.jpg?w=1)
.jpg?w=1)
Lot Essay
The Elegante series is the first ladies collection by F.P. Journe who spent over 8 years to develop this very innovative movement. Should the watch not be used for 35 minutes, the time would stop running and the watch would place itself in standby mode to save energy, while the microprocessor would keep operating to keep track of the actual time. The hands would set themselves back automatically to the correct time once being worn again.
F.P. JOURNE INTRO
François-Paul Journe is now becoming fully appreciated as one of the most inventive and important contributors to modern watchmaking. He is also widely regarded as the greatest living watchmaker. Journe took a long and rigorous path on the way to achieving his aspirations in making his own watch brand to take full advantage of his genius watchmaking talent. After studying at watchmaking school in Paris, he first spent around 10 years mastering the craft of constructing pocket watches. Then in 1992, realising that any commercial future lay in the production of wristwatches, he decided to create his first prototype wristwatch - a watch that was inspired by his first pocket watch creations. That prototype is remarkable in combining a one-minute tourbillon with a remontoir – this was eventually to become known as the ‘Tourbillon Souverain’. Launched in 1999 with the now familiar inscription ‘Invenit et Fecit’, the model remains a mainstay of the collection to this day.
Journe’s original fascination with pocket watches came about due to his early background in the restoration of antique marine chronometers and pocket watches while working for his uncle, an antique clock and watch restorer, in Paris. This, coupled with a deep desire to understand the inventions of the great watchmakers of history, gives his wristwatches their completely distinctive and absolutely unique character. In common with many watchmakers, Journe’s early inspiration was the work and inventions of Abraham-Louis Breguet, perhaps the greatest watchmaker of all time and also that other great French watchmaker of the 18th century, Antide Janvier. Indeed, Journe’s first series of the ‘Tourbillon Souverain’ was made possible by using Breguet’s idea of the ‘Souscription’ watch, whereby the client paid an upfront sum to finance the construction of the watch , the remainder being paid upon its completion.
However, what set François-Paul Journe apart from his contemporaries is his ability to interpret and construct watch movements of incredible complexity, often with unique takes on historic complications, within the confines of a wristwatch. In this regard, his acknowledged inspiration was the work of the great English watchmaker George Daniels. It was Daniels’s writings that first gave Journe the know-how and confidence to construct his own watches. Later, personal encouragement from Daniels helped to establish the Journe style which is now so instantly recognisable.
The roll-call of F. P. Journe’s wristwatches includes some staggeringly complicated haute horology – Chronométre à Resonance, Centigraph, Grande et Petite Sonnerie, Octa Lune, Tourbillon Remontoire d’Egalité, to name only the most famous.
In recent years, François-Paul Journe’s charitable contributions of unique wristwatches have, with no surprise, been among the most anticipated and talked about pieces for the biannual ‘Only Watch’ auction to benefit Duchene Muscular Dystrophy. In 2015 came the tantalum cased ‘Tourbillon Souverain Bleu’, in 2017 the tantalum ‘Monopusher Split-Seconds Chronograph’ and in 2019 he produced the spellbinding and immensely complicated double dialled ‘Astronomic Blue’ which sold for 1.8 Million Swiss Francs, a world record for an F. P. Journe watch.
F.P. JOURNE INTRO
François-Paul Journe is now becoming fully appreciated as one of the most inventive and important contributors to modern watchmaking. He is also widely regarded as the greatest living watchmaker. Journe took a long and rigorous path on the way to achieving his aspirations in making his own watch brand to take full advantage of his genius watchmaking talent. After studying at watchmaking school in Paris, he first spent around 10 years mastering the craft of constructing pocket watches. Then in 1992, realising that any commercial future lay in the production of wristwatches, he decided to create his first prototype wristwatch - a watch that was inspired by his first pocket watch creations. That prototype is remarkable in combining a one-minute tourbillon with a remontoir – this was eventually to become known as the ‘Tourbillon Souverain’. Launched in 1999 with the now familiar inscription ‘Invenit et Fecit’, the model remains a mainstay of the collection to this day.
Journe’s original fascination with pocket watches came about due to his early background in the restoration of antique marine chronometers and pocket watches while working for his uncle, an antique clock and watch restorer, in Paris. This, coupled with a deep desire to understand the inventions of the great watchmakers of history, gives his wristwatches their completely distinctive and absolutely unique character. In common with many watchmakers, Journe’s early inspiration was the work and inventions of Abraham-Louis Breguet, perhaps the greatest watchmaker of all time and also that other great French watchmaker of the 18th century, Antide Janvier. Indeed, Journe’s first series of the ‘Tourbillon Souverain’ was made possible by using Breguet’s idea of the ‘Souscription’ watch, whereby the client paid an upfront sum to finance the construction of the watch , the remainder being paid upon its completion.
However, what set François-Paul Journe apart from his contemporaries is his ability to interpret and construct watch movements of incredible complexity, often with unique takes on historic complications, within the confines of a wristwatch. In this regard, his acknowledged inspiration was the work of the great English watchmaker George Daniels. It was Daniels’s writings that first gave Journe the know-how and confidence to construct his own watches. Later, personal encouragement from Daniels helped to establish the Journe style which is now so instantly recognisable.
The roll-call of F. P. Journe’s wristwatches includes some staggeringly complicated haute horology – Chronométre à Resonance, Centigraph, Grande et Petite Sonnerie, Octa Lune, Tourbillon Remontoire d’Egalité, to name only the most famous.
In recent years, François-Paul Journe’s charitable contributions of unique wristwatches have, with no surprise, been among the most anticipated and talked about pieces for the biannual ‘Only Watch’ auction to benefit Duchene Muscular Dystrophy. In 2015 came the tantalum cased ‘Tourbillon Souverain Bleu’, in 2017 the tantalum ‘Monopusher Split-Seconds Chronograph’ and in 2019 he produced the spellbinding and immensely complicated double dialled ‘Astronomic Blue’ which sold for 1.8 Million Swiss Francs, a world record for an F. P. Journe watch.