Derek Pratt for Urban Jürgensen Oval Pocket Watch
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
Circa 1982–2005
The Derek Pratt Oval Pocket Watch was conceived and handmade by English watchmaker Derek Pratt for Urban Jürgensen & Sønner. Begun in 1982 and completed around 2005, the source reports that the piece is officially titled the Detent Escapement Tourbillon with Remontoire in an oval case.
It features a gilt oval movement fitted with a one-minute flying tourbillon, an Earnshaw-style spring-detent escapement, and a remontoire integrated directly into the carriage. Its solid silver engine-turned dial displays hours, minutes, overlapping subsidiary seconds, a moon phase aperture at 12 o'clock, a power reserve indicator, and a thermometer. The piece is housed in a platinum case with final movement finishing executed by Kari Voutilainen.
Evidence at a glance
- Linked sources
- 1
- Photograph views
- 1
- Catalogue references
- 0
Counts describe this entry’s documentation, not authenticity, rarity or completeness. Photographs may show one specimen; check each caption and licence.
Technical characteristics
- Type
- Detent escapement tourbillon oval pocket watch
- Case Metal
- Platinum
- Dial Displays
- Moon phase, chapter ring, sub-seconds, power reserve, and thermometer
- Place recorded
- Switzerland
- Maker / attribution
- Derek Pratt for Urban Jürgensen
- Final Movement Finishing
- Applied by Kari Voutilainen
- Official Model Designation
- Detent Escapement Tourbillon with Remontoire in an oval case
- Escapement and Complications
- One-minute tourbillon with flying carriage, remontoire, and Earnshaw-style spring-detent escapement
Design
- Visible features
- • Oval case made of polished white metal with a top-mounted oval bow and pendant. • Engine-turned solid silver dial featuring multiple contrasting guilloché patterns. • Aperture displaying a moon phase with star accents positioned at the upper 12 o'clock sector. • Off-center Roman numeral hour ring intersected by a subsidiary seconds track at 6 o'clock. • Yellow-toned Breguet-style hands with circular hollow tips.
- Dial Construction and Aesthetics
- The dial is fabricated from solid silver and organized into three distinct sections, all hand-engraved and engine-turned. The display includes a moon phase aperture at 12 o'clock, an hour chapter ring, and a large, overlapping seconds counter situated at the 6 o'clock position. Additional functional displays include a power reserve indicator and a thermometer. The dial layout is complemented by handmade gold Breguet-style hands.
- Construction History and Finishing
- The watch underwent a development period spanning approximately 1982 to 2005. While Pratt initially constructed a hand-made silver case, the watch was later recased in a platinum housing produced by Bruno Affolter between 2005 and 2006. The final decorative finishing of the movement, including the underdial, was executed by Kari Voutilainen, a former colleague of Pratt at Urban Jürgensen. This contribution occurred without the direct consultation of Derek Pratt.
- Movement Architecture and Complications
- The timepiece features a gilt, oval-shaped movement that incorporates a one-minute flying tourbillon. A defining technical attribute is the integration of a remontoire directly into the tourbillon carriage, an innovation Pratt indicated was unique at the time of its development. The escapement is an Earnshaw-style spring-detent, utilized to improve chronometric precision by reducing friction. The movement also contains a flying mainspring barrel and a central minute-wheel bridge.
Identification
- Source note
- Facts transcribed from the linked source listing or collection record. Attribution and specifications are source-reported and have not been independently authenticated.
Catalogue references
No catalogue numbers recorded. Numbers are only published once transcribed from a verified edition of a standard catalogue — they are never inferred.
Research required
- Research required: Source notes the watch was previously housed in an initial silver case before being recased in platinum made by Bruno Affolter.
- Research required: Final movement finishing was applied by Kari Voutilainen without Derek Pratt's direct consultation.
- Research required: Serial numbers and precise movement dimensions are not specified in the source text.