Details

An elegant, stylish and very rare limited-edition rose gold and sterling silver tourbillon wristwatch of the Swiss watch brand F. P. Journe, founded in 1999 by the French watchmaker François-Paul Journe. Limited edition launched in 2013, present example produced in 2014. Case in 18k rose gold and sterling silver in officer’s watch style with hinged cover in 18k rose gold and sterling silver with guilloché motif and engraved limited-edition serial number in centre, diameter 40mm, 10mm thick, sapphire caseback. Matte softly textured silver-plated dial with all markings and indices engraved, filled with black lacquer. Thin hand-wound caliber 1412, tourbillon, monometallic balance with 4 inertia weights, hairspring with Breguet overcoil and fixed stud holder, double barrel, power reserve up to 56 hours. Functions – hours, minutes, small seconds at 6 o’clock, tourbillon. Original turquoise alligator leather strap, F. P. Journe pin buckle in 18k rose gold. Limited edition of 99 pieces. 

Lot essay 

In 2013, François-Paul Journe decided to mark the 30th anniversary of his first timepiece – a tourbillon pocket watch he had created in 1983. There is a story that François-Paul Journe, an aspiring watchmaker, began as an apprentice to his uncle Michel. Inspired by the best examples of fine watchmaking of the past that passed through his hands, he decided to build his own tourbillon pocket watch by himself, working at weekends and using the tools and machines available in his uncle’s workshop. The work was completed in early 1983. In the way the pocket watch and its movement were made, one can recognise Journe’s desire to follow in the footsteps of the great watchmakers who influenced him most – Abraham-Louis Breguet and George Daniels. 

Ref. T30 is a scaled down, wristwatch version of his first tourbillon pocket watch, and was sold directly to F. P Journe’s most loyal clients. Like the prototype pocket watch, the reference T30 case is crafted from rose gold and sterling silver, an extremely rare combination for a luxury wristwatch. Silver is used without coatings, so over time the silver parts of the case acquire a patina. This is noticeable on the present example. The case ring and the hinged cover medallion are made of silver, and both are decorated with a guilloche pattern. The officer’s watch style, embodied in reference T30, is a traditional legacy of pocket watch design and is rarely used in a wristwatch. The 40mm case of the present example is only 10mm thick, creating an elegant profile that is typical of F.P. Journe watches, including their complicated models. 

The F. P. Journe 30 Years Anniversary Tourbillon Ref. T30 Limited Edition, one of the most charismatic F. P. Journe designs ever created, characterised by its rare rose gold and sterling silver execution and distinctive historically-inspired design, is considered to be one of the most sought-after and valuable collectible F.P. Journe watches.

Caliber 1412, designed specifically for this reference, is also a smaller version of the pocket caliber. The most significant modification is the rejection of the detent escapement, which is not adapted for use in wristwatches, in favour of the lever escapement. 

In 2004, F. P. Journe stopped the production of watches with movements made from brass. Instead, since 2004, almost all new watches from the brand have been equipped with movements made of 18k pink gold without coating. Nevertheless, the mainplate and bridges of the present example are made of brass, because François-Paul Journe, in conceiving this release, set out to reproduce the execution of his first pocket watch as faithfully as possible. This is why he returned to brass as a rare exception. The brass parts of the caliber 1412 are decorated with gilding in the traditional frosted finish technique, just as it was done on his first pocket watch of 1983. 

The strict symmetrical layout, clear straight and round outlines, large blued screws and wide linear tourbillon carriage recall the movements of historically significant pocket watches created by Abraham-Louis Breguet in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. This is a very rare, yet extremely attractive, design for a modern wristwatch. 

Reasons to bid 

The F. P. Journe 30 Years Anniversary Tourbillon Ref. T30 Limited Edition, one of the most charismatic F. P. Journe designs ever created, characterised by its rare rose gold and sterling silver execution and distinctive historically-inspired design, is considered to be one of the most sought-after and valuable collectible F.P. Journe watches. Therefore, the present lot would appear to be an extremely attractive purchase for the collector and F. P. Journe watchmaking expertise aficionado, who will receive an elegant, extraordinary and rare tourbillon wristwatch from this famous independent watch brand, one of the undoubted leaders in the haute horlogerie watch market. The combination of a rare tourbillon caliber created in the footsteps of Abraham-Louis Breguet’s watchmaking heritage, with an officer’s watch style featuring a hinged caseback cover – found only in collector’s wristwatches of the highest category and extremely rarely in the F. P. Journe collection – makes this lot even more attractive. 

Specification

Condition report