Delve into the iconoclastic world of F.P. Journe, now available exclusively at The Hour Glass.
Delve into the iconoclastic world of F.P. Journe, now available exclusively at The Hour Glass.
Independent watchmaker Francois-Paul Journe takes pleasure in being different. A horological purist who bucks trends, he bases his craft on his philosophies, perspectives and experiences.
Take the Elegante 48mm. The trademarked tortue case looks stately on the wrist yet isn’t unwieldy, thanks to the use of super light titanium. It sports an electro-mechanical movement, which combines reliability with precision and is extremely energy efficient. If the watch has been motionless for 30 minutes, it goes into standby mode and all the mechanical parts stop functioning. The time, however, is maintained by a micro-processor and, as soon as the watch is moved, its hands set themselves automatically to the correct time.
Even the simpler models boast a consummate touch. The Chronometre Souverain may only tell the time but it is nonetheless a culmination of Journe’s ingenuity and mastery of haute horology. Inspired by 19th century marine chronometers, it is one of the rare timepieces to be made with gold plates and bridges – all exquisitely finished.
But complicated watchmaking is where the Geneva watchmaker truly comes into his own. In the pursuit of precision, Journe is the only watchmaker today who has made a wristwatch with two balances oscillating in resonance – the phenomenon in which one vibrating system drives another to oscillate with greater amplitude at a specific preferential frequency. The Chronometre a Resonance premiered in 2000 but took 17 years to be widely available. Journe had been inspired by a resonance precision regulator made by French horologist Antide Janvier, who devoted his time to this watchmaking skill.
Every F.P. Journe timepiece tells a story and that is, beyond doubt, independent watchmaking at its very best.
