Urban Jürgensen - History, Models and Owners' Reviews

Urban Jürgensen, founded in 1773, is a Danish-rooted house (Copenhagen, Jürgen Jürgensen) now based in Biel, Switzerland; it serves collectors of classically styled, hand-worked dress watches (grenage dials, hand-made hands, teardrop lugs) and has been undergoing a 2025 revival under new shareholders and a dual leadership.

Silver grenage, hand-made hands and teardrop lugs: the UJ language

The brand’s face combines a solid-silver dial finished by the traditional “grenage” process, hands made of blued steel with a diamond-polished yellow-gold eye, and individually soldered teardrop lugs. Each solid-silver grenage dial is hand-made, one by one, yielding a uniquely pearled surface.

Pillars and models: 1140/1142, 1741, The Alfred, Jürgensen One, 11C, UJ-3

The line clusters by use case—refined three-handers and discreet perpetuals, connoisseur steel pieces, and an integrated-bracelet sport watch—plus the 2025 relaunch creations. Start by choosing the universe (dress grenage, discreet perpetual, integrated sport, or the 2025 pieces), then dial size and wrist presence.

• Urban Jürgensen Reference 1142 — Small-seconds three-hander with grenage dial and “observatory” hands; seen with the proprietary P4. 
• Urban Jürgensen Reference 1741 — Platinum perpetual calendar with grenage dial and soldered lugs; observed launch price €85,800 excl. VAT.
• Urban Jürgensen The Alfred — Steel, small seconds, grenage dial; 42 mm (2017) and “Alfred 40” (2019).
• Urban Jürgensen Jürgensen One — Integrated-bracelet steel sports watch, 120 m; list prices CHF 24,500 (date) / CHF 33,500 (GMT).
• Urban Jürgensen 11C — Early-2010s series with pivoted detent escapement (cal. P8).
• Urban Jürgensen UJ-3 — 2025 perpetual calendar developed with Andreas Strehler; stated price CHF 168,000. 

From detent P8 to P4, then the UJ-1/UJ-3 revival (2025)

Following the detent-escapement 11C era (cal. P8), the brand consolidated dress models around the P4 (developed with Chronode) before unveiling a full relaunch in 2025: a new trio (UJ-1/-2/-3), co-leadership by the Rosenfield family and Kari Voutilainen, production in Biel and a medium-term ramp-up plan.

Positioning, pricing and reach

This is classical high-independent territory: steel sports around CHF 24.5–33.5k (Jürgensen One); platinum perpetual at €85.8k (Ref. 1741); UJ-3 2025 at CHF 168k; distribution is primarily direct-to-consumer (US showrooms under study); current volumes are “information not confirmed,” with a stated target of ~1,200 watches/year within five years. In short, public pricing runs roughly from CHF 25–35k (steel sport) to €85k (platinum QP) and CHF 168k (2025 perpetual), with measured production.

Conclusion

Urban Jürgensen suits buyers seeking a hand-finished, quiet-spoken dress watch defined by grenage dials, sculpted hands and teardrop lugs. The 2025 chapter reinforces that identity with a tighter offering and proprietary calibres while preserving a selective stance. To balance size, materials and allocation timing with real-world wear, rely on Dialicious customer reviews before deciding.

(Updated September 2025)