Urban Jürgensen Big 8 - London Edition -

The watch

Glorious British racing green, a colour that evokes the beauty of Great British racing and motoring heritage like no other. This is the colour that covers the dial of this incredibly unique Big 8. Deep, rich and classic, this green is an all-round, first-class choice for a 'London' watch. To achieve this particular hue on the solid silver dial a process called Physical Vaper Deposition (PVD) is used and takes three days to complete. Three days - just for the colour.

The dedication and skill that Urban Jürgensen has in the creation of timepieces is simply second to none. On this piece, the three days for the colour were followed by two days of engine-turned and hand-finished guilloché on the dial. In a break with tradition, Clou de Paris was used for the centre of the dial and paired with Panier for the small seconds sub-dial. In eye-catching contrast to the deep green, brushed-silver chapter rings encircle the seconds sub-dial and the main dial. On the hour chapter ring, black printed Roman numerals are seen, which have a slightly more rounded, modern form - a key design difference on this limited edition piece. Further key design differences include the absent date window and the 'VI' being completely removed from the hour chapter ring, both design choices leading to an overall cleaner feel to the dial. A pearled minute-track lies to the outer edge of the hour chapter ring. 

The dial is signed via a brushed silver arched cartouche at the 12 and concluded with the distinctly unique and entirely hand-crafted Urban Jürgensen observatoire hands. These hands are entirely hand-crafted in Switzerland through a process that involves fifty separate steps and takes one full day's work to complete just one set of hour, minute and seconds hands. On this piece the hands are made from white gold, which is thermally blued to Urban Jürgensen's specific blue tone. They are completed with yellow gold canons and a yellow gold insert on the hour hand that creates the magnificent, unique eye of the hand. 

The steel case measures 40mm in diameter, has a concave bezel and is embellished with individually created, heat-treated, hand-polished teardrop lugs, which are fused onto the case using a technique that has been in use since the mid-twentieth century. 

This limited edition watch has been adorned with all the exquisite, hand-crafted signature features of Urban Jürgensen watches, yet given that extra special touch through the truly captivating deep green of its dial.

Movement

The watch is powered by a modified version of the automatic Caliber 1160, an ultra-thin movement that is produced by Frédéric Piguet. It contains 31 jewels, has a power reserve of 48 hours and a frequency of 28,800 A/h. As the date window has been entirely removed, this means there is no dead position. While the movement may not be in-house in construction, it has been adorned with Urban Jürgensen's attentive in-house curation. Through the sapphire glass exhibition caseback, this considered curation is displayed. Geneva stripes and anglage can be seen on the bridges, while the 21K yellow gold rotor is almost completely covered in very delicate guilloché and is neatly completed with the UJS crest.

How it wears

A watch that resonates as elegantly as the Great British tweed jacket. Timeless, classic and will simply never be out of style. Its rich array of diverging yet classic colours give depth and texture to the piece, as well as unique flexibility. It is so classic yet eclectic in its composition that its pairing with different colours, materials, textures could be taken in so many different directions. The construction of the Big 8 leads to a distinctly comfortable feel on the wrist, while the decision to fashion this limited edition Big 8 in steel, means this timepiece has great overall wear potential.

The set & condition

A rare watch that is in very good condition and comes with its full, decidedly elegant set.

Origin

Danish in origin, Swiss in creation and quintessentially British in style. A recipe for something rather spectacular, which this Big 8 London Edition most certainly is. This classically elegant watch was released in 2020 and is part of a limited, 10-piece series.

The bridge between Danish watchmaker Urban Jürgensen and Switzerland, the beating heart of fine watchmaking, stretches back to the very beginning of the brand. In 1759, Jörgen Jörgensen (later to become Jürgensen), became the apprentice of the renowned watchmaker in Copenhagen, Johan Jacob Lincke. He would be given the opportunity to travel throughout Switzerland and eventually would decide to settle there, following an offer of work from the revered Swiss chronometrist - Jacques Frédéric Houriet.

After amassing considerable experience under Houriet, Jörgensen returned to Copenhagen and with a partner, Isaac Larpent, the first iteration of the present-day Urban Jürgensen was established. The year was 1773. This Danish/Swiss bridge would continue to be built and reinforced with Jörgensen's son, Urban and grandson, Jules. Urban, a promising horological talent from an early age, would retrace the path created by his father and travel to Switzerland to work for Houriet. Yet his travels would extend further than his father's, taking him to Paris and London, where he would work for Abraham Louis Breguet and John Arnold respectively, two of the most esteemed names from the greatest era in horological history. Just as his father before him, all this experience would be consolidated, brought back to Copenhagen and infused into the family business.

In the late eighteenth and early nineteenth century, Urban Jürgensen became the Scandinavian beacon of light within the world of watchmaking. In 1835, Jules would move to Switzerland in order to set up a company base and manufacture. Urban Jürgensen has remained present on Swiss territory ever since, and as faithful as they come to the Swiss traditions of haute horlogerie.

The British twist on this piece comes courtesy of London-based watch dealer A Collected Man, who partnered with Urban Jürgensen on the creation of the distinct aesthetic aspect of this limited series of timepieces.

In November 2021, the renowned Finnish independent watchmaker, Kari Voutilainen, became the new CEO of Urban Jürgensen. Under this strong new leadership, that beacon of Scandinavian light is certain to glow ever more intensely over the coming years.

If you desire to take a closer look at this precious timepiece, don't hesitate to contact us and make an appointment. We are based in Ghent, Belgium

www.mrwatchley.com - [Email address suppressed for privacy]