The story of Urban Jürgensen does not follow the classic narrative forms of watchmaking legend. It can be traced through the achievements of Danish watchmaker and scientist Urban Jürgensen in the 18th century; the brilliant innovations of Peter Baumberger and Derek Pratt over the past 50 years; and the current resurgence of the maison under the direction of Alex and Andy Rosenfield, alongside contemporary legend Kari Voutilainen. This year, they relaunched the brand on the strength of overwhelming watchmaking prowess – rooted in fundamental horological principles and executed at a level few can emulate. As a clear statement of both the present and what is to come, the impressive UJ-1 sets out to challenge the boundaries of contemporary watchmaking.

This wristwatch represents a reinvention of Urban Jürgensen’s legendary Pratt “The Oval” pocket watch (1982), reviving a project that spanned nearly two decades. For the first time, the UJ-1 miniaturizes and adapts a version of the iconic pocket-watch movement to a wrist format – a feat watchmakers have sought to achieve since the Oval’s introduction.

Urban Jürgensen UJ-1 (©Revolution)

The UJ-1 combines two of the most significant inventions in watchmaking history: the tourbillon, patented in 1801 by Abraham-Louis Breguet to compensate for errors caused by gravity in pocket watches; and the remontoir d’égalité, a complex mechanism that delivers constant force to the escapement, ensuring superior accuracy by counteracting the loss of power as the mainspring unwinds. What sets it apart is the integration of the one-minute tourbillon and its constant-force remontoir within the aptly named Caliber UJ-1 (hand-wound, 18,000vph, 47-hour power reserve).

The integration of the one-minute tourbillon on Caliber UJ-1 (©Revolution)

A remontoir is most effective when positioned as close as possible to the balance wheel. The ideal solution is to mount it directly on the escape wheel, allowing energy to be transmitted straight to the lever that drives the balance, without intermediaries. That was the genius of Derek Pratt’s solution, implemented in Urban Jürgensen’s pocket watches.

The first mass-produced wristwatch to feature a remontoir mounted in the cage directly on the tourbillon’s escape wheel (©Revolution)

Until now, however, it had not been feasible to miniaturize this architecture for a serially produced wristwatch. This is where the significance of the UJ-1 lies: it is the first wristwatch in regular production to feature a remontoir mounted within the tourbillon cage, directly on the escape wheel.

This technical milestone follows on from Derek Pratt’s achievements as technical director at Urban Jürgensen from 1982 to 2005. During this period, he developed a series of pocket watches based on his innovative remontoir design. His legacy is closely linked to that of Kari Voutilainen, whose connection to the brand is defined by shared ideals. When Pratt was no longer able to complete the Oval, Peter Baumberger turned to Voutilainen to reformulate the concept and bring the project to completion, while remaining faithful to the Oval’s spirit – a lineage that ultimately gave rise to this achievement.

As our founder, Wei Koh, said, the UJ-1 is a “shot across the bow of the entire watchmaking establishment; it is saying that under the guidance of these impressive individuals [the Rosenfields and Voutilainen], Urban Jürgensen intends to be the most technically innovative and aesthetically sublime watch brand in the world.” Enough said.