Important Collectors Watches, Pocket ...

New York, Jun 18, 2008

LOT 392

Tourbillon Black Label F.P. Journe, ?Invenit et Fecit?, ?Tourbillon Souverain à Remontoir d'Egalité avec Seconde Morte?, Black Label, No. 359-TN. Sold on May 29th, 2007. Very fine and rare platinum chronometer wristwatch with black dial, visible one-minute tourbillon regulator, constant force remontoir with dead-seconds, 42-hour power reserve indicator and a platinum F.P. Journe buckle. Accompanied by a fitted box and certificate, and a spare strap.

USD 80,000 - 120,000

EUR 52,000 - 80,000

Sold: USD 101,900

C. Two-body, solid, polished, concave lugs, transparent case back with 6 screws, winding crown engine-turned with a knurled pattern, sapphire crystals. D. Subsidiary guilloche silver dials with painted Arabic numerals for the hours and minutes and offset seconds secured to a matte blackened 18K gold plate, aperture for the tourbillon regulator under a polished steel bridge at 9, up and down indication at 12. Blued steel Journe hands. M. Cal. 1403 in 18K pink gold, fausses cotes decoration, 26 jewels, lateral lever escapement with oneminute tourbillon regulator with "A?-shaped tourbillon frame and polished steel bridge, monometallic 4-arm balance with 4 timing weights, self-compensating free-sprung Breguet balance spring with Phillips terminal curve, constant-force remontoir with 18K gold wheel, equalizing the mainspring's varying power supply. A blade spring, controlled by a spinning vane, is armed once a second by the force of the mainspring, feeding a steady flow of power to the balance for a more constant rate and at the same time controlling the progression of the dead-seconds hand. Dial, case and movement signed. Diam. 40 mm. Thickness 10 mm.


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Grading System
Grade:
Case: 1

As new
Movement: 1

As new
Dial: 1-01

As new

HANDS Original

Notes

To celebrate the growing international success of the Journe brand, Francois Paul Journe created an exclusive"boutique only" line, available in Geneva, Hong Kong, Tokyo and Boca Raton. It was to be called "Black Label", referring to the characteristic black color of the dial. Each of the boutiques could order a maximum of only 12 pieces per year from among the Tourbillon Souverain, Chronomètre à Résonance, Chronomètre Souverain, Octa Réserve de Marche, Octa Calendrier, Octa Lune and Octa Automatique.
Réserve, but could only sell two pieces maximum per model. To the best of our knowledge, some boutiques ordered only one Tourbillon Souverain, making its current total production under 8 pieces. The present watch was the first of the Black Label Tourbillons to be delivered out of the Geneva boutique. This is the first time that an F.P. Journe Black Label has appeared at auction.