Danish 18 Carat pink gold full hunter cased minute repeater Circa 1878

Significant pocket watch with split seconds
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A significant gold full hunter cased watch with minute repeater and split seconds, made by Jacques Alfred Jürgensen in Copenhagen, Denmark, circa 1878. The case of this watch is numbered, full hunter cased and crafted from 18 Carat pink gold in water drop shape, has an inscription “From L.J. Cates to Matt Connelly 5.1.30” and a monogram on the front lid. The white enamel dial has Arabic  five minute numerals, Roman hour numerals, a subsidiary seconds dial at six o’clock, Jürgensen bow hand setting and Breguet steel hands. The glazed, numbered and highly complicated movement has a minute repeater, a split seconds chronograph and a lever escapement.
Case and movement have matching numbers and dial, case and movement are signed.
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Diameter: 55,5 mm
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Weight: 160 g
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Signed: J. Alfred Jürgensen, Copenhagen
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The watch was part of one of the most important Jürgensen collections. The combination of minute repeater and split seconds belongs to the royal class of the watchmaker’s art. J. Alfred Jürgensen, owner of the company Jules Jürgensen, signed his own name from 1865-1877, then again with Jules Jürgensen. The suppliers and watchmakers of these watches were the same, the quality of the watches was the same. The watch comes with a Jürgensen certificate of authenticity from 1996, according to which the movement was made by Piquet and the watch was of the highest standard at that time in 1877/78.
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Jürgensen Dynasty
Jacques Alfred Jürgensen was born on May 17, 1842 and died on June 30, 1912 in his house in Yverdon; he was the youngest son of Jules Jürgensen I. He initially worked in his father’s company where he was eventually given his own studio within Jules Jürgensen and began making watches under his own name. The company Jacques Alfred Jürgensen was established in 1865. From 1865 to 1896 Jacques Alfred produced about 2200 timepieces, some of them with a different signature. After his brother’s death he took over the management of both companies and merged them again on January 1, 1898 under the name Jules Jürgensen.