Jules Jurgensen Minute Repeater Pocketwatch, c. 1880s

Dealer description — Analog/Shift

Sure, Analog:Shift is a business built around the love of watches — mostly mechanical watches. But, in essence, it’s our love for timepieces and timekeeping in general that are the common themes throughout the items we procure. And that includes the love of clocks in general: pocket watches, travel clocks, and more. After all, in the couple hundred years before the First World War, personal timekeeping was all about the pocket watch, and before that, it was larger clocks that were front and center, horologically. We still believe a good clock — such as a classic travel model from the 1920s or 1930s — has a place in the watch lover’s collection. But what we have here is special: Dating to circa the 1880s, it’s no ordinary pocket watch, but a minute repeater that will audibly chime the time upon activation. Examination reveals it to be a product of Jules Jürgensen, the famous eponymous watchmaking concern established in Denmark in the 18th century. Housed in a 51mm 18K yellow gold ‘hunter’ case with an acrylic crystal, a push-button ‘onion’ crown with barbed ring at 3 o’clock, and a time-setting lever at 12 o’clock, it features a white enamel dial with painted black ‘Roman’ indices, an outer ‘railroad’ minute track, a matching, blued steel ‘Breguet’ handset, and a large seconds sundial above 6 o’clock. Open the case and one is greeted with multiple engravings: the inner front case features “Samuel D. Babcock, July 2nd 1892” with Jules Jürgensen hallmarks, while the inner case back is engraved “Courtland P. Dixon, Sept. 14th 1902,” also with Jules Jürgensen hallmarks. The movement case is engraved with a serial number, plus the maker’s hallmarks. (That’s quite a bit of potential detective work to be done, should someone have the inclination!) Powered by a hand-wound movement and including a wooden box, this tremendous, minute-repeating watch from an important European company is an excellent potential addition to a serious watch lover’s collection. Furthermore, seeing as Finnish watchmaker Kari Voutilainen plans on relaunching Urban Jürgensen in 2024 — (Urban was the father of Jules Jürgensen) — it could prove to be a prudent investment, as well.