As promised to the end of my FP Journe manufacture visit post, here are some of the watches I got to see and (briefly) photograph.
I’ll start off with the watch Francois-Paul Journe was wearing himself, the Centigraphe S from the brand’s Sport Line. Housed in a really, really light Aluminum alloy case and integrated aluminum bracelet. Heck, even the movements’s plates and bridges are made of the space-age alloy. The final watch, including bracelet, weighs a mere 55 grams.
The Centigraphe S is far from your average chronograph. Via 3 open sub-dials, the watch is able to measure time to the closest 100th of a second. The other two two sub-dials at 2 and 6 o’clock display make a rotation every 20 seconds and 10 minutes, respectively. Clearly, the Centigraphe S is a chronograph made for measuring events that happen in split seconds; like those produced by V12 engines.
The next watch I saw was the new version of one of FP Journe’s most emblematic pieces, the Chronometre à Resonance. After 10 years of the original, FP Journe decided to give the Resonance a minor facelift, though the changes aren’t just cosmetic.
While the original Resonance was all about duality and symmetric harmony, the newer version is about function. FP Journe wanted to create a true dual-time watch for today’s globetrotter, and thus substituted the left “mirrorerd” dial with a slightly smaller 24-hour disc indicator.
I honestly didn’t know how to feel about this one at first, as the original Chronometre à Resonance was and remains one of my all-time favorite modern wristwatches. While I do appreciate the more practical side of this new rendition, I’m still partial to the original…
A watch that needs no real introduction is the FP Journe Tourbillon Souverain. Winner of the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève 2004 “Aiguille d’Or Award”, the Tourbillon Souverain boasts being the only tourbillon on the marker with a constant force “remontoire” device and dead seconds indicator.
Technical aspects aside, this watch is drop-dead gorgeous. I love how the tourbillon aperture is given the same significance as the off-centered hours and minutes dial without looking out of place as the majority of tourbillons do.
Last and certainly not least, I got to handle what many would consider the grail of all FP Journe watches and the king of striking watches, the Sonnerie Souveraine. I could tell you what makes it so special, but my good friend Ian Skellern has done a much better job of it than I ever could here. But to sum it up for you, this is not a minute repeater as you might be led to believe from the hammers visible on the dial. The Sonnerie Souveraine is able to strike a full chime every 15 minutes (96 chimes per day) with the wearer being able to choose between a “petite” or “grande” sonnerie, or a silent mode which allows the watch to run for much longer (5 days vs. 24 hours).
Holding no less than 10 patents and haven taken 6 years of R&D, the Sonnerie Souveraine is perhaps the single greatest tangible proof of FP Journe’s genius and prowess.
More information on www.FPJourne.com
