Description

The present watch is the F.P. Journe Élégante 48mm “Gino’s Dream,” a vibrant and deeply personal tribute to the late Gino Cukrowicz, one of François-Paul Journe’s closest friends and a founding partner of the brand’s first boutique. While the “rainbow” aesthetic has become a staple of high-jewelry horology, Mr. Journe’s interpretation is characteristically unconventional, favoring architectural substance and sentimental value over traditional gem-setting.

The signature Flat Tortue® case, measuring 48mm x 40mm, is crafted from lightweight titanium and maintains a remarkably slender profile of just 7.95mm. Its defining feature is the bezel, meticulously set with 52 baguette-cut ceramic glass stones. This man-made material was chosen for its vivid color consistency and durability, creating a graphic spectrum that radiates from the wrist. Unlike traditional “invisible” settings, the stones are secured with visible pins, a technical detail that reinforces the watch’s modern, instrument-like identity.

The white Super-LumiNova dial provides a crisp, high-contrast backdrop that perfectly complements the multi-colored bezel. In low light, the entire dial glows a brilliant blue-green, while the signature blued steel hands ensure classical legibility. At 4 o’clock, a small aperture reveals the motion-detecting rotor—the heart of the “smart” Calibre 1210. This in-house quartz movement features a revolutionary hibernation mode; after 35 minutes of inactivity, the hands stop to conserve energy while the microprocessor continues to track time. Once moved, the hands automatically whirl to the current time, extending battery life to an incredible 18 years in sleep mode.

Visible through the sapphire caseback, the movement is finished with red gold-plated bridges and solid gold circuit tracks, honoring the brand’s mechanical pedigree. “Gino’s Dream” is more than a timepiece; it is a joyful, limited-production celebration of friendship and innovation, offering a rare blend of haute horlogerie intelligence and avant-garde style.

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.