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Lot Essay
Pocket watches such as this exquisite perpetual calendar made by the exceptionally talented old-school British-born watchmaker Derek Pratt for the revived firm of Urban Jürgensen are today fully appreciated as masterpieces of independent watchmaking. Even in a world where the wristwatch reigns supreme, complicated pocket watches particularly those made by pioneering and inventive independent watchmakers at the height of their careers remain a source of fascination and are highly desirable. The lot is consigned by an important private collector, with a longstanding appreciation for the technical mastery and elegance of complicated pocket watches.
According to research, Derek Pratt hand-finished the LeCoultre ébauche of the present timepiece at the Urban Jürgensen & Sønner workshop in around 1978. Numbered 3001, it was the first of only three such perpetual calendar watches made by Pratt as part of the now legendary ‘3000’ series of complicated watches that he created for the brand. The other two known perpetual calendar watches are numbered 3002 and 3003 respectively. In all, it is thought that approximately 30-35 watches with various different complications including tourbillons, perpetual calendars and grand complications were completed for Urban Jürgensen.
The present timepiece employs the perpetual calendar system invented by Charles-Henry Audemars in 1862, its stunningly beautiful entirely handmade guilloche silver dial with four separately made chapter rings and a gold-inlaid blued steel moon phase which required over 20 steps to create perfectly illustrates the standard of practical skill for which Derek Pratt was renowned. Although his name was not widely known until recent years, Derek Pratt is now rightly recognised as one of the greatest independent watchmakers of the 20th century. Pratt served as technical director for Urban Jürgensen, and in doing so, restored the brand's reputation for high-complication pocket watches. The movements he created feature exceptional hand-finishing and superior manual polishing, as do the hand-guilloche dials for which he was particularly respected in the industry. Derek Pratt’s most famous horological masterpiece is the platinum ‘Oval’ tourbillon watch with detent escapement, remontoire, thermometer and moon phases, which sold for almost CHF 3.7 million Swiss Francs in 2024.
The present important perpetual calendar watch, one of only 3 produced by Derek Pratt for Urban Jürgensen, gives collectors the first chance in almost a decade to add one of these great rarities to their collection.
According to research, Derek Pratt hand-finished the LeCoultre ébauche of the present timepiece at the Urban Jürgensen & Sønner workshop in around 1978. Numbered 3001, it was the first of only three such perpetual calendar watches made by Pratt as part of the now legendary ‘3000’ series of complicated watches that he created for the brand. The other two known perpetual calendar watches are numbered 3002 and 3003 respectively. In all, it is thought that approximately 30-35 watches with various different complications including tourbillons, perpetual calendars and grand complications were completed for Urban Jürgensen.
The present timepiece employs the perpetual calendar system invented by Charles-Henry Audemars in 1862, its stunningly beautiful entirely handmade guilloche silver dial with four separately made chapter rings and a gold-inlaid blued steel moon phase which required over 20 steps to create perfectly illustrates the standard of practical skill for which Derek Pratt was renowned. Although his name was not widely known until recent years, Derek Pratt is now rightly recognised as one of the greatest independent watchmakers of the 20th century. Pratt served as technical director for Urban Jürgensen, and in doing so, restored the brand's reputation for high-complication pocket watches. The movements he created feature exceptional hand-finishing and superior manual polishing, as do the hand-guilloche dials for which he was particularly respected in the industry. Derek Pratt’s most famous horological masterpiece is the platinum ‘Oval’ tourbillon watch with detent escapement, remontoire, thermometer and moon phases, which sold for almost CHF 3.7 million Swiss Francs in 2024.
The present important perpetual calendar watch, one of only 3 produced by Derek Pratt for Urban Jürgensen, gives collectors the first chance in almost a decade to add one of these great rarities to their collection.