Lot 5

Urban Jürgensens Sönner (Louis Urban Jürgensen)

An extremely rare, early precision pocket watch with spring detent escapement and original mahogany box

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Probably at the special request of a customer, Louis Urban Jürgensen regulated the watch for special astronomical use for sidereal time.

It was Urban Jürgensen’s wish, when he died in 1830, that his sons Louis Urban and Jules Frederik would continue the family business together. For that reason the company was renamed to "Urban Jürgensens Sønner". However, Jules Frederik remained in Switzerland and Louis Urban Jürgensen in fact ran the company on his own. In 1836 he produced his first sales catalogue.
The number engraved on the dust cover is most likely a year date, as such a high movement number is improbable. It would indicate that the watch was produced a year after the catalogue and classed into the catalog’s second category under "Mindre Chronometre til Længdens Bestemmelse paa Sø- og Land-Reiser til Brug paa Observatorier" beneath the typical marine chronometer.
The quality of the timepiece however, exceeds the standard described in the catalogue due to some particular features such as the missing movement number, the engraved makers initials in addition to the company signature, some technical specifics well as as the extremely skilled execution.