Danish 18 Carat rose gold repeating duplex pocket watch Circa 1812

Rose gold quarter repeater by Fredrik Jürgensen
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A highly sought after Danish 18 carat rose gold open faced quarter repeating duplex pocket watch, circa 1812. The back of the coin edged case is adorned with an engine turned design. One of the most striking aspects of this pocket watch is its white enamel dial with Arabic numerals, an outer minute track and early subsidiary seconds at six o’clock, a feature that was not commonly found in watches of this period, the blued steel hands provide a striking contrast against the white enamel background, allowing easy and accurate timekeeping. The movement of this pocket watch boasts an extremely rare calibre with a duplex escapement, a mechanism known for its accuracy and reliability. The addition of temperature compensation further enhances the precision of this timepiece, allowing it to maintain accurate timekeeping regardless of external conditions. Furthermore, this remarkable movement also includes an hour and quarter hour repeater, a feature that allows the wearer to audibly chime the time at the press of a button. Dial, movement and dust cover are signed.
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Diameter: 58 mm
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Weight: 155 g
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Signed: Fredrik Jörgensen Kiöbenhavn (Copenhagen)
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Fredrik Jürgensen (1785-1845) was the youngest son of Jürgen Jürgensen (1745-1811) and was born in Copenhagen into a dynasty of fine watchmakers. He apprenticed to his famous older brother Urban Jürgensen (1776-1830) in 1801, whom he worked with until 1809 in Le Locle, Switzerland, in April of that year he went to Geneva. In 1811 Fredrik was recalled to Copenhagen on his father’s death. On May 15th, 1811 he was appointed watchmaker to the court as the successor of his father. It is reported Jürgensen made only around 500 pocket watches between 1811 and 1843, typically with a double-wheel duplex escapement, but also with a large steel cylinder escapement.