Jules Jürgensen

Jules Jürgensen was a Swiss watchmaking company founded by Jules Fredrik Jürgensen. The Swiss authorities treated the company as a branch of Urban Jürgensen & Sonner in Copenhagen.[1]

History

The company traced its roots to the year 1740, when the Danish watchmaker Jürgen Jürgensen went into partnership with Isaac Larpent, under the name "Larpent & Jürgensen". Upon Jürgen's death in 1811, his son Urban Jürgensen took over the company. Following Urban's death in 1830 the Danish company continued its operations as Urban Jürgensen & Sønner, while one of Urban's sons, Jules Frederik, moved to Switzerland and established a subsidiary branch.[2]

By 1919, Ed. Heuer & Co. purchased the Swiss Jürgensen operation and handled the regulation and assembly of Jules Jürgensen watches using ébauches (basic movement parts) from LeCoultre and Victorin Piguet; both were also suppliers to Patek Philippe.[2] Jules Jürgensen was sold to a U.S.-based company in 1936, but watches were still produced in Switzerland until 1957, when the documentation shows the watches were made by other manufacturers and branded with the Jürgensen name.[3] The company changed ownership twice during the 60's: first in 1965 when it was bought by Victor Hoff, and again in 1968 when the company was purchased by Downe Communications Inc.[4]During the Quartz crisis in 1974, Mort Clayman, a watch distributor in the U.S. and owner of Rhapsody watches, purchased the company. This marked the end of the era of Swiss Made Jules Jürgensen watches: During Clayman's ownership Jürgensen watches were assembled at Saint Croix in the US Virgin Islands using Japanese mechanical and quartz movements although some watches were still manufactured using Swiss parts.[4] Assembly in the Virgin Islands was done in order to qualify as “American Made” and consequently avoiding import tariffs.[5] According to the company's website, Rhapsody has ceased operation, but is still honoring warranties.[6] Mort Clayman died in January 2010, and his survivors closed the company. In 2011, Dr. Helmut Crott, owner of Urban Jürgensen & Sønner acquired the rights from the Clayman family.[7] In 2025 a 18 carat gold Jules Jürgensen pocket watch formerly belonging to Titanic passenger Isidor Straus sold for record £1.78m at auction.[8]