Presently based in Switzerland, Urban Jürgensen is a luxury watch maker founded by a Danish watchmaker of same name. Originated in the 18th century, this brand was revived in the 1980s by Peter Baumberger with the assistance of acclaimed master watchmaker Derek Pratt.
History of Urban Jürgensen Watches
The story begins at the time Christian VI was King of Denmark and Norway, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein, a child named Jürgen Jürgensen was born, and he was to have great significance for watchmaking history.
He was both the father of the most famous Danish watchmaker Urban Jürgensen and at the same time the founding father of the horological dynasty which was to revolutionize the outdated structures of the clock and watchmaking craft in Denmark and Switzerland. Through their use of new theoretical findings and practical working methods, they subsequently achieved the highest recognition both in Denmark and Switzerland.
Among the world’s greatest watchmakers of the 18th and 19th centuries, members of the Jürgensen family, notably Urban and Jules, worked alongside other horological geniuses such as Houriet, Breguet, Berthoud and Arnold. They have greatly contributed to the development of horology.
The watchmaking family’s roots stretch back to eighteenth century Denmark and Jörgen Jurgensen (1745-1811), founder of the dynasty. The most eminent watchmakers amongst his descendants are undisputedly his sons Urban (1776-1830) and Jules-Frederik Jûrgensen (1808-1877).
The latter two continued their father’s business by founding Urban Jürgensen & Sonner in Switzerland. Jules moved to Le Locle, Switzerland while his brother Louis was in charge of the factory in Copenhagen. After Louis Urban’s and Jules-Frederik’s deaths, the company went through several more changes of ownership but continued the tradition of chronometric timepieces.
Urban Jürgensen was one of the world’s most prominent watchmakers in the 18th century and contributed significantly to horological developments in fine mechanical watchmaking. As a result of his efforts, he was awarded an appointment as Royal Purveyor to King Frederik VI of Denmark and conferred the honour of the Royal Order of the Dannebrog, regularly supplying timepieces to the court and ship’s chronometers to the Danish Admiralty.
A brilliant and multifaceted talent, Urban Jürgensen achieved great international acclaim for his innovations in technology and science, gaining equal status with his scientific contemporaries.
The results of his research were published in 1804 in a series of articles in Danish, French and German, earning him a place in the Royal Danish Academy of Sciences and Letters. He was a brilliant engineer, a visionary far ahead of his time in many respects regarding creativity and aesthetics. As a horologist, inventor and aesthete, he must be considered one of the great talents in Denmark’s history.
Following the wish of his father Jürgen, Urban Jürgensen, spent a major part of his training as a watchmaker in Paris, London, Geneva and Le Locle in the Canton of Neuchatel, Switzerland.
It was under his management that both pocket watches and precision timekeepers for navigation and astronomy made by the Urban Jürgensen Company achieved international fame and recognition. The Danish King, Frederick VI, granted Urban Jürgensen a Royal Appointment to supply the court with watches and the Danish Admiralty with chronometers.
The use of first class materials and the extremely robust design of all the timekeepers made by the company soon made them highly coveted collector’s items, as is still the case today.
In accordance with the practice of the times, Urban Jürgensen’s sons also entered the watchmaking profession and following their father’s footsteps, traveled abroad to study and apprentice as watchmakers. After receiving recognition as masters, they joined their father’s company officially. This led to a change in the company’s structure, which was expressed in the name Urban Jürgensen & Sønner.
The sons and grandchildren of this generation went on to ensure the Jürgensen dynasty’s continued existence into the 20th century. One member of the family, Jules Jürgensen, ended up not only studying, but later settling permanently in Le Locle in the 1830s, where he was responsible for an official manufacture under the Urban Jürgensen & Sønner name.
This is the reason why the cities of Copenhagen and Le Locle are incorporated in the company logo, as a reference to the Danish and Swiss roots of the firm together with the date of its initial founding.
The Jürgensen, with their analytical approach to the processes and methods of watch production, exercised a tremendous influence on the watchmaking industry of Le Locle,and indeed the entire Canton of Neuchatel, introducing the most modern methods to the Swiss industry of the era, for which they received many accolades and were endowed with honorary status from the city of Le Locle.
In 1981, Peter Baumberger, a trained watchmaker and passionate collector, acquired Urban Jürgensen & Sonner and is the congenial successor of Urban Jürgensen’s spirit. Dr Helmut Crott became the guardian of the brand since his friend Mr Baumberger’s death.
Since its establishment, Urban Jürgensen & Sønner always cultivated a policy of maximum quality in the art of horology, with particular efforts directed at the technical perfection of the movement combined with artistically designed cases, dials and hands of classical elegance.
Jürgensen Watchmaking Dynasty
Jürgen Jürgensen (1745 -1811)
Jürgen Jürgensen was born in 1745 in Copenhagen. Between 1759 and 1765 he worked with Johnas Jacob Lincke as an apprentice. In 1768 Jürgen Jürgensen moved to Le Locle and worked with Jacques-Frédéric Houriet, the renowned Swiss watch maker who was known as the Father of Swiss Chronometry.
He established a watchmaking factory in Copenhagen in 1775 and he coined the brand name Larpent & Jürgensen in 1780s in partnership with Isaac Larpent, a renowned Danish watch maker. In 1781 Larpent & Jürgensen started the production of pocket watches. In 1784, Jürgen Jürgensen was appointed as the Court horologist by King Fredrik VI.
Urban Jürgensen (1775 -1830)
Urban Jürgensen was born in 1775 in Copenhagen. Following the footsteps of father, Urban Jürgensen travelled all the way to Le Locle to study precision timekeeping with Houriet. Under the guidance of this genius horologer, young Urban brushed up his watchmaking skills. Urban Jürgensen married Sophie-Henriette Houriet, daughter of his master.
In 1798, Urban Jürgensen introduced the steel cylinder escape wheel. He then moved to Paris to study with Breguet, and in the following year he travelled to London to study with Arnold. In 1801, Urban Jürgensen introduced his Bimetallic Thermometer.
In 1810, Urban Jürgensen started the production of marine Chronometers and in the same year he was awarded the Daneborg order, a prestigious award by the king of Denmark.
In 1815, Urban Jürgensen was accepted into the Royal Danish Academy of Science, a non-governmental science Academy, founded in 1742 for the advancement of science in Denmark. In 1818, Urban Jürgensen started the supply of Marine and deck chronometers to the Royal navy.
In 1821, Urban Jürgensen introduced the famous Krusenstern Chronometers and in the following year he announced his new, detached double wheel chronometer escapement.
Louis Urban Jürgensen and Jules Jürgensen
In 1830, on demise of Urban Jürgensen, his two sons Louis Urban and Jules continue the company under the name UJS (Urban Jürgensen & Sønner). In the same year Louis Urban Jürgensen introduced his first marine chronometer.
In the following years, Jules Jürgensen introduced precision horology and quality improvements into the manufactures of Canton Neuchatel, settling permanently in Le Locle. Jules Jürgensen Copenhagen was established.
In 1836, UJS received the Grand medal of the Copenhagen Industrial Exhibition. In 1850s legendary watchmakers Victor Kullberg and Moritz Grossmann were worked for Louis Urban Jürgensen. In 1852, Louis Urban Jürgensen awarded 2 medals at the Great exhibition in London.
In 1867, Jules Jürgensen patented his hand setting mechanism. In 1871, Jules Jürgensen was awarded a gold medal at the maritime exhibition in Naples.
In 1873, Jules Jürgensen was awarded a gold medal at the Copenhagen industrial exhibition and in 1874 he was awarded Knight of the Legion d’Honneur.
Jacques Alfred Jürgensen
In 1893, Jacques Alfred Jürgensen was awarded gold medal at the international exhibition in Chicago and he received a gold medal at the National exhibition in Geneva in 1896. In 1912, Jacques Alfred Jürgensen died.
After the death of Jacques Alfred Jürgensen, the last watch maker from the family, the company and brand names were transferred to the hands of new owner. In 1919, Jules Jürgensen Copenhagen started to manufacture wristwatches.
The control of company, which had production sites at Copenhagen and Le Locle passed through several hands such as E. Heuer (From 1919 – 1936), Aisenstein-Woronock (From 1936 – 1974) and Mort Clayman (From 1974 to 1979).
The New York based watch business group Aisenstein-Woronock & Sons continued to produce watches under the Jules Jürgensen brand name and they were mainly marketed in USA. Mort Clayman, who took over the brand in 1974, did not succeed to revive the legendary watch brand.
Revival of Urban Jürgensen Watches
In the 1980s, Peter Baumberger, a trained watchmaker and passionate collector, acquired Urban Jürgensen & Sonner and is the congenial successor of Urban Jürgensen’s spirit. P. Baumberger with his small team of skilled master watchmakers produced small series of traditionally made, complicated timepieces, ranging from 50 to 300 examples, at the privately-owned firm in Bienne, Switzerland.
In 1979, Peter Baumberger was granted permission by the owner of the UJS brand to sign his watches Urban Jürgensen & Sønner. From1982, he commercially launched Urban Jürgensen & Sønner Ref. 1 Calendar Chronograph in limited edition of 186 pieces, which heralded the revival of the legendary watch brand.
In 1985, Peter Baumberger formally acquired Urban Jürgensen & Sønner.
Derek Pratt became the master watchmaker for Urban Jürgensen .This extremely talented watchmaker realized many exclusive pieces for the brand including the “Tribute Oval Tourbillon Pocket watch” – a one-of-the kind timepiece referring to all the watchmakers he admired. He passed away in 2009.
In 1990, Peter Baumberger presented the Ref. 2 Perpetual calendar wrist watch, produced in 62 examples. The models ref 3 to ref 10 followed. These watches signed under Urban Jürgensen & Sønner brand name were produced in small series from 50 up to a maximum of 300 examples. These watches were mainly based on ébauche movements from Frédéric Piguet, Le Brassus.
In 2003, Peter Baumberger initiated his plan for a new in house calibre and in 2008; he acquired a worldwide patent for the new in house calibre with a detent escapement. In 2009, a prototype wristwatch with the patented detent escapement is presented for the first time at Baselworld. Unfortunately, the sudden demise of Peter Baumberger in 2009 resulted a huge loss to Urban Jürgensen & Sønner and Switzerland’s traditional watch making industry.
After Peter Baumberger’ death, his friend and horology specialist, Dr Helmut Crott took over as CEO of Urban Jürgensen & Sønner.
Dr Helmut Crott became the owner of Urban Jürgensen & Sønner and Jules Jürgensen, and both brands began to operate under same roof. Dr Helmut Crott, a medical doctor turned horology specialist has been associated with horology industry since 1972 as a consultant of fine luxury watches.
In 2011, Urban Jürgensen & Sønner presented the prototype of the breakthrough UJS-P8 movement. The newly introduced Urban Jürgensen Reference 11 represents the first time thatthe chronometer escapement has been used in a wristwatch. The invention is the result of several years’ development work and has been patented worldwide.
In 2011, Urban Jürgensen & Sønner presented the prototype of the breakthrough UJS-P8 movement, the world’s first wristwatch movement utilizing a chronometer detent escapement, thus connecting the marine chronometers and clocks made by the firm in the 18th and 19th centuries directly to the world of watchmaking in the 21st.
Unveiled at Baselworld 2011, Urban Jürgensen & Sønner’s Reference P8 Chronometer is the world’s first wristwatch with a detent escapement. The new Chronometer P8 “with detent escapement” – adapted to the mechanical wristwatch – achieves a 40% better timing performance than the average COSC certified chronometer.
The collection was again updated in the following years P8 Chronometer Ref. 11C Automatic (2012) and Montre observatoire émail dial – Limited Edition (2013).
At Baselworld 2014, Urban Jürgensen & Sonner presented the Tourbillon Minute Repeater Enamel Regulator and the Reference 11 C P8 Chronometer with Central Second.
In November 2014, after 30 years of foreign ownership, a Private Investment Group led by Danish watch collector Soren Petersen took over the company.
The book, The Jürgensen Dynasty – Four centuries of watchmaking in two countries (in English) by John M.R. Knudsen published in 2013 provides the full history of a unique family of watchmakers. First published exclusively in Danish and quickly sold out, this new and completely updated English edition (2013) provides the full history of a unique family of watchmakers in 368 pages and more then 560 illustrations.
In 2021, a team of passionate investors led by master watchmaker Kari Voutilainen acquired Urban Jürgensen.
