An independent watchmaker with a distinctive classical styling (that predates Kari Voutilainen’s signature look incidentally), Urban Jürgensen & Sønner (UJS) is going with the flow in introducing the Alfred. It boasts the in-house P4 calibre inside a steel case, and is sold only via the brand’s own website.

Named after Jacques Alfred Jürgensen, the last member of the eponymous Danish family to run the brand, the Alfred has the typically elegant UJS case defined by sloping teardrop lugs soldered to the case band by hand. It’s 42mm in diameter, with a narrow bezel and display back.

Unlike most UJS watches that have guilloche dials, the Alfred has a grained silver dial. The dial is a disc of solid silver that’s frosted by hand, with all of the markings engraved and then filled with black lacquer.

The hands are signature UJS style, hand-made and three-dimensional in form. They are made of blued steel, with a polished steel, ring-shaped insert on the hour hand.

Most notable is the in-house P4 movement inside. Before the Alfred, the entry-level UJS wristwatch featured a Frederic Piguet automatic calibre, with the most affordable model with an in-house calibre and 18k gold case priced at almost double the Alfred.

Constructed by Jean-Francois Mojon of Chronode,the same specialist responsible for the MB&F LM1 and LM2, with Kari Voutilainen in charge of the styling and serial production, the P4 movement is a hand-wound calibre available in several variants. The top of the line features a spring detent escapement (named the P8), while the Alfred features the basic P4. It’s hand-wound with a three-day power reserve, and decorated with hand-finishing.

While the Jurgensen name is originally Danish, the brand was revived in the 1979 in Switzerland, and recently moved into a new factory in Bienne. A private tour of the factory is one of the bonuses for Alfred owners.

Price and availability

The Alfred is available direct from Urban Jurgensen, priced at €14,300 before taxes. Buyers of the watch will be able to attend any of the quarterly launch events open only to Alfred owners, which takes place at the UJS manufacture.