Reference 10, Pink Gold

This is a scarcely-seen Urban Jürgensen Reference 10, the final chapter of Urban Jürgensen’s most lauded years. While visually similar to a Reference 2, fewer than 10 examples of the Reference 10 exist across all metals. While an obvious descendant of the Reference 2, the Reference 10 is an evolved platform which features twin barrels, a faster-beating 1160, running seconds coaxial with the date, exhibition snap-caseback, and 40mm case reminiscent of the Big 8 which came later. It is the closing chapter of the Pratt-Baumberger collection.

The Reference 10 is the last perpetual calendar conceived under Peter Baumberger at Urban Jürgensen. In production from the mid-2000s to 2015, just a handful exist. It appears in a reference listing published in 2009 at 76,000 CHF in gold and 91,200 CHF in platinum. Baumberger died in May 2010, so the watch outlived him, carrying on under Dr. Helmut Crott and the Danish owners who followed. No split by metal exists, but it is widely estimated that fewer than 10 examples were ever made, largely thanks to the 2008 financial crisis. 

Mechanically, it is the Reference 2 on a more contemporary base. The Reference 2 of 1986 and Reference 3 of 1993 used the ultra-thin Frédéric Piguet 71 in a 38mm case, with no seconds hand. The Reference 9, born of a customer request, then traded the calendar windows for hands. The 10 moved to the twin-barrel, faster-beating FP 1160 beneath a Lemania calendar module, in a thin 40mm case. That calibre brought running seconds, which shares the six o’clock register with the date. Two hands in one subdial is the fastest way to tell a 10 from a 2.

The rest is pure Baumberger. The dial is a single disc of solid silver, with barleycorn, basket-weave and sauté-piqué guilloché all cut by hand into the same piece over about two days (aided by Voutilainen). The moon disc is blued steel, its stars filled with gold dust. The gold eye of the hour hand is held in place by fit alone, the teardrop lugs are soldered on, and the guilloché rotor is 21k gold. Like the Reference 2, it shows no leap year, an omission Baumberger and Derek Pratt chose on purpose. The case of the Reference 10 set a foundation for the tumultuous Danish ownership years, yet is still firmly within the final chapters of the lauded Pratt-Baumberger years.

This Reference 10 presents in exceptional overall condition. Its case bears light signs of sparing use. Hallmarks appear perfectly sharp. The movement is running well in specification on our timing equipment including advance and scroll-over of all calendar functions. It comes with its original full set.

This example is modelled on an average-sized 7-inch wrist.