The firm of Urban Jürgensen & Sønner has a history that goes back as far as modern watchmaking itself.
Watchmaking, under the family Jürgensen name originated with Jörgen Jürgensen and then onto his sons Jules and Urban. Urban Jürgensen became known during the 19th Century for their superlative pocket watches and precision timekeepers for navigation and astronomy. In fact, the Danish King, Frederik VI granted Urban Jurgensen a royal appointment to supply the court and Admiralty with chronometers.
Over the last 25 years the firm was guided by Peter Baumberger, a master watchmaker that was pleased to produce 50-300 watches annually utilizing primarily Frederique Piguet calibre. Urban Jürgensen was also known for one of their other fine watchmakers, Englishman, Derek Pratt. Unfortunately, the Urban Jürgensen family lost Derek Pratt in 2009 and Mr. Baumberger in 2010. Before his passing, Mr.Baumberger had undertaken the development and perfection of the new UJS calibre. It’s now a special honor now that the new ownership of Dr. Helmut Crott may bring the fruits of the UJS calibre product to market in 2012. In 2014,a group of Danish private investors took over the company lead by Mr. Søren Jenry Petersen who was appointed President and CEO
The UJS calibre is the culmination of Peter Baumberger’s work with Urban Jürgensen, but not without the ingenuity of a couple of watchmaking friends. Jean-Francois Mojon is responsible for the development of the calibre in total. Finnish watchmaker, Kari Voutilainen was initially responsible for the production and finish of the calibre. The UJS calibre is now available in several formats, some handwound and several automatic winding. The first is a pivoted Detent Escapement (please see the video below for a precise demonstration of the detent escapement, invented first in 1748) version of the UJS. The detent escapement allows the watch calibre/watch to be even more accurate that chronometer standards of COSC. The UJS 11C (P8) is the reference for the Detent Escapement, available in 18k red gold, or in Platinum. The 11C-detent escapement may now be ordered in either handwound or automatic format.The watches fitted with the 11C also feature a 3 Day power reserve indicator under “12” and subsidiary seconds @ “6” Next, the UJS “11L” (P4) is a Swiss Lever variation on the same calibre. The Swiss Lever is just a little bit simpler execution (from a watchmakers view) of the same architecture, with an intergrated swiss lever escapement providing the pulse. The “11L” is available in either 18k Red Gold or Platinum as well. All of the watches are hand fitted with precision made guilloche dials (some with applique or hand cut Arabic applique) or grenage dials. The hand sets are also produced in very limited series, by hand. Top news of 2014- On the eve of the brand’s 241st birthday, UJS Ref. 11 C Chronometer detent escapement Central Second win’s “Men’s Watch” first prize at GPHG!
The Ref 1741 caliber is based on the Urban Jürgensen P4 In-house movement, enhanced with the QP functionality that has been augmented by introducing the leap year indication. The Ref 1741 is executed in a 41mm case in traditional Urban Jürgensen teardrop lug case. The elegant profile of convex and concave curves of the case consists of 3 main pieces; the middle case with individually soldered teardrop lugs, the top bezel houses the domed sapphire crystal, and the screw back with a flat sapphire crystal.Urban Jürgensen Reference 1741 in Platinum with Perpetual calendar, leap year indicator, moon phase and central seconds.
In 2016, the “JULES” Collection has been added to the UJS Family. The Jules Collection is two new models, Reference 2240 and 2340. Both models launch our new contemporary tapered lugs in a classic design on a convex and concave curved case with a diameter of 40 mm. The top bezel houses domed sapphire crystal, and the screw back is equipped with flat sapphire crystal. The dials of the two models also come with a Grenage dial base and are finished with hand lacquered engraved Urban Jürgensen Arabic numerals. Reference 2240 comes in rose gold and has central seconds and date indication. Reference 2340 comes in white gold and has small seconds, date, power reserve and moon phase indication. Both these new references come with movements based on our in-house P4 movement.
The Jürgensen ONE (Hyperlink to dedicated page) 
http://www.martinpulli.com/watches/urban-jurgensen-the-jurgensen-one/
The 1142C in Platinum $64,500
“Alfred” 42mm Stainless Steel with Arabic Grenage dial $17,800
The 1142C in 18kRG with unique brown dial $58,000
The 1142L in 18kRG $30,100
The 1140L Platinum $45,500
The 1140L Platinum Limited Edition -blue dial with 18kWG applique $53,700
The 1140L 18k White Gold with blue dial-baton applique $30,100
The Ref2240 18kRG $31,400
The Ref 1741 Perpetual Calendar in Platinum $98,600
Ref1142’s with Grenage dial options
Ref 8BIG in stainless steel $14,300
Ref2340 18k White Gold $46,600
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- The Urban Jürgensen Moon Disc is made by hand. The disc itself is crafted from mirror polished thermally blued steel, in which the stars are manually inlaid in gold and two solid 18 carat gold, mirror polished moons are fitted. The disc initially undergoes mirror polishing, and recesses for the stars are punched or etched into the steel. Pure gold in powder form is then deposited into the cavities for the stars and melted into place to form a solid gold inlay. After another careful graining and polishing of the entire surface, it is thermally blued to obtain the unique Urban Jürgensen blue color.
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- Finally, the two solid gold moon discs with mirror polished surfaces are press-fitted into corresponding holes in the disc to complete the dual image of two sets of moons with stars. It takes more than 20 different operations to create the Urban Jürgensen moon disc, and the result is a unique tiny wonder of classic workmanship which is rarely found in timepieces nowadays.
A video, which is eminently helpful in illustrating a Detent Escapement vs. a Swiss lever escapement.
