Hong Kong, Nov 25, 2022
LOT 268
F. P. JOURNE
“INVENIT ET FECIT”, PRECISION CHRONOMETER, POWER-RESERVE INDICATION, VISIBLE ONE-MINUTE TOURBILLON REGULATOR, CONSTANT FORCE REMONTOIR WITH A DEAD-BEAT SECOND, CALIBRE 1403, 18K PINK GOLD MOVEMENT; “TOURBILLON SOUVERAIN”, “REMONTOIR D’ÉGALITÉ AVEC SECONDE MORTE”; 18K YELLOW GOLD
HKD 2,390,000 - 3,970,000
EUR 306,000 - 510,000 / CHF 300,000 - 500,000 / USD 304,000 - 510,000
18K yellow gold, manual-winding, “tonneau”-shaped, gentleman’s chronometer wristwatch, sapphire-crystal case-back screwed by six screws, concave lugs, winding-crown engine-turned with “cordes de Marseille” (knurled) pattern, silver colour guilloché (engine-turned) 18K gold offset dial with radial Arabic numerals, subsidiary dead-beat seconds at 6, on dark-grey colour fausse-plaque (false plate), and three horological complications:
· Visible one-minute tourbillon regulator (aperture at 9 o’clock)
· Constant force remontoir with a dead-beat second (“Remontoir d’Egalité avec Seconde Morte” device visible on the reverse side in the lower part of the movement)
· 42-hour power-reserve indication (sector at 12 o’clock)
| Grading System | |
|---|---|
Grade: |
|
Case: 1-8 |
As new Slightly scratched |
Movement: 1* |
As new Overhaul recommended, at buyer's expense |
Dial: 1-01 |
As new HANDS Original |
Brand F.P. Journe, Geneva
Model “Invenit et Fecit”, “Tourbillon Souverain”, “Remontoir d’Egalité avec Seconde Morte”
Reference 1403, 18K pink gold, lateral lever escapement, 26 jewels
Year circa 2018-2019
Movement No. unnumbered
Case No. 790-TN
Material 18K yellow gold
Bracelet black leather FPJ bracelet
Buckle 18K yellow gold FPJ buckle
Diameter 40.3 mm.
Caliber 790-TN
Weight 99.7 gr. (approx.)
Signature dial, case and movement
Accessories original fitted box and outer box (with cleaning cloth), international guarantee card (dated May 29, 2019)
Notes
F. P. Journe, “Tourbillon Souverain”, “Remontoir d’Egalité avec Seconde Morte”
The “Tourbillon Souverain” – a François-Paul Journe’s horological masterworks – is distinguished by its horological complications combining a one-minute tourbillon regulator with a “remontoir d’égalité”. This amazing watch was launched in 1999.
The remontoir provides a constant force to the balance, hence maintaining an equal rate of force whether the watch is fully wound or not and increasing precision.
In the second generation of the “Tourbillon Souverain” watches – such as the present lot –, “Maître” Journe added a “seconde morte” (circa 2003-2004), a dead-beat second indication. In French, is a term referring to the way the seconds hand moves forward suddenly once per second, as opposed to its moving gradually, with the oscillations of the balance.
The F. P. Journe “Tourbillon Souverain à Remontoir d’Egalité avec Seconde Morte” was voted “Watch of the Year 2004” in Japan and was awarded the prestigious “Aiguille d’Or” at the 2004 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève.
From a technical point of view, the remontoir is a rare horological device, hitherto unknown in a wristwatch, designed to provide a constant force to the balance. It’s a supplementary buffer spring that is kept wound by the main power source. Releasing a constant energy directly to the escapement, it aims to counter the fluctuations in the going train and the diminishing power of the mainspring. F. P. Journe’s unique version of the remontoir consists of a small blade spring between the going-train and the tourbillon. It is armed once a second by the mainspring. Governed by a spinning vane, it delivers the constant force that the tourbillon escapement needs to perform at its best. In the “Tourbillon Souverain”, the remontoir ensures that the rate remains the same whether the watch is fully wound or at the end of its power reserve. The maximum loss of amplitude is 20° from a flat to a vertical position.
Biography
François-Paul Journe
François-Paul was born in Marseille (South of France) in March 1957. He entered watchmaking school at the age of 14 and after two years, moved to Paris to continue his studies, In 1976, he graduated from the Paris Horological School, and two years later he began working in an antique watch restoration workshop in Paris. Journe’s first own workshop was in the rue de Verneuil in Paris. Among his exceptional early creations are: a “tourbillon” pocket watch in 1978; a planetary pocket watch in 1985; a self-winding chronometer pocket watch in 1986; a “sympathique” clock for the Asprey in London.
Only two years after his professional independence, in 1987, he received the honours of the FondationBleustein-Blanchet, created in 1960 to foster and reward outstanding achievement in the professional world. And so, he received the Laureate Prize of the Fondation de la Vocation, a very well recognised and esteemed distinction.
In 1989, he was honoured by the Horological Spanish Academy who delivered him the golden prize of “Balancier d’or” for his global work.
His boundless creativity pushed him to create the same year, with a small group of colleagues, the Manufacture company, Technique Horlogères Appliquées S.A. (T.H.A.) in Sainte-Croix (Canton de Vaud, Switzerland), specialised in developments and manufacturing of complex and innovative products, most of which were conceived by François Paul Journe for several famous brands.
In 1994, he received the Gaia “Watchmaker of the Year” award from the Musée International d’Horlogerie, Fondation l’Homme et le Temps.
Established since then in Geneva, he created in 1998, Montres Journe S.A., located at the rue des Maraîchers 5 in Geneva. He developed and manufactured complex and innovative products for many major companies such as Piaget with “The Grande Sonnerie””, Cartier with the “Mysterious” clocks and watches for Asprey, Breguet, Corum among others.
In 2003, François-Paul Journe established the Japanese branch of “Montres Journe”. He received some awards:
· The special “Grand Prix de l’Horlogerie de Genève” prize of the jury in 2002;
· The “Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève” for men’s watches in 2003;
· The “Aiguille d’Or” of the “Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève” in 2004;
· The “Chronomètre Souverain” won the watch of the year prize in Japan in 2005.
In 2006, he was made “Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres” by the French Minister of Culture.
Journe’s “Sonnerie Souveraine” was awarded the “Aiguille d’Or” award at the “Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève”; that same watch was named watch of the year in Japan in 2007.
All this was the result of his first years of work as an independent watchmaker! The rest you can find on his website and in the publication dedicated to him.
Thanks to his excellence, this infinitely good character remains one of the greatest masters in the history of watchmaking, worthy of being named after a Julien Leroy, an Abraham-Louis Breguet, an Antide Janvier or a George Daniels.
In 2006, he was made “Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres” by the French Minister of Culture.
Journe’s “Sonnerie Souveraine” was awarded the “Aiguille d’Or” award at the “Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève”; that same watch was named watch of the year in Japan in 2007.
All this was the result of his first years of work as an independent watchmaker! The rest you can find on his website and in the publication dedicated to him.
Thanks to his excellence, this infinitely good character remains one of the greatest masters in the history of watchmaking, worthy of being named after a Julien Leroy, an Abraham-Louis Breguet, an Antide Janvier or a George Daniels.