A brief History of Urban Jürgensen
It is not entirely unfounded to refer to Urban Jürgensen – a name with 252 years of provenance – as niche. This is perhaps a function of being born and having evolved in a region of Europe not known for its watchmaking tradition – or the fact that when the brand was resurrected most recently, it pre-dated even the very earliest wave of independent watchmaking.
So is it necessary to appreciate some of this history behind the name to understand the watchmaking it stands for? We believe it might be.
While the brand today is named after one Jürgensen, it is actually a story of many. Some who play a part in its preservation and evolution don’t even share the surname – such as those currently charged with restoring the brand to its place among the great houses of watchmaking.
In this first part of our guide to Urban Jürgensen, we trace the broad arc of the historic brand’s journey from its birth in Copenhagen in the late 18th century to the present day. We examine the 30-year period that helped build the enduring name, and the 30-year span – one-and-a-half centuries later – that reintroduced it to modern consciousness.
By consulting with former owners (such as Dr Helmut Crott) as well as the current ones (including Alex Rosenfield) and watchmakers who have helped carry forward the legacy of the brand in their own way (such as Luca Soprana), we have tried to understand the myriad ways Urban Jürgensen has for so long occupied the imagination of those in the know. For commercial context, we look to the world of auctions (and to Alexandre Ghotbi) through which much of the historically important watches bearing the Jürgensen have passed hands.