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Lot Essay
One of the most visually remarkable and incredibly rare versions of F.P. Journe’s second generation Tourbillon Souverain, this platinum cased ‘Chine 2010’ was made in an edition of only 5 pieces to celebrate the opening of the F.P. Journe Boutique in Beijing, the company’s sixth boutique worldwide. The present watch is the second to be offered at auction but the first example to be offered with the spectacular and extremely expensive solid platinum F.P. Journe bracelet.
The first Tourbillon Souverain to feature a beautiful red lacquered dial, this very special edition is decorated with the five yellow stars of the Chinese national flag in place of the power reserve numerals. The edition unofficially honours France’s longtime diplomatic cordiality with China and the importance of the Chinese market to F.P. Journe. In 2014, F.P. Journe was chosen as the official watchmaker to commemorate 50 years of diplomatic relations between France and China.
Today, the watches of F.P. Journe are among the most desirable of all brands with demand increasing year-on-year. Historic ultra-exclusive limited series pieces such as the present watch have always been almost impossible to obtain, usually only available by invitation or upon request, they are now unquestionably regarded as some of the most important examples of each model.
Tourbillon Souverain
The ‘Tourbillon Souverain’ is arguably Journe’s most famous wristwatch model and still one of the most accurate on the market today. Launched in 1999, it was the first ever tourbillon with a remontoire d’egalité, the first time a remontoire device had ever been used in a wristwatch. The remontoire d’egalité is a mechanism which delivers a constant force throughout the duration of winding, therefore the variable force delivered by the mainspring to the escapement as it unwinds is equalized. The Tourbillon Souverain’s combination of remontoire with tourbillon successfully showcases F. P. Journe's technical and design genius in the creation of a highly complicated modern wristwatch yet one whose roots are firmly in the great horological traditions. François-Paul Journe's ingenious masterpiece - The Tourbillon Souverain, received the ‘Aiguille d’Or’ prize at the Geneva ‘Grand Prix d’Horlogerie’ in 2004. It was also elected watch of the year at the ‘Watch of the Year’ grand prize in Japan in 2004.
The first Tourbillon Souverain to feature a beautiful red lacquered dial, this very special edition is decorated with the five yellow stars of the Chinese national flag in place of the power reserve numerals. The edition unofficially honours France’s longtime diplomatic cordiality with China and the importance of the Chinese market to F.P. Journe. In 2014, F.P. Journe was chosen as the official watchmaker to commemorate 50 years of diplomatic relations between France and China.
Today, the watches of F.P. Journe are among the most desirable of all brands with demand increasing year-on-year. Historic ultra-exclusive limited series pieces such as the present watch have always been almost impossible to obtain, usually only available by invitation or upon request, they are now unquestionably regarded as some of the most important examples of each model.
Tourbillon Souverain
The ‘Tourbillon Souverain’ is arguably Journe’s most famous wristwatch model and still one of the most accurate on the market today. Launched in 1999, it was the first ever tourbillon with a remontoire d’egalité, the first time a remontoire device had ever been used in a wristwatch. The remontoire d’egalité is a mechanism which delivers a constant force throughout the duration of winding, therefore the variable force delivered by the mainspring to the escapement as it unwinds is equalized. The Tourbillon Souverain’s combination of remontoire with tourbillon successfully showcases F. P. Journe's technical and design genius in the creation of a highly complicated modern wristwatch yet one whose roots are firmly in the great horological traditions. François-Paul Journe's ingenious masterpiece - The Tourbillon Souverain, received the ‘Aiguille d’Or’ prize at the Geneva ‘Grand Prix d’Horlogerie’ in 2004. It was also elected watch of the year at the ‘Watch of the Year’ grand prize in Japan in 2004.