The Collection of a European Nobleman

Geneva, May 11, 2008

LOT 705

Sonnerie Souveraine F. P. Journe, "Invenit et Fecit", "Sonnerie Souveraine ? Grande et Petite Sonnerie ? Répétition Minutes", Collection Souveraine. Made in 2007. Exceptionally fine, rare and important, Grande et Petite Sonnerie striking, minute-repeating, stainless steel wristwatch with power reserve indication and a stainless-steel F.P. Journe buckle. Accompanied by the original wooden box with accessories, a certificate and various materials.

CHF 350,000 - 550,000

EUR 220,000 - 350,000 / USD 350,000 - 550,000

Sold: CHF 509,400

C. Three-body, polished, concave lugs, transparent case back, screwed-down crown, sapphire crystals. D. Subsidiary guilloché silver dial with painted radial Arabic numerals on a plain outer reserve and off-set seconds secured to a brushed 18K white gold plate by 3 screws, sectors for the up-and-down indication at 3 and Sonnerie function indicator at 7, shaped aperture for the hour- and minute-striking hammers at 9. Blued steel Journe hands. M. Cal. F.P. Journe 1505 in 18K pink gold, fausses cotes decoration, 40 jewels, straight-line lever escapement, monometallic 4-arm balance adjusted to 6 positions with 4 eccentric timing weights, shock absorber, self-compensating free-sprung flat balance spring, repeating on gongs by activating a pushbutton at 2, selecting the grand/petite strike or silent function by pressing a pushbutton at 4. Dial, case and movement signed. Diam. 42 mm. Thickness 12,25 mm.


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Grading System
Grade:
Case: 2

Very good
Movement: 1

As new
Dial: 1-01

As new

HANDS Original

Notes

Sonnerie Souveraine The crowning achievement of the illustrious ?Souveraine? wristwatch collection, the F.P. Journe ?Sonnerie? pays testimony to its creator?s inventive spirit. The goal was to achieve the perfect balance between user-friendliness and utmost complexity and to eliminate the risks associated with handling mistakes, a common problem for highly complex timepieces. There were many challenges: in a mechanical wristwatch space is limited, sound waves are obstructed. F.P. Journe chose steel, rather than gold or platinum, for the Sonnerie Souveraine case. The crystalline structure of steel conducts and transmits sound better, producing superior striking tones.
After many hours of adjustment and numerous prototypes later, all the problems were resolved. A total of 10 patents had been registered (for the barrel, power-reserve indication, winding/setting system, strike selection, striking racks, strike sequence, strike release, gongs, automatically blocking the strike to reserve 24 hours of mainspring energy to sustain timekeeping, blocking strike and winding stem). The result is one of today?s rarest and most exclusive wristwatches, which stands out amongst other complicated masterpieces. With an innovative mechanism comprising some 408 parts, the Sonnerie Souveraine is a wristwatch of great complexity. It has a balanced, uncluttered dial that is in harmony with the elegant case, which has been kept as thin as possible to enhance wearability The Sonnerie Souveraine received the prestigious ?Golden Hand Award? at the 2006 ?Prix d?Horlogerie de Genève? and was voted ?Watch of the Year 2006? in Japan. In the words of F.P. Journe: ?To meet the demands, I had to construct a movement based on new mechanical principles. In this piece, 10 patents underwrite the ?invenit? of my watchmaking. ?Fecit? took me 5 years