To begin with: I’m from Sweden witch means that my English is quite insufficient so please read with that in your mind.

The watch types discussed in the chapter is very often of American types, witch is very understandable, partly because of the chapters members mainly are American and partly because the American watches are the best ever made (my opinion).
To make some variation I would like to tell a little story about a really interesting Danish watchmaker named Urban Jürgensen.

Urban Jürgensen was born in Copenhagen in Denmark on the 5th of August 1776. In 1791 he started work as a watchmaker apprentice in his fathers watch factory “Hvalsö”. He also, apart from watch making science, studied math’s, language (mainly french and german) and astronomy and physics. His teacher in math’s was the famous professor Wolf who later became the prime minister of Denmark.

After he graduated, in the age of 20, with both theoretical and practical studies in watch making science he was sent by his father to study Switzerland/Neufchatel for 6 months and Geneva for six months. After that he went to Paris and here he got the opportunity to work with A.L Breguet and Ferdinand Berthoud.

In the year of 1801 the 25 year old Jürgensen went home to Denmark to work with his father as a partner in the family business. In the year to come the young Jürgensen worked very hard with his watch making. He also wrote a lot of technical literature. The big challenge for him was to develop chronometers for the Danish navy (that was quite powerful in those days). Denmark did not have their own production within the country. They buy there chronos from England. The Danish authorities were very interested in getting their own chronometers so they sponsored Jürgensen in his work develop it. The Danish authorities wanted him to work with the Frenchman Magnin but Jürgensen wanted to work with his father witch was disapproved. He stopped work with the chronometer for a while. Instead he start to experiment with different mechanical devices within the higher grade of the watch making science. He spend much time to develop the cylinder escapement. He create a movement were he, instead of a brass escapement wheel used a escapement wheel made of steel and assembled it so the oil was still attached and then increased the friction at the cylinder. In the year of 1815 his got monopole at produce movement with compensation arrangement for temperature differences. Jürgensen used stones in these movement, witch he was the first one to do in Denmark.
After a while he started to develop chronometer escapements and he proceed to work with regulator and compensating problems.

In 1811 his father died and he now stood alone. But he was very successful. In 1818 he got sponsored by the government in about 1200 riksdaler. For these money he should produce chronometers to sell to the navy for 300 specidaler/each. That was what the English one cost. Urban Jürgensen produced abut 50 chronos himself and he repaired and renovated about 160 foreign pieces. He also produced six very complicated regulators for astronomic use.

Towards his death on the 14th of may 1830 he proceeded to write technical literature. After his death, the factory was operated by his two sons and his brother Fredrik under the name “Urban Jürgensen og sönner”. This was the beginning of a manufacturer that still today crate watches, one of the worlds most finest.
Urban Jürgensen got 53 years old.

Bernhard "the swede"

Picture of Urban Jürgensen

Bernhard "the swede"

Chronometer movement to the famous Krusensternuret witch was ordered by the danish king Fredrik VI

Bernhard "the swede"

a mechanical drawing.

Bernhard "the swede"

A cylindre movement watch from my personal collection

Bernhard "the swede"

....great story Bernhard!!!fine watch!!!thanks! I enjoyed both very much...btw: thanks too for Mats Sundin!!!Go Leafs!!!Jim C

Thank´s Jim. Mats Sundin....in Sweden he is just a mediocre hockeyplayer ,...just kidding, I think he is doing a terrific job. Can´t be simple to be a captain in one of the biggest and most honorable team i the land of hockey, Canada.

Bernhard "the swede"

Thanks Bernhard verry interesting and educational.I like the picture of your watch.
My team is the Habs, since i was born in Quebec.

Kevin "Veritas" West
IHC Member 261
Chapter 111,Ottawa
NAWCC Member 158976,
Nepean, Canada

Thanks Bernard for let us learn the biogrphy of the great Urban Jürgensen, great timepieces too!

From A great member, Thanks Bernhard what type of book is this from, would love to have it. Regards TED