Description

Mechanical watches and race cars have had a long and a glorious history together. While the cars would race on track, there was a race within the mechanical watch industry to produce, precise, high-frequency chronograph movements to time the races.
With the technology taking over, the manually operated chronographs became obsolete, reducing the chronograph complication mechanical watches to a mere aesthetic function in the watch.

The cars got faster but the further development of the chronograph complication was never paid attention to.
In 2004, a meeting between François-Paul Journe and Jean Todt of Scuderia Ferrari lead to a discussion of how the mechanical watch industry was lagging behind when it came to timing today’s fast cars, to a 100th of a second.

Hence in 2006, began the work on Calibre 1506 and the legendary Centigraphe was presented for the first time in 2007. The chronograph is capable of timing the speeds up to 36,000kmph.

In 2008, the Centigraphe Souverain went on to winning the prestigious ‘L’Aiguille d’Or’ (The Golden Hand) award at the GPHG (Grand Prix de l’Horlogerie de Genève).
Across its 10-year life span between 2008-2018, the Centigraphe has been produced in limited quantities in metals including rose gold and platinum, and a few special dial variants.

The present reference features a dial that is made of blackened Gold and whitened guilloché Silver and the hands in silvered steel and red lacquered titanium, this dial color is part of the Black label series which is among the most sought-after collection in the F.P. Journe Saga and  offered exclusively at the F.P Journe boutiques.
The stunning 40mm platinum case, measuring just 10.1mm in height is a true luxury sports watch, that will quietly slide under any cuff.

The overall contrast of the silver hands and the red print against the black dial in a platinum case is simply stunning! Seen through the sapphire case back is the marvelous Calibre 1506. The hand-wound movement offers 80 hours power reserve and is almost entirely crafted in 18K rose gold.

The intricate finishing of the movement is breathtaking. The labor of love is visible in the form of hand-finishing on almost all the components.

This highly collectible timepiece is offered on a hand-stitched black alligator strap with its original box, special warranty certificate and manual of instructions.

F.P. Journe – Bio

François-Paul Journe was born in Marseille in 1959. An unruly child, he was sent to a local technical college at the age of 14. He went on to graduate from the Paris watchmaking school in 1976.
In 1982, after five years of work, he finished his tourbillon – and it work !
He founded the F.P. Journe company in 1999, have ever since stunned the world year after year with the visually distinctive and technically innovative watches
The motto of the brand, Invenit et Fecit (Latin for “[He] invented it and made it”) denotes that the company builds the entirety of the watches. Journe often designs brand new movements, even inventing completely new systems, like the famous resonance chronometer.