An auction in May at Antiquirum’s auction house in Geneva saw an Urban Jürgensenpocket watch fetch the handsome sum of 747,750 Swiss francs in the auction of ‘Important Modern and Vintage Timepieces’, (lot 84). This was an astonishing 18 times more than the original estimated value.
It was a tense battle as the initial four bidders sprang into action. At 80,000 francs, two of the bidders dropped out, with one remaining bidder in-house and the other a telephone bidder. The timepiece they were hoping to win was an 18k rose-gold pocket chronometer named ‘The Krusenstern’, an Urban Jürgensen. This item was the top seller of this particular auction.
“It was an honour to present such an extensive selection of remarkable Jürgensen examples and we are thrilled that the results reflect the exceptional quality of the pieces.With 177% of the collection sold by value, it is evident that rare Urban Jürgensen watches continue to stand the test of time,” the Director and Watch Expert of Antiquorium Genever, Etienne Lemenager noted.
Other pocket watches featured in the auction included the ‘Vaceron Constantin One Minute Tourbillion’ (lot 164), which also sparked a lot of interest among bidders, eventually selling at double its estimate.
If you are interested in pocket watches, take a look at our extensive collection of antique timepieces.
Image: Gerry Lauzonunder Creative Commons
