Important Limited Edition & Modern Co...

Grand Havana Room, New York, Sep 25, 2002

LOT 419

F. P. Journe, "Invenit et Fecit", "Remontoir d'egali-te, Tourbillon Souverain", No. 20/20. Produced in a limited edition of 20 examples in 2000. Very fine and rare, platinum gentleman's chronometer wristwatch with one minute tourbillon regulator and constant-force re-montoir, 42 hours autonomy and a plati-num F. P. Journe buckle. Accompanied by a wooden fitted box.

C. three-body, massive, polished, transparent case back with screws, winding crown en-gine-turned with a knurled pattern, sapphire crystal. D. brushed gold, on the 3, "guilloché" silver off-center dial with painted Arabic numerals for the hours and the minutes, on the 6, the constant-force remontoir with 18K gold wheel seeks extreme precision by equalizing the mainspring's varying power-supply. A blade spring, armed once a second by the mainspring and controlled by a spinning vane, feeds steady power to the balance for a constant rate, on the 9, the tourbillon rotates F.P.Journe's own chronometer balance and lateral lever escapement once a minute. The balance-wheel, precision-adjusted by turning weights on its four arms, vibrates 21,600 times an hour, on the 11, the up-and-down graduation. Blued steel "Journe"-style hands. M. Cal. 1498, rhodium-plated, "fausses-côtes" decoration, 25 jewels, tourbillon escape-ment, Gyromax balance, self-compensating free-sprung Breguet balance-spring. Dial, case and movement signed. Diam. 37 mm.