A deeply respected name in watchmaking, Urban Jürgensen traces its roots as far back as 1773. While the brand is filled with historical prestige and wonder, its modern counterpart arose in the late 1970s under the legendary Peter Baumberger, who would eventually acquire the brand and develop it alongside the equally legendary watchmaker Derek Pratt. A close contemporary and friend of George Daniels, Pratt was one of the finest watchmakers of his generation and played an instrumental role in establishing the technical and artisanal foundations of the modern Urban Jürgensen.
With its classical themes, rich traditional craftsmanship, and exquisite attention to detail, Urban Jürgensen has long held a special place within independent watchmaking. Despite never receiving the same mainstream recognition as some of its contemporaries, those in the know have always understood just how special these watches are.
The Urban Jürgensen Big 8 London Edition was released in 2020 in collaboration with London-based watch dealer A Collected Man, with all profits donated to the Wellcome Trust. Limited to just ten pieces, it remains one of the rarest and, in my opinion, most beautiful iterations of the Big 8 ever made.
Perhaps most notably, the London Edition swaps the Big 8's typical precious metal case for stainless steel, giving an otherwise extremely classical watch a slightly more modern character. Measuring 40mm, the case features beautifully soldered-on teardrop lugs and a stepped bezel, both signatures of Urban Jürgensen's distinctive design language.
The dial, however, is undoubtedly the highlight. Made from solid silver, it features a stunning British racing green finish with a myriad of guilloché patterns applied the old-fashioned way using a hand-operated rose engine. The Observatory-style hands are similarly elaborate, individually heat-blued, turned, and polished by hand, with a small hand-pressed gold ring fitted to the tip of the hour hand for added legibility. Together with the contrasting silver chapter ring and black Roman numerals, there is an incredible amount of texture and depth to the dial without it ever feeling overly complicated.
Powering the Big 8 is the automatic Frédéric Piguet Cal. 1160, allowing the watch to maintain an elegant 10.5mm case profile. Visible through the sapphire crystal case back, the movement features a 21-carat yellow gold winding rotor and high-end finishing throughout, with a power reserve of approximately 48 hours.
One thing I have to point out, which I usually wouldn't, is just how fantastic Urban Jürgensen's packaging is. The beautifully finished wooden lacquer box is reminiscent of the independent watchmaking era of the '90s- think Dubuis, Roth, Journe, etc.- while even the outer box features a beautiful ink-splatter pattern accented by hints of gold leaf. Modern watch packaging can get so boring and, at times, tacky, so it is lovely to see a brand care about something most others don't.
Interestingly, the story of Urban Jürgensen has changed considerably since this watch was released. In 2021, the brand entered a new chapter under the leadership of none other than Kari Voutilainen, a particularly fitting appointment given that he had already worked with Urban Jürgensen during the Baumberger and Derek Pratt era. After several years behind the scenes, the brand finally returned in 2025 with an entirely new collection, once again positioning Urban Jürgensen at the very highest end of independent watchmaking.
For me, this new chapter only makes earlier watches such as the Big 8 London Edition more interesting. It comes from the period immediately preceding the Voutilainen-led revival, yet already possesses so many of the qualities now being celebrated again today, from the hand-guilloché dial and elaborate hands to the teardrop lugs and obsessive attention to detail.
Limited to just ten examples and sold out almost immediately upon release, the Big 8 London Edition was always an exceptionally rare watch. With Urban Jürgensen now firmly back in the spotlight, I think pieces like this will continue to garner interest and importance, and serve as a backdrop to what the brand will become in the coming years.
