If a high luxury, exclusive sports watch is one’s quarry, it doesn’t necessarily follow that such watch has to be an Audemars Piguet Royal Oak, Patek Philippe Nautilus, or even an A. Lange & Sohne Odysseus or Vacheron Constantin Overseas, as great as all of these admittedly are. Sometimes the most beautiful of watches whisper quietly, and you have to strain your ears a bit to hear them. Once you do though, the siren song they sing is captivating indeed. One such watch is the Jürgensen One from the distinguished Danish-Swiss brand of Urban Jürgensen, which presents a beautiful combination of sublime sporting design, superior materials and artisanal detail in every way, as well as a distinguished mechanical movement worthy of the best in class.
Urban Jürgensen, a great Danish watchmaker of the 18th century, trained along the way by the likes of Abraham-Louis Breguet and Ferdinand Berthoud, and noted for his superlative marine chronometers and observatory clocks–among other creations–would surely find much to admire in the One which bears his name in the 21st century. First, the 41mm case and its bracelet are wonderfully rendered, with an integrated design that resonates with our collective Watch Idiot Savant souls somehow, yet doesn’t imitate those great Genta designs from the decade of bright colors and shag carpets. The smoothness is exceptional, both in terms of the case, and the bracelet with its fine vertical brushing and brilliantly polished pointed ovals for contrast–just the sort of complexity and visual allure that takes watches of this caliber far, far beyond a mid-level luxury sports watch. As an example, the case’s lugs are individually soldered on, a process far more laborious than stamping out a one-piece case as is generally the norm–very few luxury watchmakers do this, apart from an elite handful such as Chopard, who also have the jewelry crafting expertise to match their horological prowess. Beyond the impeccable details and extra effort required, there’s a harmony in the way these elements all flow together in the Urban Jürgensen One, creating a organic, almost soothing form, rather like a pebble gently smoothed by the ageless flow of a mountain stream. And this watch can coexist in a stream as well, or a body of water much deeper: the case construction is robust as well as lovely, with screws fixing down the caseback, and a screwed-down crown assuring water resistance to 120 meters.
The dial is a masterpiece of contrasts, and I really enjoy how everything works together to create tremendous visual interest. A particular aspect that really makes this watch a stand out amongst its peers is the skeletonized hands, whose form and workmanship are immediate signatures of the Jürgensen brand, particularly the so-called “eye” hour hand, the large circular opening on which is unlike anything else…maybe an extreme, modernized version of the classic Breguet hand, if we had to pigeonhole it? Regardless, I think the distinctive Urban Jürgensen hour hand (as well as the others) is an exquisite touch, and that descriptive applies to everything else as well. Just look at the polishing and detail in every aspect, as well as the pronounced curve of the minute and second hand that dip into the minute track in a way seldom seen outside of classic pocket watches. And on that topic, I think the fire-blued hands on the white dialed model seen just above are the most striking in appearance, as I’m always a sucker for such things (as are many of us, I suspect). Yet despite this finery, and the dial’s guilloched nuances at large, such nicety never interferes with function, and the watch remains extremely easy to read the time from, either by day or night, thanks to restrained yet generous amounts of luminous material applied where needed.
As you’d expect (and certainly hope) for a watch of this kind of execution, the soul is inside the case, and what makes it go. The P5 caliber, developed by the team at Urban Jürgensen, has 34 jewels, a useful 72 hour power reserve, features five position adjustments, and has something I particularly enjoy (but see a lot less of these days): a classic, slower beating, 21,600 vph balance rate. Why do I appreciate that? Hold such a watch to your ear and you find something soothing and relaxing to listen to, compared to the frenetic ticking of one at 28.8 or 36,000 vph–once again, another delightful subtlety to enjoy in the touch, sound, and visual experience of appreciating fine watches. The visuals are lovely as well, with a delightfully wide, radiating sunburst type Cotes de Geneve pattern, traditional fire blued screws, hand-finished anglage on the edges of the bridges, and a signed winding mass with a 22K yellow gold outer weight; the latter is not just an exclusive touch of luxury (which I’ll take on its own!) but it also assures that the rotor efficiently and smoothly feeds power to the two mainspring barrels. Like brands such as (most famously) Rolex, and those of modern Audemars Piguet manufacture, the balance is mounted on a full bridge, which helps bolster the sporting aspirations of the Jürgensen One, especially if the aquatic escapades prove on the bumpier side. While time–ahem–will always tell, the tech specs of this watch certainly match the beauty, and it should prove a reliable and sturdy motor, as well as a pretty one to look at and appreciate, whether the watch is worn for business, pleasure, or both.
It’s definitely worth mentioning that the distinguished Jürgensen One is also offered in a GMT version. While quite a bit higher in price (nearly 10,000 Euros more) than the already lofty simple automatic, it should be a grand companion for the elegant world traveler, and certainly not just because of its looks and pedigree. The base caliber, which shares the architecture of the standard P5, adds a very intelligent and simple to use dual timezone mechanism, by which you can easily advance hours forward and backwards through the international dateline with a quick press of two buttons on the left side of the case. Should you want to know the time at home, you can easily do so via the discreet yet easily legible 24 hour subdial at the 6 o’clock position. In either model, Urban Jürgensen has achieved the creation of a worthy competitor to the great high luxury sports watches, and I certainly hope to see this piece win over increasing numbers of demanding wrists. As an added plus, for those who enjoy being in an elite club, production quantities for this brand are way, way lower than their illustrious competitors, and a conversation with someone who has one, if you ever encounter another that is, is sure to create a real camaraderie that only the most ardent of watch lovers can understand.