Manufacturer: Urban Jürgensen Year: 1990 Movement No: 120 Case No: No. 046; 4'378 Model Name: Reference 2 Material: Platinum Calibre: Automatic, cal. FP 71, 35 jewels Clasp/Buckle: Platinum Urban Jurgensen deployant clasp Dimensions: 38mm Diameter Signed: Case, dial, movement, and clasp signed Accessories: Accompanied by Urban Jürgensen Extract from the Archives confirming the present watch was manufactured on December 17th, 1990 and subsequently sold in February of 1992, and service invoiced from May 2021.
Catalogue Essay
The wristwatches produced during the rebirth of Urban Jürgensen as a brand in the 1980s and 1990s epitomize the marriage of old and new in a way that breathed fresh life into contemporary watchmaking. New owner Peter Baumberger, with his partner, the much-heralded English watchmaker Derek Pratt, set out to rebuild the brand still committed to the original tenets of technical excellence, traditional aesthetics, and handmade master craftsmanship. Aesthetically, it can be considered a pinnacle of elegance: the satin outer track with Roman numerals and simple minute divisions frame the clean guilloché center. Subtle aesthetic details, at first glance easily missed, work behind the scenes to achieve the final effect: the windows do not feature simply sloped sides, but rather are recessed inside the dial.
An ultra-slim, Fredric Piguet-based automatic perpetual calendar movement is beautifully finished with a 21 karat gold winding rotor. Featuring a perfectly proportioned 38mm platinum case with classic teardrop lugs, the present Reference 2 is one of only 50 examples known to have been manufactured in platinum. Having achieved a warm patina to the dial, the case is in remarkable condition, and bears a crisp brushed finish to the caseback, as well as two visible hallmarks between the lugs.
The watch was purchased in Hamburg, Germany by the consignor from a collector of Urban Jürgensen who had collected a number of new-old-stock pieces. He has worn it infrequently since, and now enjoying his yellow gold Reference 2 more, has entrusted Phillips with the sale in hopes it will find a most deserving owner.