A brand revamp of this magnitude has not occurred in over 31 years, dating back to A. Lange & Söhne. Even then, I couldn’t fathom Lange hosting A-list celebs, NBA players, and whatever passed for the 1990s version of fashion influencers in a location like the aircraft hangar Urban Jürgensen packed in Los Angeles less than two weeks ago. And then there was Kari Voutilainen, the humble, relatively shy, but incredibly savvy Finnish watchmaker who had managed to become the focal point of an event rivaling that of Cartier or Patek, but for what had previously been a beloved and straightforward enthusiast-focused high-horology brand with a 275-year history.
The pomp and circumstance surrounding Urban Jürgensen, such as their significant Instagram event, partnership with famed photographer Ellen Von Unwerth, artist James Turrell, or full-fledged Danish-inspired branding campaign, were not designed by Voutilainen. As Co-CEO, his primary responsibilities include watchmaking and overseeing its continuous operations. This comprises three extraordinary timepieces from the brand that commemorate key points in its history.
Some people thought it was excessive. However, I enjoyed the celebration for Voutilainen, who revealed to me at dinner that he had never been a part of a product launch like this before. Even better, he did it with his wife and daughter (Venla Voutilainen, Urban Jürgensen’s Chief Operating Officer) by his side.
However, because we are a watchmaking publication (and the business of it), I chose to focus on that earlier in the day, when I met with Kari Voutilainen in a suite at the Regent Hotel in Santa Monica, before the festivities began. The result is a wide-ranging conversation that encompasses everything from his time with Urban Jürgensen to his plans for managing his work with his brand, the commercial aspects of his new venture, and more.
Mark Kauzlarich: You’ve indeed told this tale a lot this week, and we’ve discussed the history of Urban Jürgensen’s most recent triumphs in the 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s, but I wanted to revisit that period. This is a full circle moment for you, so tell me how you started working with Urban Jürgensen back then.
Kari Voutilainen, Co-CEO at Urban Jürgensen
Girard-Perregaux sponsored an exhibition in 1996 at the MIH [Musée International d’Horlogerie] at La Chaux-de-Fonds on the theme of tourbillons. They possessed an extensive collection of vintage timepieces as well as some modern Girard-Perregaux tourbillons. I had just finished my first pocket watch, a tourbillon, and asked if I could display it as well. Peter Baumberger visited the exhibition, saw the watch, and called me at home. I wasn’t there, but my wife responded.
Peter was an excellent speaker and a charming gentleman. So he discussed for a long time with my wife before asking whether he could buy that pocket watch. My wife remarked, “You can try, but I don’t think he will sell.” And at the end of the day, I did not sell the watch. Instead, I began working for him. I did a little of everything. And in 2002, when I first started as an independent, I wanted to remain completely independent and not take on any investments, so he became my largest customer and supporter.
M.K. During this period, Peter Baumberger was revitalizing Urban Jürgensen; therefore, some of the ideas you worked on for him were intended for Urban Jürgensen. Derek Pratt made up the other half of the equation. Did you work with him, and how did you end up working on the well-known Urban Jürgensen/Derek Pratt Oval?
Kari Voutilainen, our relationship was more distant. I paid him infrequent visits but did not work with him. He usually preferred to work alone. The “Oval” was something he began in the 1980s, but it was rough around the edges. He had tried it, but the watch didn’t work because it wasn’t finished, either technically or aesthetically. It was in a silver case with plastic crystals. I still have images of the action from the time I was approached in 2004.
Kari Voutilainen. The goal was to establish a collection, and we needed to do something special for the debut edition, the first UJ-1 “Anniversary Model. I thought for a long time, knowing that the watch had to be special. So, what should we do—something complicated or simple?
If we accomplished something difficult, we wouldn’t see the mechanism of a chronograph and a repeater, only one of them. Then there is the development. The first thing we did was employ one guy to start prototyping. He began working in my workshop, surrounded by other watchmakers who were skilled in dealing with any problems he might encounter, allowing him to work considerably faster.
M.K., How long do you believe you spent envisioning the UJ-1 before you were convinced you could build it?
K.V. I’d estimate two to three months. There were two flying barrels, which were new to us; we had to work on the concept and figure out how to adjust their pivot points. Next, I considered the thickness and how to solve it. Then there was the remontoir for the tourbillon cage [laughs]. At that point, I replied, “Okay. We can overcome that problem. However, if we cannot create the remontoir, we can opt for a tourbillon instead.
M.K. I wanted to ask about the UJ-2. When I first saw it, I identified the movement’s shape as being comparable to a Jules Jurgensen movement that inspired Yosuke Sekiguchi’s watch, the “Primevère.” But you’ve enhanced the overall balance. What else is different? Is the gear train similar to the classic Jules Jürgensen motions, or are the bridges the only thing that resembles them?
K.V. No, it’s a modern design with a modern gear train and a natural escapement that generates direct impulse. I just thought it was an excellent notion academically, since Urban Jürgensen studied with Breguet, and his father was friends with Breguet. Therefore, having a natural escapement that Breguet pursued throughout his entire life felt like a good connection. Another advantage is that we (at the Kari Voutilainen workshop) have been doing this since 2008. We have extensive expertise with direct impulse natural escapements, understand how they work, and know that they require less service. The escapement theory remains the same; however, the way it is implemented in the watch differs.
M.K. The final question that collectors care about is your bandwidth, which many collectors have already expressed concern about, given your various roles at several companies. Then there’s your combined efforts. How do you intend to balance yet another leadership role as CEO? How can you continue to expand Urban Jürgensen and your brand without sacrificing one fantastic idea for the other?
Kari Voutilainen That’s not tough for me. I’ve got enough ideas for my watches for the next 20 years. I have a lot of images of things Urban has done in the past, so there are many ideas we can explore that utilize Urban Jürgensen’s DNA. I’m not concerned about that.
More importantly, I’m rearranging my schedule so that I have more intellectual “free time” and can focus on more creative projects. I am not conducting any operational work in my workshop. My colleague has been our managing director for four years; therefore, she runs the company. Then, at Urban, I collaborate with my daughter [Venla Voutilainen, COO]. Working with family is simple, and I get along well with my daughter.
I physically visit the [Urban Jürgensen] workshop in Bienne twice a week, but I communicate with them daily. I don’t have time to handle all of the minor details, so I’ve learned to delegate. I trust her to handle practical issues, but if others have questions, we can settle them over the phone or by email. Then there’s the creative work, which I find much more interesting. I also find it easier to be the one who follows up with suppliers or contractors because I already have those ties. So, that’s what I’ve been doing and intend to continue doing.
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