Urban Jürgensen

Urban Jürgensen is considered one of the greatest watchmakers of the 19th century, having founded his eponymous brand in Copenhagen in 1773 and apprenticed under horological legends Abraham-Louis Breguet, Ferdinand Berthoud, and John Arnold.

When the Reference 3 was launched in the late 1990s, the atelier was under the ownership of Peter Baumberger, with watchmaking overseen by one of independent watchmaking’s brightest talents, English watchmaker Derek Pratt and assisted by the young Kari Voutilainen. The model is considered a venerable masterpiece, exemplifying devotion to traditional craftsmanship and hand-finishing, hallmarks of the brand since the 1700s. For example, the hand-finished, engine-turned guilloché dial, made from a single piece of solid silver, required over two days and up to 700 operations to complete. The dial layout presents a harmonious and highly legible configuration, showcasing the perpetual calendar, up/down power reserve, and moon phase indications. The beautifully executed pink gold case features individually forged tear-drop lugs, each hand-polished and invisibly soldered to the case.

The movement is a heavily modified and refined automatic Frédéric Piguet ébauche, renamed the FP71, with an additional up/down power reserve indicator. Development reportedly took two years and added 36 individual components to the base movement. The Reference 3 has become a cult watch among discerning collectors who value hand-finished timepieces crafted by some of the most storied and exceptional master watchmakers in history. Tragically, Derek Pratt passed away in 2009, followed by Peter Baumberger in 2010. The brand’s stewardship then passed to renowned watchmaker and industry luminary Jean-Francois Mojon. In 2021, in a fitting act of historical symmetry, the brand was acquired by an investment group led by legendary watchmaker and former Urban Jürgensen employee Kari Voutilainen.

The present lot is offered in exceptional condition. Although never officially confirmed by the brand, it is widely accepted that fewer than 100 Reference 3 watches were produced in total, across both gold and platinum. This example is accompanied by its presentation box, outer packaging, Certificate of Origin (dated 2009, the year of Pratt’s passing), and operating instruction booklets, making it a perfect addition for a discerning collector.