Journe’s interpretation of Abraham-Louis Breguet’s masterful invention of the tourbillon has catapulted his creations into the most esteemed and venerable collections worldwide. He completed his first tourbillon wristwatch, Tourbillon No. 1, in 1991, to little if any fanfare from the industry. He revisited his tourbillon wristwatch in 1999 to fund the launch of his own eponymous brand, taking again after Breguet by offering a “Souscription” series: the client would pay a portion up front, without seeing the watch, and Journe would complete and deliver the watch at a later date. These wristwatches, of which there are only 20, bore brass movements and hand-finished dials that are rabidly sought after by collectors, and they immediately preceded the Tourbillon Souverain manufactured in series.

An exceptional specimen even disregarding its mechanical ingenuity, this extremely early and rare example of Journe’s Tourbillon with remontoir d’egalité is numbered 038, dating from 1999. The case back engraving style is typical of Journe's earliest - extremely shallow and also extremely sought-after. This particular example even exhibits what can be considered a rare error. Engraved ‘In . Fecit’ instead of ‘Inv. Fecit’, the missing ‘v’ is a charming, human-error on this very early production model.

An extremely small minority of these early tourbillons were fitted with pink gold dials, such as the present number 38, and have highly reflective traits. Scholarship indicates that only six hand-made pink gold dials are known, with the dial exhibiting subtle stripes that attest to its hand-finished nature. Finished with a layer of clear lacquer, this allows the printed text to appear as though they were floating over the dial surface – a trait that is prominently featured in this example, where it can almost seem as though one is seeing double. Furthermore, it exhibits the remarkable sheen and luster found in Journe’s’ earliest dials that is today so coveted by collectors. Such early Journe dials often display beautiful variations of patina as in this example which has never been restored or replaced in any way. It is stunning to behold, especially when viewed under different lighting conditions where it takes on colors ranging from a rosé champagne color to a shimmering copper.

Serviced in 2021, the present early Tourbillon Souverain number 038 with an extraordinary pink gold dial, extremely rare even in the rare pantheon of early Journe tourbillons, was purchased by the current consignor from the original owner in 2004. Having remained in the same collection for almost two decades, it is offered with guarantee and presentation box in exemplary condition.