Derek Pratt, Flying Tourbillon Remontoir Spring Detente Escapement

Dear watch aficionado.

Derek Pratt was the watchmaker Mastermind behind Urban Jürgensen since Peter Baumberger took over UJ in 1979. Both worked already together before, when Peter Baumberger sold antique watches.

Both worked together at Urban Jürgensen until the passing of Derek Pratt in 2009 and one year later Peter Baumberger passed away.

Probably the most important timepiece that Derek Pratt built was the fascinating and breathtaking oval flying Tourbillon with Remontoir, Detente Escapement and Réaumur scale. From the architecture of the movement to the finissage and complexity, this is certainly the epitome of pure watchmaking and craftsmanship. When holding this timepiece in the hands, it really makes your heart beating faster. When looking at the outstanding level of finissage of the movement and the hand-guilloché and hand-engraved dial and the fact that every part on this watch is built by hand, pure craftsmanship, it really is something that they do not build anymore nowadays. (Unless one or maybe two independent watchmakers who do still build their watches by hand without any CNC)

The more Derek Pratt was a good friend of George Daniels and helped him as well with his co-axial escapement and helped him as well in the development. I do personally prefer the finissage and watchmaking style of Pratt. When looking at a Pratt movement and comparing it to a movement of George Daniels, one can clearly see the difference between the both. Taking a look at the recently sold Space Traveller I (sold at Sotheby's in July 2019 for 3.615.000£) and the Grand Complication (sold at Phillips in May 2019 for 2.420.000 CHF) I would certainly be ready to spend 4.000.000 on the Pratt oval Tourbillon!