Urban Jürgensen Reference 1, Yellow Gold

Urban Jürgensen  have a rich and varied history, dating back to the late 18th century. The manufactures namesake, Urban Jürgensen (1776-1830), along with his father Jürgen Jürgensen, have long been credited with introducing the watch industry to Denmark. Shortly after the birth of his son in 1776, Jürgen Jürgensen moved to Le Locle in Switzerland to work with Jacques-Frédéric Houriet, laying the foundations for a Danish-Swiss connection which still exists over 240 years later.

Peter Baumberger acquired the brand between the years of 1979 to 1985, and together with master English horologist Derek Pratt, set about carrying forward a legacy of elegant and complicated timepieces, whilst pioneering concepts of performance, stability, and movement aesthetics. The Reference 1 epitomises this period of Urban Jürgensen’s history in the best way, bringing together an impressive calendar chronograph movement, based on a highly refined Zenith El Primero calibre, with balanced aesthetics and a hand-finished dial. In fact, many of the dials throughout this period were engine-turned by Pratt himself.

Despite being amongst the most accomplished independent watchmakers of the last century, Pratt remains largely unrecognised within the field. He was a long-standing friend of George Daniels, and it is believed that the pair used to have lengthy telephone discussions every Sunday morning, sharing ideas back and forth between themselves, whilst also working closely together on more than one occasion.

The layout of the Reference 1 dial is fairly straightforward, despite the number of indications, with two dark blue date discs placed directly above the chronograph sub-dials, featuring white lettered indications in Italian. A moonphase sits above 6 o’clock, and a date aperture can be found between 4 and 5 o’clock. In keeping with their traditional aesthetics, the dial has brushed silver chapter rings and an intricate hand-guilloche patterns, with Roman numerals. Meanwhile, the dial is signed “Urban Jürgensen Copenhagen” in a cartouche placed below the twelve o’clock marker.

The watch is powered by the calibre 3019PHF, an automatic movement. Additionally, at 39mm, the watch is fairly large by neo-vintage standards, yet incredibly comfortable owing to the relatively svelte profile and modest teardrop lugs. 

Closer look

Condition

Urban Jürgensen Reference 1 is in good overall condition. The case shows signs of wear, consistent with regular use over time. Equally, the dial shows signs of tarnishing, with some small imperfections visible on the hands.

Warranty

The watch comes with a two-year warranty from A Collected Man, alongside a lifetime guarantee of authenticity.