New Urban Jürgensen Novelties: What You Need to Know About the Hottest Drop of the Summer

What if you could return to the company that empowered you to do your best work—not just as a contributor, but as its CEO?

That’s precisely why the horological world has been watching Kari Voutilainen with great anticipation. Revered for his hand-finished timepieces, Voutilainen stands in rare company; his meticulous craftsmanship is rivaled only by peers like F.P. Journe, Philippe Dufour, and Vianney Halter, whose eponymous creations regularly command seven figures at auction.

It wouldn’t be surprising if the new timepieces Voutilainen unveils today make headlines in the auction world, too.

Urban Jürgensen: A Legacy Shaped by History’s Greatest Watchmakers

When the American Rosenfield family, active in finance and investment, acquired Urban Jürgensen in 2021, they appointed Voutilainen as co-CEO—for good reason. This historic Danish marque has long been a canvas for horological excellence, with roots tracing back to Jürgen Jürgensen (originally Jørgen Jørgensen in Danish), born in 1745. Jürgen’s eldest son, Urban, was arguably the most gifted of the lineage. Trained under Jacques-Frédéric Houriet, Abraham-Louis Breguet, and Ferdinand Berthoud, Urban was appointed royal watchmaker to the Danish court and authored Rules for the Accurate Measurement of Time by Watches and Clocks—a book still referenced by watchmakers today.

Urban also married Houriet’s daughter, connecting the Jürgensen name to the inventor of the spherical balance spring. But by the fourth generation, without a successor in place, the brand passed through several hands, including Henry Freund & Bros., Ed. Heuer & Co. and Aisenstein Woronock & Sons Inc.

It was finally revived in earnest by Swiss watchmaker Peter Baumberger, who trained at Solothurn’s watchmaking school. After admiring Urban Jürgensen’s pieces in Christian Gundesen’s Copenhagen storefront in 1976, Baumberger eventually persuaded Gundesen, after years of courting, to sell him the brand in 1979.

As its new custodian, Baumberger teamed up with the brilliant Derek Pratt to build a mechanical wristwatch with marine chronometer-level precision—Urban’s original forte. Pratt, renowned for crafting ultra-thin watches and hand-making detent escapements, had also collaborated with George Daniels on developing the co-axial escapement (now famously used by Omega).

Their project culminated in the creation of the calibre P8 in 2011, a mechanical marvel in the Jürgensen tradition, realized with help from Jean-François Mojon, who would later go on to found Chronode.

Mojon has likely had a hand in creating some of your favorite timepieces—because when a brand has a lofty, complicated idea, they often engage Mojon and Chronode to bring that idea to life.

Kari Voutilainen’s Exuberant Homecoming

The hallmarks of a Voutilainen masterpiece—sculpted teardrop lugs, hand-guilloché dials, open-tipped hands, and mirror-polished cases—are not only visually arresting but painstaking to produce. As a young watchmaker, Voutilainen refined these métiers d’art techniques under the tutelage of Baumberger and Pratt.

During his tenure as technical director of Urban Jürgensen, Pratt spent 24 years crafting what would become his magnum opus: the Oval Pocket Watch. This extraordinary piece featured a one-minute flying tourbillon, constant-force mechanism, dead-beat seconds (which makes the second hand “jump” because the constant-force mechanism releases energy every second), moonphase display, and his signature detent escapement.

As Pratt’s health declined, it was Voutilainen who completed and finished the timepiece in 2006. In a full-circle moment, that very watch achieved a hammer price of CHF 3,690,000 at auction in 2024.

After Baumberger’s passing in 2010, his longtime friend and noted collector Dr. Helmut Crott safeguarded the brand until its acquisition by the Rosenfields. Now, with Voutilainen at the helm, Urban Jürgensen’s future looks as brilliantly hand-finished as its past.

The 2025 Collection

On June 5, 2025, 11-time GPHG winner Kari Voutilainen and the Rosenfields unveiled three new Urban Jürgensen timepieces. Their flawless, spellbinding details reflect the indomitable spirit of the eminent watchmakers who have shaped this storied manufacture.

UJ-1: The Anniversary Watch

Yes, they went there. Voutilainen and the Rosenfields have reimagined the legendary Oval Pocket Watch as a wearable wristwatch—complete with an Urban Jürgensen-style tourbillon (which he patented in 1801), constant-force escapement, and dead-beat seconds. Only 75 pieces of this 39.5mm watch will be made, split across three references with just 25 examples each.

UJ-2: The Three-Hand Watch with Double-Wheel Natural Escapement

They actually did it: a double-wheel natural escapement wristwatch. This is, of course, synonymous with Abraham-Louis Breguet—a name already mentioned in Urban Jürgensen’s rich journeyman history. But it’s worth repeating: few watchmakers have truly mastered the natural escapement, among them F.P. Journe, the aforementioned Derek Pratt, and his partner George Daniels. Each 39mm UJ-2 reportedly requires no fewer than 565 hours to complete. By solving the problem of friction, the double-wheel natural escapement maximises efficiency, and Voutilainen revealed that this feature will a distinguishing characteristic of new Urban Jürgensen timepieces.

UJ-3: The Perpetual Calendar with Instantaneous Moon Phase

Voutilainen enlisted none other than Andreas Strehler—revered for his constant-force and ultra-precise moon phase mechanisms—to create the sublime 39mm UJ-3, a moon phase accurate for a staggering 14,000 years. Regardless, the barrel bridge has a leap-year indicator to remind you. By comparison, most moon phase watches remain accurate for 122.5 years before requiring adjustment.

Let that sink in. Like the UJ-1 and UJ-2, this watch also features a double-wheel natural escapement and has been finished to the highest standards by Voutilainen and his handpicked artisans.