Description

The history of F.P. Journe goes hand in hand with the story of the Tourbillon collection because his first pocketwatch he made, took him 5 years, it had a tourbillon and spring detent escapement, that was back in 1983.
After a few years, in 1991 the first F.P. Journe wristwatch was born, it was a tourbillon with a remontoir d’égalité (constant force device), initially he proposed it to a few big brands but nothing really materialised.
From 1996 he started to develop high end calibers for famous watch brands but was fed up to give, quote : “pearls to swines”, he decided in 1999 to raise money to make his first 20 Tourbillon watches, called :
Tourbillon Souverain Souscription.   20 collectors paid 50% to get an individually numbered piece.

The current generation of “Tourbillon Souverain” that we know, was made in two major references, the “T” from 1999 to 2004, made in a 38mm case either platinum or rose gold with brass movement, a few limited pieces in ruthenium were made also.
And then from 2004 to 2018 we have the current “TN” reference with Remontoir and “Natural Dead Seconds” complication made in 38 and 40mm, also in platinum and rose gold cases but the movement is in rose gold.   The watch won the 2004 Grand Prix de l’Horlogerie de Genève’s award of “Aiguille d’Or”.

In 2013, to mark its 30th anniversary of his first tourbillon pocketwatch, he made a limited run of 99 pieces for its most loyal customers, called the Tourbillon Historique (reference T30) with a case made in silver & gold and movement in brass.
The same year a limited edition of 10 pieces called the “T10” to commermorate a decade of Journe’s first Tokyo boutique and the opening of his 10th Beirut boutique.  Almost identical to the “T30” but with a platinum case and black and white dial, the caliber was made in rose gold.

To mark the Tourbillon’s 20th Anniversary in 2019, F.P. Journe introduced a new model called “Tourbillon Souverain Vertical”, 42mm case in platinum and rose gold.  The tourbillon cage is unlike the traditional horizontal one, placed vertically for a constant tourbillon function whether the watch lies flat or is placed on its side.  The tourbillon makes a revolution in 30 seconds, twice faster than its predecessor and therefore visually the effect is astonishing.

*The present watch named T-30 Historical Anniversary Tourbillon, is a tribute to the very first tourbillon pocket watch made 30 years ago in 1983 by the then young genius.
It is that first pocket watch FPJ finished but reinterpreted into a wristwatch. The watch is nothing like the F.P. Journe that we recognize today.

A subtle, yet beautiful 40mm rose-gold and silver case houses a grained silver dial with a fine granular surface, with lacquer filling. The case-band is adorned with a beautiful guilloche pattern. The time is displayed on a slightly off-centered hours / minutes circle, and an overlapping sub-seconds underneath. The roman numerals and markers are all engraved and filled. All elements similar to the original pocket watch like the blued steel Abraham-Louis Breguet hour and seconds hands.

Under the guilloché-decorated hunter caseback is the Caliber 1412 that is fashioned on movement architecture from the Breguet-era. It is made in grained and gilded brass, like the original pocket watch, but features polished and beveled bridges, plates and blued screws. It is powered by two parallel barrels, offering a 56-hr power reserve.

This model is an emblematic Tourbillon from FP Journe was realized in a limited series of 99 pieces, these were sold directly to F. P Journe’s most loyal clients.

Our watch is in an excellent overall condition, it is offered on a brown leather strap and comes as a full set.

– Viewing of this extremely rare piece of art is possible by appointment only.

 

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.