central Impulse Chronometer series. 

The tourbillon assembly.

Pratt’s original Oval pocket watch employed a classic detent escapement, whereas the UJ-1 uses a Swiss lever escapement. Under its previous direction, the Jürgensen brand experimented with wristwatch-mounted detent escapements, without much success. The choice of a Swiss lever is very reasonable here. 

The large screwed balance beats at a slow pace of 2.5 Hz and is paired to a hairspring with a prominent Phillips curve. Compared to most modern free-sprung balances, this particular implementation seems to emulate the heavily-screwed balances of the maritime chronometer era, with many pairs of weight and regulating screws. Here the design breaks off visibly from the Oval pocket watch, where only four screw were applied to the balance rim. 

The Urban Jurgensen brand name is hand-engraved on the mainplate.

Subtle details

Now, there are some more subtle details that shared between the UJ-1 movement and Pratt’s oval masterpiece. While the UJ-1’s main plate and bridges are mostly grained, the Oval (that was finished by Voutilainen) featured a deep solarisation pattern emanating from the tourbillon, and a more discreet circular turning under the centre wheel. 

While the solarisation was not kept in the UJ-1, the circular pattern under the centre wheel was retained, as a subtle tribute. There is also a visible polished steel pin breaking the pattern, present in both watches. 

The UJ-1 can run for a decent 47 hours, before the power supply is cut-out by a Geneva stop-work hidden underneath the barrel. The power reserve is displayed on the dial.

The power reserve mechanism was kept in concept but slightly tweaked for fitting the smaller format. The system is not the usual flat differential, but rather the screw and cone system, favoured by both Derek Pratt and George Daniels in their creations. 

Because of the vertical space required and the numerous parts, screw and cone systems are rarely found in wristwatches. Opposite from the cone, over the barrel, there is a raised finger bridge golding the shaft of a gear. In the original Oval pocket watch, a similar finger bridge supported a slot for key winding the barrel. 

The Geneva stop work on the unseen side of the barrel.

Another subtle similarity to Pratt’s pocket piece lies in the going train arrangement. Geared-off from the flying barrel is the prominent centre (or second) gear, but the third gear is hidden, much like in the Oval. This gives off the pleasant impression that the tourbillon runs all by itself.

One welcome and particular detail that is suggestive of Voutilainen’s own brand and work are the two gold settings, one for the central wheel bridge jewel and one for the tourbillon upper cap jewel. This is identical to what Voutilainen uses in his Vingt-8 movement series. 

Well-executed dial

The UJ-1 is available in three distinct versions, two in platinum and one in rose gold. Each version will be produced in 25 example, for a total of 75 pieces.

The difference between the two platinum models lies in the dial, with one version following a darker theme, with the engine-turned dial parts coloured in a dark grey shade. The 5N rose gold version works very well with the traditional silvered dial.

While the UJ-1 movement is undoubtedly meant to be the centerpiece of this anniversary watch, the dial is equally well-made. Compared to Voutilainen’s more lavish and colourful dials, this one is more subdued, featuring only two types of engine-turning and a thick chapter ring for the hours. 

The main dial portion is finished with a wavy grain d’orge pattern, while the small seconds sub-dial at six o’clock is finished with clous de Paris. Brushed silver sectors encircle both the main dial piece and the sub-dial.

Contrasting with the rest of Roman numerals, the 12 o’clock index was replaced with an Arabic zero numeral. The numeral can be interpreted as a symbol of the brand starting anew, after years under not a very cohesive direction. There is also a six o’clock label of “Copenhagen”, although the pieces are Swiss made.

One might argue that the observatory hand set is a little slender. Indeed, the hands could’ve profited from a more substantial profile, but the cohesion with the dial remains intact. A nice touch is the blued steel cap added to the hub of the hour hand.

The case of the UJ-1 comes at a well-proportioned 39.5 mm by 12.2 mm size. The main case is fairly simple, with a stepped and polished bezel and a signed crown engraved with the new Urban Jürgensen logo. The grain d’orge engine turned pattern is found on the case back as well.

Key facts and price

Urban Jürgensen UJ-1 250th Anniversary Watch
Ref. UJ-1-PT-S-001 (platinum, silver dial)
Ref. UJ-1-PT-G-001 (platinum, grey dial)
Ref. UJ-1-RG-S-001 (rose gold, silver dial)

Diameter: 39.5 mm
Height: 12.2 mm
Material: 950 platinum or 5N rose gold
Crystal: Sapphire
Water resistance: 30 m

Movement: UJ-1
Features: Hours, minutes, seconds, power reserve indicator, tourbillon
Frequency: 18,000 beats per hour (2.5 Hz)
Winding: Manual winding
Power reserve: 47 hours

Strap: Leather with 950 platinum or 5N rose gold pin buckle

Limited edition: 75 pieces in total
Availability: Direct from Urban Jürgensen
Price: CHF368,000 excluding taxes

For more, visit Urbanjurgensen.com.

A storied example of artisanal independent watchmaking, The Oval was the masterpiece by Derek Pratt (1938-2009), perhaps the greatest unknown watchmaker. Pratt began work on the Oval in 1982 as his magnum opus, the ultimate realisation of his aesthetic and technical vision.

While his work for Urban Jürgensen is perhaps his best known, Pratt was an independent watchmaker with a diverse repertoire, including working with George Daniels on the co-axial escapement. Amongst his creations was a replica of John Harrison’s H4 marine chronometer.

These projects, as well as the fact that the Oval was mostly hand made, meant the pocket watch took some two decades to complete. Although it’s a sizeable watch, the Oval is finely detailed, reflecting the high level of Pratt’s craft and the years he invested in creating the watch from scratch.

Beyond its artisanal execution, the Oval also stands out for its technical achievement. Besides a detent escapement, the Oval also contains a horological first – a constant force mechanism integrated within the tourbillon – along with a thermometer, power reserve display, and moon phase on the dial.

We took an in-depth look at the Oval in 2021, thanks to its current owner, Dr Helmut Crott. But now as the Oval heads to the auction block at Phillips, it’s worth one last look before it disappears into a collection.

A two-decade odyssey

A contemporary and friend of George Daniels (1926-2011), Pratt was one of the most talented horologists of his era but never founded his own brand. Instead he is synonymous with the work he did for Urban Jürgensen, a Danish brand that was brought back to life in Switzerland by Peter Baumberger (1939-2010).

Pratt was able to design and produce entire watches – he built the H4 replica himself – resulting in a diverse body of work. He constructed many of Urban Jürgensen’s complications, and even made some of its guilloche dials. Despite his many achievements over his career, the Oval stands out as his greatest work.

“[My father] thought it was the best thing he ever made,” says Derek Pratt’s daughter, Mary Pratt, “It was entirely his own creation, unique in every way.”

She adds, “It meant more to him than H4, another great achievement. He had hoped to make at least one more oval watch after finishing H4.”

Writing in 1993 for trade publication Horological Journal, Pratt explained the unusual shape of the Oval.

“As a child I had been fascinated by oval tins. My own interest in oval watches stems right back to those examples, but on seeing the oval Breguet no. 1682/4761 [first made in 1822 for a Russian count and then upgraded with additional complications and then owned by pianist Arthur Rubinstein], I felt positively inspired and resolved to make an oval watch myself,” wrote Pratt, “The watch was mostly realised as an homage to some of the most preeminent watchmakers of all time, like Abraham-Louis Breguet, John Arnold, and Professor Alfred Helwig.”

Pratt began work on the Oval in 1982, when pocket watches were still considered the summit of horology; at the time, the most valuable watches in the world were pocket watches.

Two years later, financial needs compelled Pratt to sell the Oval in its raw state (as an ebauche in watchmaking parlance) to Baumberger, explaining why the Urban Jürgensen name is on the dial. Baumberger, however, engaged Pratt to continue his work on the Oval.

Pratt worked on the watch on and off for the next 22 years. In 2004, Baumberger turned not to Pratt, but to Kari Voutilainen, to complete the Oval. Mr Voutilainen, who had not yet founded his eponymous brand yet, was familiar to Baumberger, having done work for Urban Jürgensen starting from 1996.

According to his family, Pratt deeply regretted not being able to complete his masterpiece, but the watch was already out of his hands.

Amongst other things, Mr Voutilainen decorated the movement, resulting in the fine hand finishing visible on every component. A year later the Oval was finished and Baumberger sold the watch to Dr Crott, most famous for having founded the eponymous watch auction house.

According to Pratt’s daughter, Mary Pratt, he was immensely proud of the Oval and would not have handed it to another watchmaker to complete were the watch still his own.

Like many other important pocket watches, the Oval is large, measuring 76 mm by 62 mm. In fact, the watch is larger and heavier than expected in the hand, especially with its current platinum case.

Originally cased in sterling silver, the Oval gained two additional cases between 2005 and 2006 when Dr Crott commissioned La Chaux-de-Fonds case maker Bruno Affolter (now a sister company of Parmigiani known as Les Artisans Boîtiers) to produce cases in platinum and pink gold. The watch is currently housed in the platinum case, and the original silver case accompanies it.

The rest of the watch was largely hand made by Pratt, right down to the oval crystal, which was apparently so novel that no crystal supplier was able to make one, resulting in Pratt producing the crystal himself.

Having long been a master of engine turning, Pratt made the guilloche dial. Despite the immense size of the watch, the details and grain of the guilloche dial are exceptionally fine. It’s worth comparing the guilloche dial of the Oval to that of George Daniels’ best work; Pratt certainly proves to be the better guillocheur.

Despite the unconventional oval shape, the dial has a symmetrical, classical layout that instantly evokes Breguet and other historical greats.

The moon phase sits at 12 o’clock, with the thermometer and power reserve on fan-shaped indicators just below. And below the hour and minute hands is an oversized seconds in the tradition of historical chronometers.

The movement of the Oval is correspondingly oval, and like the dial, the calibre is symmetrical, an impressive realisation of Pratt’s technical and aesthetic ability.

Like many traditional tourbillon movements, it is laid out vertically, with a “flying” barrel at 12 o’clock, the going train just below, and the flying tourbillon at six o’clock.

The most important mechanism in the Oval is the tourbillon, which is the first ever to incorporate a remontoir constant force mechanism inside the carriage.

Pratt himself noted this in the July 1991 issue of Horological Journal, writing “many remontoire mechanisms have been made over the last 300 hundred years or so but, as far as I know, this watch is the first to have a remontoire incorporated in the carriage of a tourbillon and is, therefore, something new or innovative”.

The remontoir is of Pratt’s own design, and is centred on a ruby bearing shaped like a Reuleaux triangle, mounted co-axial with the remontoir spring and escape wheel, working in tandem with a fork.

Unsurprisingly, the parts of the tourbillon are especially fine. Though large in diameter, the cage is made up of three notably slender arms in polished steel that taper outwards. The fineness and consistency of the steel parts is especially remarkable considering they were made and finished by hand.

The tourbillon is flying, so it has no upper bridge to support the cage. However, the centre wheel of the movement is secured by a large steel bridge of the type that would typically be applied to the tourbillon carriage.

The rest of the movement is equally impressive in terms of decoration, no doubt thanks to Mr Voutilainen. The steel components are perfectly black polished, while the base plate sports a lustrous radial striping.

The barrel is frosted

The cone for the power reserve indicator

The Oval has an estimate of over CHF 1 million. It’s lot 40 in Reloaded: The Rebirth of Mechanical Watchmaking, 1980-1999 happening on November 8, 2024 in Geneva at the Hotel President. For more, visit Phillips.com.

Additions November 13, 2024: Incorporated information from Mary Pratt and family. My gratitude to Jenny Haller Pratt, Carol Pratt, and Mary Pratt for their input.

An academic, horologist, and innovator, Urban Jürgensen is today best known for giving his name for the watch brand that’s now run by independent watchmaker Kari Voutilainen and his daughter, Venla.

But Jürgensen was the most important watchmaker in Denmark in the early 19th century. He also developed a longstanding relationship with the most important Danish scientific society of the last three centuries, the Royal Danish Academy of Sciences and Letters (RDASL). This  article explores the relationship that shaped his work on clocks and watches.

A need for precision

Being a horologist in Denmark at the turn of the 19th century was not necessarily a very noble job. A handful were highly regarded workmen, but none were on par with scientists on the social ladder.

Astronomers were buying English precision clocks for observatories and sailors still navigated by the movement of celestial bodies^[1]. But times were changing, chronometers were already known to the king and government of Denmark, and the benefit of precision timekeepers for various types of expeditions was already becoming known around Europe.

Mudge & Dutton astronomical regulator clock. Previously in the Observatory of Copenhagen, now located in the offices of the Royal Danish Academy of Sciences and Letters. Image – The Royal Danish Academy of Sciences and Letters/A.B.L.

As international conflicts were at the time were a limiting factor in importing chronometers from foreign countries, attempts were made to train chronometer makers in Denmark. Early attempts at domestically made chronometers took place during the late 1760s to 1780s.

During those years, Jean Abraham Armand, a watchmaker from the southern part of Jutland in Denmark, worked on making relatively affordable marine chronometers modelled on John Harrison’s invention.

Already in 1769, he showed a chronometer to a Professor Kratzenstein in Copenhagen. Hence, just two years after the publication of the description of Harrison’s H4, Armand had finished a timekeeper that he showed to those interested^[2].

Armand was encouraged by the RDASL to proceed, however, in the style of the French chronometer makers like Berthoud and Le Roy rather than Harrison’s English manner^[3]. After a successful trial of two chronometers in the observatory of Copenhagen in 1778, it was decided that they should be tested at sea.

This was done on a voyage to the West Indies, a Danish colony at the time, from 1782 to 1783. After the voyage, which was carried out, and later described in full, by Admiral Poul Løwenørn, he concluded that the chronometers could, with some modifications to the temperature compensating arrangement, be most useful for the kingdom of Denmark.

Thus, the king commanded Armand to stay in Copenhagen to make two chronometers per year. The chronometers did however never prove to be useful, as there were various issues with them, including the known temperature compensation problem, but also a half-second train, beating just 7200 times per hour^[4].

Twenty years after the voyage, in 1803, Løwenørn eventually deemed the chronometers useless. The thirteen chronometers that had been made by Armand were sold at auctions in 1828 and 1830^[5].

Hence, with no established and successful Danish chronometer makers to learn from, an aspiring clockmaker had to go abroad.

The Grand Tour

As very little has been published about Urban Jürgensen (UJ) to date, a brief summary of his early life is appropriate.

UJ was born in Copenhagen in 1776 and from the very beginning, he and his siblings were involved with watchmaking. Their father, Jürgen Jürgensen, was a prominent watchmaker himself. The company made some of the very best watches in Denmark at the time and were watchmakers to the royal court^[6].

A typical Larpent & Jürgensen gold pocket watch from the early 1800s. Image – Anonymous collector

UJ quickly showed interest in following in his father’s footsteps. With an incredibly clever mind and a great deal of dedication, UJ learnt the trade in his father’s workshop. He was then sent on a Grand Tour to experience the horological centres of Europe and to see the technical developments that had not yet reached Denmark.

Luckily for UJ, his father had business associates and friends in these centres, including Jaques Frédéric Houriet in Switzerland. Thus, Houriet’s workshop in Le Locle became the first stop on his horological voyage.

UJ and Houriet got on along well and after approximately 18 months of learning about Swiss watchmaking and chronometry, UJ was sent off by Houriet (who later became his father-in-law) to the physicist Marc-Auguste Pictet in Geneva and later to Abraham-Louis Breguet in Paris, who was arguably the most influential watchmaker in continental Europe at the time.

Breguet inspired UJ, as much as Houriet had, which is clearly evident in UJ watches. However, as UJ’s biggest interest lay in the field of chronometry, Breguet suggested he leave Paris for London to see the chronometer makers there, including the Brockbank brothers and John Arnold.

In London, he once again found himself in an inspiring environment that, combined with his time at Houriet and Breguet, laid the foundation for his future chronometric work.

Back in Copenhagen

When UJ eventually returned to Copenhagen in 1801, he was encouraged by the government to start production of Danish chronometers. This was supposed to be established together with the little-known chronometer maker Etienne Magnin.

Jürgensen senior did however not agree with this, as he had been waiting for years for UJ to return to his workshop. As the words of his father weighed heavier than those of the government, UJ started working in the family business.

Here, his first task was to train his younger brother Frederik – not exactly what he had been dreaming about during his travels. UJ had to wait until 1811, the year of his father’s passing, to start working on what was closest to his heart: precision timekeepers. Before that, however, he did work on a few projects of his own.

That includes his book Regler for Tidens nöiagtige afmaaling ved Uhre^[7] that was published in 1804 as the first book on watchmaking to ever be written in Danish. The book was published in French the next year and was originally written because members of the RDASL encouraged UJ to share his knowledge and findings obtained during his Grand Tour.

He did also, amongst others, develop a pocket thermometer, partly in collaboration with J.F. Houriet, for which he received a gold medal from Landhuusholdningsselskabet, a Danish institution equivalent to Britain’s Royal Society of the Arts.

An Urban Jürgensen brass-cased thermometer showing the temperature in Reaumur and Fahrenheit. Image – Anonymous collector

He did however not have a lot of time to work on chronometers, as delving onto this branch of the horology was much too time consuming during this phase of his life.

A Jürgensen pocket watch with a spring detent escapement has nonetheless recently been discovered and remains the only known Larpent & Jürgensen-signed watch with a chronometer escapement. This watch is undeniably of an experimental character but does indeed show UJ’s interest in getting to understand the action, advantages and disadvantages of the escapement.

Case back and movement of the Larpent & Jürgensen pocket watch with a detent escapement. Apart from the escapement, the watch is not very chronometer-like. It has a brass balance, flat hairspring, no temperature compensation and is not free-sprung. Thus, it seems, that the watch was made to test the action of the detent escapement. The watch is numbered 2761 and was made in 1803, just two years after UJ’s return to Copenhagen and one year before he published his book. Image – Anonymous collector

After Jüles Jürgensen’s death, Frederik Jürgensen took over the family business and UJ could thus finally start his own company. The new enterprise soon attracted the attention of both other watchmakers who wanted to be trained there, but also from the government and especially the king.

UJ soon became supplier of chronometers to the navy and received a yearly income of 1200 speciedaler^[8] for training two watchmakers per year in the art of chronometry. The first two trainees were his sons Louis Urban and Jules^[9].

There are too many events in the life of UJ to mention in this article. Those interested in a comprehensive history of the life and work of UJ and his family should read John Knudsen’s The Jürgensen Dynasty^[10].

A different field of interest

Producing high quality timekeepers is one thing, developing new ideas and techniques is something different entirely. This is one of the areas in which UJ differs from the rest of the Danish horological society of his time.

Apart from very few others, including Anders Christian Sparrevogn and Henrik Kyhl, UJ was the only Danish watchmaker in the first quarter of 1800 who published articles on horology. The articles written by UJ were always of a technical nature, except for his autobiography published in Magazin for Kunstnere og Haandværkere in 1829, one year before his passing.

There were mainly three publications that published UJ’s articles: Det Kongelige Danske Videnskabs Selskabers Afhandlinger (Treatises of the RDASL), Astronomische Nachrichten (Astronomical News) led by astronomer H.C. Schumacher in Altona, and Magazin for Kunstnere og Haandværkere (Magazine for Artists and Workmen) led by Dr Ursin in Copenhagen.

It is the first of these three periodicals that of primary interest for this article.

The Royal Danish Academy of Sciences and Letters

Apart from publishing its scientific journal, the RDASL was a society for the most gifted and learned scholars within the kingdom of Denmark and beyond. Noted foreign scientists were invited to become members of the Academy, including Einstein and Darwin.

The Academy, which was founded in 1742, was divided into different membership “classes”, namely the historical, physical and mathematical classes^[11]. The vast majority of the members were making a living in their “class”, but some were wealthy enough to have it merely as a serious hobby, such as A. W. Hauch, who later became president of the RDASL^[12].

The invitation from the Royal Danish Academy of Sciences Letters to Urban Jürgensen. The letter is signed by the president of the Academy, Count Ernst Schimmelmann and general secretary Professor H. C. Ørsted. Image – Anonymous collector

Until 1815, no horologist, let alone a workman, had been invited to become a member of the Academy. That changed when the now world-famous physicist H.C. Ørsted was appointed secretary that year.

As opposed to the previous secretary, astronomer and professor Thomas Bugge, Ørsted was in favour of Urban Jürgensen, who had earlier been suggested by another member of the Academy, but with no luck^[13].

It was Admiral Poul Løwenørn who 11 years earlier, based on two treatises on a new astronomical pendulum clock design (1) and on the hardening of steel springs (2), had encouraged Bugge allow UJ to become a member of the Academy. Bugge declined but did, with the rest of the board, award UG the silver medal for the second of the two treatises^[14].

Interestingly, Heinrich Christian Schumacher from Altona became a member of the RDASL on the very same day as UJ. Bugge was very much against Schumacher, so much so that although Schumacher was also astronomer to the Danish king, Bugge would not let him work in Copenhagen. Hence, he stayed in Altona (now Germany) where King Frederik VI paid for the construction of an astronomical observatory for Schumacher’s use^[15].

After the death of Bugge, Ørsted had no reason not to appoint this internationally recognised astronomer. Schumacher and Jürgensen became great colleagues and Schumacher would use UJ’s chronometers for various observations, as well as one of his astronomical pendulum clocks. Schumacher stayed in Altona for the rest of his life, as many of his colleagues resided in the area, including Kessels, Gauss and Repsold.

Painting by Danish painter P. S. Krøyer depicting a meeting in the RDASL. This painting, painted in the years 1895-97 is hanging in their meeting room and remains the largest painting ever done by Krøyer. Image – A meeting at the Royal Danish Academy of Sciences and Letters, 1897, by P.S. Krøyer. Oil on canvas, 266,7 x 519,4 cm. The Royal Danish Academy of Sciences and Letters. Gift from the Carlsberg Foundation, 1897.

Scholarly contributions

As stated above, it is the articles published in the RDASL’s journal that are of main interest for this article. UJ wrote and had the following three articles published (translated from Danish):

1) About Isochronism of the Pendulum and a suggestion to, in an easy way, make the Pendulum Swings of equal Arcs in astronomical Pendulum Clocks (1821),

2) Description of a new Metal Thermometer (1823) and,

3) About the Influence of the Air on the Regulator of astronomical Pendulum Clocks and Longitude Watches (1828)^[16].

All three can be freely accessed on the RDASL’s website^[17]. They are however all written in Danish. Hence, the main points and findings of the three articles will be touched upon below:

About Isochronism of the Pendulum and a suggestion to, in an easy way, make the Pendulum Swings of equal Arcs in astronomical Pendulum Clocks (1821):

UJ begins the article by stating that the advancement of horology has, since the introduction of the pendulum, been driven primarily by scientists and only later by horologists.

The horological feat closest to keeping perfect time, is the astronomical pendulum clock. The various perfections, such as jewelled pivot holes, maintaining power and temperature compensation are mentioned.

However, one problem is still apparent in most clocks: varying arcs of the pendulum caused by dust, wear and a change in the viscosity of the oils applied to the pivots and the escapement.

He goes on to explain Christiaan Huygens’ concept of cycloidal cheeks, but criticises it, as it does not take the humidity of the clock’s environment into account. Huygens does give another suggestion to minimising this issue of the varying arc, namely that of having a relatively small pendulum arc.

But as UJ correctly states: minimising a problem is not the same as solving it. Hence, he proposes a solution to the problem: an arrangement on the weight on which small weights could be added when needed – i.e. when the oil thickens etc. This would increase the driving force of the clock and thus equalise the effect of increased friction.

To help the user (most likely an astronomer) in knowing when weight should be added, UJ suggests adding a hand – or similar – to the pendulum that points to a protractor indicating the exact arc of the pendulum. A magnifying glass could be mounted over the protractor to ease this manoeuvre.

Moreover, he suggests that the arcs should be increased (as opposed to Huygens’ suggestion), as the influence of the changing viscosity of the oil will be decreased (1), and as the minimal but noticeable shaking of the floor in the observatory will have a relatively smaller effect on the pendulum (2).

UJ’s first ever astronomical pendulum clock featured an arrangement like the one he proposes in the article. This was made for and delivered to Professor Hansteen in Christiania Observatory (now in Oslo) in 1823. A thorough description of this clock, including pictures, can be found in page 124 of Knudsen’s book.

The way in which weight is added is via a small bowl placed underneath the weight. Small lead shots could then be places in the bowl. The Christiania clock features a note on which the effect of placing either a small or a large lead shot are outlined^[18]. UJ made a total of six astronomical pendulum clocks. As mentioned above, Schumacher bought one of them for his observatory in Altona.

Urban Jürgensen astronomical regulator clock which was previously in the Observatory of Copenhagen. Image – The Royal Danish Academy of Sciences and Letters/A.B.L.

Description of a new Metal Thermometer (1823):

As mentioned previously, UJ invented a pocket thermometer with his colleague and father-in-law J. F. Houriet. The initial design, which was presented to the RDASL more than twenty years earlier, only indicated the present temperature. This new design included an arrangement that allows the user to observe the lowest temperature since the last resetting of the hand.

UJ starts the article by applauding the mercury thermometer and calls it one of the most perfect instruments in the world of natural sciences. The metal thermometer is however, he states, much more portable and rugged than the former.

Moreover, the metal thermometer is more dependable in conditions where the temperature is well below nil degrees, as the mercury may freeze in such an environment. The thermometer described in this article is of a slightly larger size than the first iteration and thus meant as a stationary tool for better readability.

UJ goes on to describe the construction of the thermometer, using two illustrations – one of the front and one of the back of the device.

The plates brought in the article. They depict the front and the back of the thermometer. Image – Anonymous collector

In short, the thermometer works by having a U-shaped piece of fused brass and steel that, when being influenced by the variations of temperature and thus moving either in- or outwards, acts on a sector-shaped piece of brass attached to another brass piece of sector shape which, via a pinion, moves the hand.

A ratchet wheel is attached to this pinion (visible on the dial side), which, when activated by the pusher at the six o’clock position, moves the hand only when the temperature is decreasing. Hence, the lowest temperature since activation will be indicated on the dial. When neutralised, the hand will show the current temperature. The arrangement is show in the illustrations above.

After describing the construction, UJ gives a few remarks: 1) For the thermometer to be as accurate as possible, the pinion should be made with as many teeth as feasible. In this one, there are forty teeth^[19]. 2) The spring used in the activation of the minimum temperature arrangement must be made very weak to avoid unwanted friction. The spring can be seen in table II, figure 2 above. 3) The metal case into which the thermometer is built should be thin and have great heat conducting properties. This is to avoid the thermometer losing its mechanical properties.

About the Influence of the Air on the Regulator of astronomical Pendulum Clocks and Longitude Watches (1828):

This article is somewhat longer than the previous two and is an analysis of the influence of variations of the air, be it pressure, density or resistance. UJ starts by noting how incredibly precise chronometers and pendulum clocks have become. He mentions the experiments undertaken by astronomer Bessel, published in Astronomische Nachrichten no. 28, where Bessel shows how the air density influences the rate of clocks. Bessel does however not take the air resistance into account.

UJ writes that the air resistance is much more apparent in chronometers than in clocks, as the balance of a chronometer passes through approximately twelve to eighteen inches of air per second, as opposed to slightly less than three inches in astronomical pendulum clocks.

Moreover, the surface area of the balance is relatively larger in the chronometer than that of the clock, namely the pendulum. However, the factual influence is not analysed. Hence, the main aim of the article is to test various box- and pocket chronometers in different environments of varying air pressure.

The experiments were made by using an air pump and a glass bell made available to UJ by H.C. Ørsted, who also offered his instructions and advice. UJ tested the following chronometers: UJ no. 17, UJ no. 31, UJ, no. 38, Arnold no. 82 and Arnold no. 438.

After testing the chronometers the first time, he sub-concludes that those chronometers with larger balances suffer more from changing amplitudes than those with relatively smaller balances. Hence, box chronometers (which, on average, have larger balances) need a larger power supply to maintain their rate.

UJ suggests that the best chronometers are of a semi-large size to minimise the air resistance of the balance, whilst also being large enough for coping with the issues connected to a changing viscosity of the oil. The optimal movement size is, according to him, between two to three inches in diameter.

There are however, as he notes, other ways of decreasing the air resistance: by making the weights of the balance more aerodynamic. By making bean-shaped weights instead of trapezoidal, the surface area that breaks the air is greatly reduced – this idea is borrowed from the making of pendulum bobs. The arms of the balance may be wedge-shaped on both sides to reduce the resistance even more.

Lastly, UJ suggests the use of platinum or gold for the compensating weights as opposed to steel or brass. As the mass density of the former two materials is higher, the amount of material could be reduced which would again lead to a smaller surface area.

This plate from the 1828 article shows a regular chronometer balance with trapezoidal weight above, and the Jürgensen chronometer balance below. Even the mean time screws on the latter have an aerodynamic shape. Image – Anonymous collector

During a second trial of the chronometers listed above, he finds that some go faster in thin air, some slower. Arnold no. 82 accelerates, Arnold no. 438 decelerates. He thinks that the reason for this is a lack of isochronism.

His own chronometers^[20], no. 31 and 38, on the other hand, both have hairsprings that provide a slightly faster going when the amplitude is decreased (which is what happened when he altered the air density) and have an amplitude, under normal conditions, of circa 450 degrees.

The influence of the changed air density is however negligible on these. Although the influence in his experiment proves insignificant on his own chronometers, UJ still suggests the use of the above-mentioned improvements to reduce the possible negative impacts of barometric changes.

The times of Urban Jürgensen

It is made clear in the articles mentioned above that UJ was not a watchmaker that did what his fellow watchmakers did – at least not without a healthy portion of scepticism. His main objective throughout his working life, especially after starting his own company, was to improve the instruments of his craft  – watches, chronometers, clocks and other horological precision instruments.

He was a collector of information and thus had a clear understanding of the giants on whose shoulders he was standing himself. Numerous of the important books from the 18^th century from UJ’s personal collection, including those from Berthoud, Lepaute and Harrison, are kept in the Watch- and Clockmaker’s Guild of Copenhagen.\

One of the many books in the library of the Watch- and Clockmaker’s Guild of Copenhagen that belonged to Urban Jürgensen. Interestingly, this book seems to have been purchased during his time in Paris (see upper right corner). Moreover, the book bears the personal stamp of his son Louis Urban Jürgensen ‘LUJ’ at the bottom of the page. Image – The Watch- and Clockmaker’s Guild of Copenhagen

UJ’s approach to horology is not uncommon in Great Britain, France nor Switzerland, but it was very much so in Denmark at the time. The main reasons for UJ’s approach are firstly his access to the horological centres of the world via his father and father-in-law. He obtained an international perspective on the horological world and became friendly with some of the most prominent watch- and clockmakers in the world of his time.

Secondly, UJ’s membership of the RDASL gave him the best possible setting to sprout in. The Academy held monthly meetings in which the members could share the findings of their studies, be it in physics, philosophy, mathematics, or something different entirely^[21].

Thirdly, UJ had a great patron in King Frederik VI. Supplying chronometers to the royal navy was reserved for the best chronometer makers and the privilege came with a safe income as well as a need to always be better than the competitors – both technically but also economically.

The King supported UJ early in his career and gave him royal privilege to produce chronometers in Copenhagen. Moreover, King Frederik VI bought quite a few important watches and chronometers from UJ to give as gifts for those deserving, such as admiral Krusenstern^[22]. The Krusenstern chronometer is regarded as the finest, most luxurious chronometer made by UJ^[23].

Lastly, UJ was interested in the fields surrounding horology, specifically physics and astronomy. He mostly knew what could and could not physically be done. If he was unsure, he had resourceful colleagues around him in various subjects.  At the same time, he knew, via his colleague H.C. Schumacher, what the astronomer needed.

Jules Jürgensen no. 8946 (made in 1857-58) and Louis Urban Jürgensen chronometer no. 64 (1840s). Two unquestionably different watches from the sons of UJ. Image – Anonymous collector

This approach to horology is something that UJ’s sons, Louis Urban and Jules, whom he trained, inherited from him. They grew to become leading figures in the industry themselves – Louis Urban in Copenhagen making chronometers and Jules in Le Locle, Switzerland, making watches of the highest quality. They embarked on Grand Tours as their father did and visited the same workshops that UJ did before them. Both made written contributions to the subject as well.

Louis Urban was in particular keen on writing and was the one who published the second edition of UJ’s book from 1804. This was published in French, Danish and German in the years 1838 to 1842. Moreover, Louis Urban collected five of his father’s written contributions in a booklet titled Mémoires sur l’Horlogerie exacte. Being in French, it inevitably made the material accessible to many more, as compared to if it had been published in Danish. This work includes five plates and is quite scarce.

The lives and works of Jules and Louis Urban are stories of their own and deserve their own articles. Again, I can only point whomever that may be interest in their stories, in the direction of Knudsen’s book.

An overview of the five articles in Louis Urban Jürgensen’s ‘Mémoires sur l’Horlogerie exacte’. Image – Anonymous collector

Acknowledgements

I would like to thank Rune Bakkendorff, master watchmaker and board member of the Watch- and Clockmakers Guild in Copenhagen for his expertise on horology in general and help in gaining access to the Guild’s library.

Additionally, I would like to thank Rikke Reinholdt Petersen from the Royal Danish Academy of Sciences and Letters for precious information and for photographic material of the pendulum clock in the Academy’s collection.

The author is a watch specialist at Danish auction house Bruun Rasmussen. He is also an honorary member of the Danish Watch- and Clockmakers Guild in Copenhagen.

^[1] Ejner Munksgaard, Rundetaarn, 1637-1937 (Copenhagen: Levin & Munksgaard, 1937), p. 87.

^[2] Poul Darnell, ’En beretning om den danske flådes første kronometre’, Marinehistorisk Tidsskrift, no. 1 (February 2019), p. 7

^[3] Poul Darnell, ’En beretning om den danske flådes første kronometre’, p. 7-8.

^[4] Poul Darnell, ’En beretning om den danske flådes første kronometre’, p. 11.

^[5] For a thorough analysis of the Armand chronometers and the voyage to the West Indies, Poul Darnell has written a 20-page report in Danish, which is available for free from the Danish Horological Society’s website: www.danskhorologiskselskab.dk

^[6] John M. R. Knudsen, The Jürgensen Dynasty (Copenhagen: Antique Collector’s Club, 2013), p. 22.

^[7] This translates to: General Principles Concerning Exact Timekeeping by Clocks and Watches.

^[8] Danish currency

^[9] Urban Jürgensen, ’Autobiography’, Magazin for Kunstnere og Haandværkere, no. 4 (Copenhagen: G. F. Ursin, 1829), p. 7.

^[10] John M. R. Knudsen, The Jürgensen Dynasty (Copenhagen: Antique Collector’s Club, 2013).

^[11] C. Molbech, Det Kongelige Danske Videnskabernes Selskabshistorie i dets første aarhundrede 1742-1842 (Copenhagen:RDASL, 1843), pp. 275.

^[12] Molbech, Det Kongelige Danske Videnskabernes Selskabshistorie i dets første aarhundrede 1742-1842, p. 510.

^[13] Dan Ch. Christensen, Naturens Tankelæser – En Biografi om Hans Christian Ørsted, (Copenhagen: Museum Tusculanums Forlag, 2009), pp. 386.

^[14] Molbech, Det Kongelige Danske Videnskabernes Selskabshistorie i dets første aarhundrede 1742-1842, p. 410.

^[15] Søren Andersen & Poul Darnell, ‘The history of Josiah Emery’s lever escapement gold watch no. 929’, Antiquarian Horology, volume 39 no. 3 (September 2019), 378.

^[16] The original article titles are: (1) Om Isochronismen ved Pendlens Sving og Forslag til, paa en let made, at bringe Pendlen til at svinge i ligestore Buer ved astronomiske Pendeluhre (1821), (2) Beskrivelse over et nyt Metal-Thermometer (1823) and (3) Om Luftens Virkning paa de astronomiske Penduluhres og Længdeuhrenes Regulator (1828).

^[17] www. publ.royalacademy.dk

^[18] John M. R. Knudsen, The Jürgensen Dynasty (Copenhagen: Antique Collector’s Club, 2013), p. 124.

^[19] The amount given in the article is 40 teeth. There are however not 40 teeth in the illustration.

^[20] UJ no. 17 is not included in the second test.

^[21] Molbech, Det Kongelige Danske Videnskabernes Selskabshistorie i dets første aarhundrede 1742-1842, p. 422-23.

^[22] KORT BIOGRAFI – se bog

^[23] The chronometer was sold via Antiquorum in 2016 for CHF 747,750 – thus by far the costliest Jürgensen timekeeper to ever be sold publicly.

Confirming chatter that was circulating in Geneva during watch auction season two weeks ago, Urban Jürgensen & Sønner (UJS) has been taken over by a group of investors with Kari Voutilainen at the helm.

Having worked at UJS decades ago as a young watchmaker, Mr Voutilainen is returning as the chief executive. He will also retain his role at his namesake brand, which recently moved into new premises high up above the town of Fleurier on the mountain known as Chapeau de Napoléon.

Kari Voutilainen

Working alongside Mr Voutilainen at UJS will be his daughter, Venla, who recently completed her watchmaking studies and then an internship at a large watch retailer. Better known for the unique pocket watch she helped create for Only Watch 2019, Ms Voutilainen will be in charge of after-sales service at UJS, while also working at the Voutilainen brand itself.

Originally an 18th century Danish brand, UJS was revived in the 1970s by the late Peter Baumberger. Control then passed on to watch expert and auctioneer Dr Helmut Crott after Baumberger’s death. During that period, Mr Voutilainen became involved with the brand once again, when he helped to refine its in-house calibre.

UJS was then taken over by its most recent owners, Danish investors led by former Nokia executive Søren Jenry Petersen. Although the brand earned some press with new products during that period, most notably with its first sports watch, UJS never gained the necessary momentum to break into the ranks of top-tier independents.

The tourbillon within a 1980s UJS pocket watch made by Derek Pratt

Now it appears the winds have shifted with Mr Voutilainen taking over. He assumes the top job at UJS just in time for the brand’s 250th anniversary in 2023, when UJS will debut an entirely new range of watches. Presumably the watches will keep to some variant of the classical aesthetic that Mr Voutilainen has skilfully developed for his own brand.

Having skilfully developed his own brand over the last two decades – Voutilainen is unanimously regarded as a preeminent contemporary independent watchmaker – his reputation alone will be enough to boost UJS’ fortunes, at least for the short term.

Smartly leaving it entirely to Mr Voutilainen to run things, his backers are passive investors who remain anonymous, though they are believed to include an American financier who’s an important collector of independent watchmaking.