For the July chapter of Time Well Spent, UJ spent time with Francis Kéré, the renowned architect whose work has redefined what meaningful design can be. Guided by a philosophy of radical locality, collective participation, and climate-responsive sustainability, Kéré has spent his career creating spaces that bring people together. His buildings—from schools and hospitals to museums and civic institutions—are celebrated not only for their ingenuity, but for the optimism they embody: a belief that architecture can improve lives, strengthen communities, and create opportunity.
Born in the village of Gando, Burkina Faso, Kéré became the first child from his community to attend school. Yet that opportunity exposed him to the poor learning conditions that would later shape his life’s work. Years later, while studying architecture in Berlin, he returned to those formative experiences by designing and fundraising for a school in Gando that was better suited to its climate, materials, and community. Built through local participation and with locally sourced materials, the project transformed education in the village, earning the Aga Khan Award for Architecture and launching an international career defined by innovation and humanity.
In 2022, Kéré became the first African-born architect to receive the Pritzker Prize, architecture’s highest honor. Yet despite global acclaim, his work remains rooted in the values that shaped him from the beginning: that good design creates dignity, that communities should help build their own future, and that lasting impact matters more than recognition. For Francis Kéré, time well spent is measured by the lives improved through the spaces he creates.
“TIME WELL SPENT”
Urban Jürgensen helped build industry and prestige for Denmark, his country of origin. In the more than 250 years since he began this project, UJ has been keeping time for people of great achievement from kings to sailors, from industrialists to artists. Each has understood what Urban taught us, that when we lavish our time on the things that move us, we move ourselves and our culture in the process.
As UJ charts its path forward in its new generation, we want to share the joy of watchmaking and watch wearing. In our monthly photographic series, “Time Well Spent,” we show how passionate, curious, and creative people spend their time. We capture how creative people—in industry, artistry, sport, craft, innovation, and culture; some legends and some up-and-coming people who we think will shake their fields—engage in the unexpected activities that bring them joy. A painter in his garden. A chemist sailing on her racing boat. An athlete exploring his passion for cooking. An actress throwing pottery at a wheel. A designer doing humanitarian work. An architect playing catch with his kids. These are people who move us and culture, shown spending their time on the things they love. Because it is the UJ view that the people who represent their time understand better than anyone that time well spent is the world’s greatest luxury. We share these stories with love and joy as we celebrate Time Kept and Spent Beautifully.
ABOUT URBAN JÜRGENSEN
Founded in 1773, Urban Jürgensen is one of the oldest and most revered names in horology. Bringing together Danish elegance, Swiss precision and an American mindset, the maison is renowned for its uncompromising dedication to craftsmanship, technical innovation, and timeless design. In 2025, Urban Jürgensen entered an exciting new chapter under the leadership of CEO, Alex Rosenfield, with a new collection designed by the legendary watchmaker Kari Voutilainen who is a Board Member and Senior Strategic Advisor to UJ. This next generation fuses over 250 years of legacy with a renewed focus on the intrinsic joy of watchmaking, creating watches that are not only exceptionally made but enduring companions in a life well lived. Every Urban Jürgensen watch is a tribute to time kept and spent beautifully: soulful, precise, and meticulously built by hand to be worn and enjoyed. As the house evolves, it remains committed to celebrating excellence for its own sake and preserving the traditions of haute horlogerie for future generations.