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Old 17 April 2019, 09:13 AM   #1
_speedmaster_
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Urban Jurgensen

Considering the fact that this company has an unbroken history of creating high caliber watches since 1773, I find it remarkably hard to find much info on them.

Just creating a thread to see if anyone on here has any experience with them. There are two ADs near me (which is probably remarkable in itself) and I'm strongly considering adding one to my collection down the road.
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Old 17 April 2019, 12:25 PM   #2
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Don’t own any, but I’ve handled a few and they are fantastic. Love to add one to the collection myself.

I am considering selling my AP Royal Oak to pick up one of their new sports watches.
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Old 17 April 2019, 01:11 PM   #3
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Originally Posted by _speedmaster_ View Post
Considering the fact that this company has an unbroken history of creating high caliber watches since 1773, I find it remarkably hard to find much info on them.

Just creating a thread to see if anyone on here has any experience with them. There are two ADs near me (which is probably remarkable in itself) and I'm strongly considering adding one to my collection down the road.
Not to hijack the thread but why are you not considering Journe? I am assuming Grönefeld and LF are pricier independent options but Journe CS can be had for $32k~ new and $25k~ preowned. Is price an issue? Curious because Journe is more well known and one of the top independents out there now. It will also be a nice step above Moser.
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Old 17 April 2019, 02:16 PM   #4
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What is the difference between KV and UJ, they look very similar.
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Old 17 April 2019, 05:49 PM   #5
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Two different brands, but UJ use KV’s case maker, hence the shared lug design.
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Old 17 April 2019, 05:56 PM   #6
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Not to hijack the thread but why are you not considering Journe? ...
Presumably the OP doesn’t find the Journe design language to be as appealing as the Urban Jurgensen’s.
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Old 17 April 2019, 09:36 PM   #7
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What is the difference between KV and UJ, they look very similar.
I think Kari used to work at Urban, so they allowed him to utilize some of their design elements when he created his own brand.
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Old 17 April 2019, 11:13 PM   #8
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Originally Posted by Slider817 View Post
I think Kari used to work at Urban, so they allowed him to utilize some of their design elements when he created his own brand.
I heard this as well.

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Originally Posted by PJ S View Post
Presumably the OP doesn’t find the Journe design language to be as appealing as the Urban Jurgensen’s.
Correct. I do like some of Journe's designs, but the UJ 1140 speaks to me more.

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Originally Posted by AlyRba View Post
Not to hijack the thread but why are you not considering Journe? I am assuming Grönefeld and LF are pricier independent options but Journe CS can be had for $32k~ new and $25k~ preowned. Is price an issue? Curious because Journe is more well known and one of the top independents out there now. It will also be a nice step above Moser.
Fair question. To be honest, the Journe hype (and the more I read about him as a person) has kind of soured me a bit to the brand. I'm still on the waitlist for the CB, but I've just fallen more in love with other independents.

I do love LF, and my plan is to still get a Regulator in maybe a year or two.
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Old 18 April 2019, 11:03 AM   #9
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Hi all. I lurk occasionally but this is my first post here. I own an 1140L in rose gold so I can offer some feedback. There is a very large book (quite expensive, if you can find it) called The Jurgensen Dynasty: Four Centuries of Watchmaking in Two Countries. It was given to me as a gift when I purchased my watch. That book will give you the most comprehensive info you'll find about the history of Urban Jurgensen & Sonner. Some quick highlights... the company, although surprisingly unknown to the masses, has had some very interesting historical accomplishments and very illustrious watchmakers working there. In their current collection they offer a wristwatch with a detent escapement, something that has never been done before or since. Normally detent escapements were used in marine chronometers but never in a wristwatch due to the propensity for shocks to cause the balance to stop beating. This movement was developed when Peter Baumberger owned the company (he has since passed away). Kari Voutillainen also worked there in the 90s (maybe starting in the 80s?), as someone previously mentioned, and was involved in the development as well. I've lost count of the number of times I've seen people on the internet see a pic of a UJS and say it's a ripoff of a Voutillainen when in fact he developed his style working at UJS decades ago. The legendary watchmaker Derek Pratt also produced several designs and watches for UJS, and some of his initial designs helped plant the seed that eventually became the detent escapement movement. He and Kari also worked together to create an absolutely incredible oval pocket watch that I believe last sold for over $2m and is written about in several horological history books. I spoke to Kari briefly about his work on that watch when I met him in NYC last year. He spoke very fondly about it and said he spent over 4,000 hours working on it!

You can find some of this info in a Quill and Pad article. I can't post a link but the article is called "Urban Jurgensen under new Danish Ownership."

Suffice it to say, UJS is an extremely accomplished brand with an incredible pedigree. But the brand has changed hands several times over the years, including 3 times in recent years. Peter Baumberger bought the brand from a descendant, then passed away unexpectedly in 2010 and Helmut Crott took over, then Danish investors led by current CEO Soren Jenry Petersen bought the company. That might be viewed as instability that could scare people away. But it seems to me that current CEO Petersen is interested in continuing the long tradition UJS has had in producing small quantities of exquisite timepieces with a fairly unique design aesthetic. Fit perfectly for what I was looking for and the quality of my 1140L is just phenomenal. I compared it to many other watches from other independents and large names and there was almost nothing that came close in terms of quality at the same price range. It's a total package, not just a pretty movement. Actually the movement is my least favorite part of the watch. But the casework, the lugs, the solid silver dial guilloche, the HANDS (!!!!). It's a serious watch.

If you'd like more info, feel free to PM me. You can see some pics of mine in the high end forum on WUS with this same user name, or on my IG account (right_wrist). I've had mine for over a year and have never had a shred of regret on my purchasing decision. That said, I don't go around recommending UJS to everyone because it certainly isn't the right watch for most people. But if you know this is your style and the kind of watch you want to own, then I don't think you can go wrong from a design, quality, historical, or cost perspective. Good luck!
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Old 18 April 2019, 08:39 PM   #10
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Originally Posted by _speedmaster_ View Post
...this company has an unbroken history of creating high caliber watches since 1773...
Considering how fabrication of history is a norm in the watch industry I am a bit sceptical to that claim, of course I could be wrong. Love the design of UJ watches, especially the manual wound PC, it so rare.
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Old 18 April 2019, 09:41 PM   #11
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Originally Posted by Solomente View Post
Hi all. I lurk occasionally but this is my first post here. I own an 1140L in rose gold so I can offer some feedback. There is a very large book (quite expensive, if you can find it) called The Jurgensen Dynasty: Four Centuries of Watchmaking in Two Countries. It was given to me as a gift when I purchased my watch. That book will give you the most comprehensive info you'll find about the history of Urban Jurgensen & Sonner. Some quick highlights... the company, although surprisingly unknown to the masses, has had some very interesting historical accomplishments and very illustrious watchmakers working there. In their current collection they offer a wristwatch with a detent escapement, something that has never been done before or since. Normally detent escapements were used in marine chronometers but never in a wristwatch due to the propensity for shocks to cause the balance to stop beating. This movement was developed when Peter Baumberger owned the company (he has since passed away). Kari Voutillainen also worked there in the 90s (maybe starting in the 80s?), as someone previously mentioned, and was involved in the development as well. I've lost count of the number of times I've seen people on the internet see a pic of a UJS and say it's a ripoff of a Voutillainen when in fact he developed his style working at UJS decades ago. The legendary watchmaker Derek Pratt also produced several designs and watches for UJS, and some of his initial designs helped plant the seed that eventually became the detent escapement movement. He and Kari also worked together to create an absolutely incredible oval pocket watch that I believe last sold for over $2m and is written about in several horological history books. I spoke to Kari briefly about his work on that watch when I met him in NYC last year. He spoke very fondly about it and said he spent over 4,000 hours working on it!

You can find some of this info in a Quill and Pad article. I can't post a link but the article is called "Urban Jurgensen under new Danish Ownership."

Suffice it to say, UJS is an extremely accomplished brand with an incredible pedigree. But the brand has changed hands several times over the years, including 3 times in recent years. Peter Baumberger bought the brand from a descendant, then passed away unexpectedly in 2010 and Helmut Crott took over, then Danish investors led by current CEO Soren Jenry Petersen bought the company. That might be viewed as instability that could scare people away. But it seems to me that current CEO Petersen is interested in continuing the long tradition UJS has had in producing small quantities of exquisite timepieces with a fairly unique design aesthetic. Fit perfectly for what I was looking for and the quality of my 1140L is just phenomenal. I compared it to many other watches from other independents and large names and there was almost nothing that came close in terms of quality at the same price range. It's a total package, not just a pretty movement. Actually the movement is my least favorite part of the watch. But the casework, the lugs, the solid silver dial guilloche, the HANDS (!!!!). It's a serious watch.

If you'd like more info, feel free to PM me. You can see some pics of mine in the high end forum on WUS with this same user name, or on my IG account (right_wrist). I've had mine for over a year and have never had a shred of regret on my purchasing decision. That said, I don't go around recommending UJS to everyone because it certainly isn't the right watch for most people. But if you know this is your style and the kind of watch you want to own, then I don't think you can go wrong from a design, quality, historical, or cost perspective. Good luck!
Many thanks for this helpful reply... and for cementing my desire to own one.

Do you have any experience, or knowledge, on their customization process?
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Old 20 April 2019, 12:42 PM   #12
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Many thanks for this helpful reply... and for cementing my desire to own one.

Do you have any experience, or knowledge, on their customization process?
No, I asked about a particular customization and was told they wouldn't do it but I'm pretty sure the salesman told me that and never actually contacted them
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