Urban Jürgensen & Sønner Copenhagen/Derek Pratt

• twin barrel rhodium finished ¾ plate movement with lever escapement, Pratt’s one minute tourbillon with polished three-arm steel carriage, the carriage mounted with a one second remontoire, large bi-metallic balance with gold timing screws and Elinvar spiral spring with terminal curve and device for fine regulation, all revealed through a glazed cuvette • fine double sunk engine-turned silver dial with radial roman numerals and outer minute track, sector for 36-hour power reserve indication at 12 o’clock, subsidiary seconds, blued steel Breguet-style hands, heavy plain 18k gold “á goutte” case, the back-cover opening by means of a button-set crown • case dial and movement signed

John M. R. Knudsen, The Jürgensen Dynasty, Urban Jürgensen, p.317, 2013

Timothy Treffry, Derek Pratt Watchmaker FBHI, British Horological Institute, 2012

Urban Jürgensen & Sønner, Company Catalogue, c. 1995  

The movement is running at time of cataloguing.The dial and hands are in excellent condition. The case has very minor surface scratches as it appears that the watch was rarely/never used. Overall, the watch is in excellent condition.The watch has not been tested to determine the accuracy of its timekeeping. Please note that Sotheby's does not guarantee the future working of the movement and that a service may be required at the buyer's discretion.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. All dimensions in catalogue descriptions are approximate. Condition reports may not specify mechanical replacements or imperfections to the movement, case, dial, pendulum, separate base(s) or dome. Watches in water-resistant cases have been opened to examine movements but no warranties are made that the watches are currently water-resistant. Please note that we do not guarantee the authenticity of any individual component parts, such as wheels, hands, crowns, crystals, screws, bracelets and leather bands, since subsequent repairs and restoration work may have resulted in the replacement of original parts. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue. In particular, please note it is the purchaser's responsibility to comply with any applicable import and export matters, particularly in relation to lots incorporating materials from endangered species.NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

**Please be advised that bands made of materials derived from endangered or otherwise protected species (i.e. alligator and crocodile) are not sold with the watches and are for display purposes only. We reserve the right to remove these bands prior to shipping."

Accompanied by M.R. John Knudsen, The Jürgensen Dynasty, 2013, the T. Treffry book, Derek Pratt, Watchmaker, 2012, and an original Urban Jürgensen & Sønner silver inlaid exotic wood box.

Urban Jürgensen has a long tradition of tourbillon production. The Company’s first tourbillion (numbered 101) which dates to circa 1830, can be found in the collection of the International Watch Museum at La Chaux-de-Fonds.

In 1975, Peter Baumberger and Derek Pratt took the tradition to a new level when they embarked on production of a new small series of Tourbillon pocket watches. Baumberger and Pratt, together with Albert-Piquet Benoit, Lemania’s former technical director, were convinced that the pocket watch format was the only acceptable platform to present their new Tourbillon.

No. 3060, the present watch, is the product of this collaboration and employs Derek Pratt’s one minute tourbillon with one second remontoire mounted within the tourbillon carriage. The new design marked a first in tourbillon production. Positioning the remontoire inside the carriage achieved Pratt’s goal to provide a greater rate of accuracy – the one second remontoire isolates the carriage from the wheel train and maintains a constant balance amplitude, thereby allowing superior timekeeping.

According to the archives of Urban Jürgensen & Sønner, production of the new series lasted 20 years and included just 12 to 15 Tourbillons, each made with different layouts.

The tourbillon carriage with one second remontoire, as found in the present watch, is the rarest and most sophisticated version of Pratt’s invention and as such provides the collector with a rare opportunity to acquire not just a horological Tour de Force, but an important piece of horological history.

For a discussion of these tourbillons see, John M.R. Knudsen, The Jürgensen Dynasty, p. 316 and Derek Pratt, In Breguet’s Footsteps, BHI March 2009, pp. 105-110 and fig.4.