URBAN JÜRGENSEN | A FINE AND VERY RARE GOLD MINUTE REPEATING LEVER WATCH WITH DEAD CENTRE SECONDSDATED 1808 .9

• Movement: gilded full plate, two train, lever escapement, plain three-arm steel balance, diamond endstone, repeating on coiled gongs• Dial: white enamel, Arabic numerals, outer minute ring, blued steel moon hands, dead centre seconds• Case: gold, engine-turned case back, fluted band, short start/stop slide beneath bezel at 4 o'clock for dead centre seconds, plunge repeat through pendant, gilt-metal cuvette engraved with movement details and signed and dated Urban Jürgensen sen fecit, 1808 .9

Antiquorum Milan, 30 November 1992, lot 253

John Knudsen, The Jürgensen Dynasty, 2013, p. 49 pl.55 -56

Movement: running at time of cataloguing, repeating work operational, slide for start/stop seconds also in working order. Winding smoothly. Some small scratches to edge of case back. Dial: appears to be in good condition. Case: with light scuffs and scratches, the engine-turned decoration remains clear, a couple of small splits to the band beside the pendant.
"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."

Urban Jürgensen, the eldest son of Jürgen Jürgensen, was born in Copenhagen on 5th August 1776. Clearly a gifted child, from a young age Urban already showed a keen interest in physics, mathematics and astronomy. He left school at 15 and served an apprenticeship with his father. In 1797, Jürgen sent his son to further his horological studies with Frédéric Houriet (whose daughter Urban later married) in Le Locle. Houriet's skill as a precision watch and chronometer maker clearly had a deep effect on the young Urban. Urban also spent time in Geneva, Paris and London. In Paris he worked for Abraham-Louis Breguet and Ferdinand Berthoud whilst in London he was engaged at the workshops of both Brockbanks and John Arnold. In 1801 Urban returned to Copenhagen keen to bring the knowledge and experience he had gained back to his native city. Although he spent further time travelling over the next decade, following the death of his father in 1811, Urban set up his own company in Copenhagen in the spring of the same year. Urban's workshop would concentrate on the production of precision watches and chronometers and the difficulty of sourcing skilled craftsmen combined with the firm's refined and complex production meant the number of pieces produced remained relatively small. Indeed, the lack of skilled watchmakers who were able to work on and adjust chronometers in Copenhagen meant that Urban Jürgensen was often relied on to repair and adjust chronometers by other makers. In 1815, Urban was accepted into the Royal Danish Academy of Science and in 1818 was charged with the supply of marine and deck chronometers to the Danish Royal Navy. Although Urban is best known for the exceptional quality of his chronometers and astronomical clocks, he is also recognised for his invention of a type of bi-metallic thermometer in 1801 and his perfection of the gold balance spring - the anti-magnetic and anti-corrosion properties of which he recognised as ideal for use in his marine timekeepers. Urban wrote several important horological papers including 'General principles for the exact measurement of time by clocks and watches' which was first published in Danish in 1804. Urban Jürgensen died in 1830 and his sons Louis Urban and Jules succeeded to the business.