F.P. Journe - The Geneva Watch Auction: EIGHT Geneva Saturday, November 10, 2018 | Phillips

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  • Manufacturer: F.P. Journe
    Year: 1998
    Case No: 16/20
    Model Name: Tourbillon Souverain
    Material: Platinum
    Calibre: Manual, cal. 1498, 25 jewels
    Bracelet/Strap: Alligator
    Clasp/Buckle: Platinum F.P. Journe pin buckle
    Dimensions: 38mm Diameter
    Signed: Case, dial, movement and buckle signed
    Accessories: Accompanied by original fitted box, original invoice/order document, technical drawings and product literature.
    Literature: F.P. Journe and the Tourbillon Souverain are featured in Twelve Faces of Time, Horological Virtuosos by Elisabeth Doerr and Ralf Baumgarten pp. 58-73

  • Catalogue Essay

    It is interesting to see than in less than 20 years, François-Paul Journe has established himself as one of the most prominent living watchmakers whose creations are coveted by collectors the world over.

    Journe likes to joke that he might have been a butcher if his cousin was not head of the watchmaking school of Marseilles. The truth is, after having been expelled from school, his parents placed him in the watchmaking program headed by his cousin. Taking consideration of his aptitudes, he continued his studies in Paris joining his uncle’s restoration workshop following his graduation where he got the opportunity to restore some of the most important timepieces of horological history. In 1985 he set up his own workshop creating bespoke pocket watches for top collectors.

    Fascinated by tourbillon watches, Journe decided to transpose Abraham-Louis Breguet’s invention into a wristwatch but by bettering it via the addition of a remontoire system - a constant force device used to provide an equal amount of energy, thus resulting in greater accuracy and amplitude. The first prototype was made in 1991 and to finance his project and create a version that would be commercially available (ultimately launched in 1999) Journe used a subscription system for his first twenty tourbillon wristwatches, each individually numbered on the dial and offered to his close friends and clients.

    The present tourbillon bearing number 16/20 is in almost brand new unworn condition, as its owner, a friend of Journe’s, is a pocket watch collector who purchased the watch to support his friend’s new venture. He never wore it though.

    Owning one of Journe’s subscription tourbillons is like owning a piece of horological history and an opportunity that rarely presents itself as the present model is only the fourth to ever grace the international auction market – and the third to be offered by Phillips.

  • Artist Biography

    F.P. Journe

    Swiss • 1999

    Founded by watchmaker François-Paul Journe in 1999, the F.P. Journe brand is relatively young, but already is as highly regarded by collectors as many distinguished manufacturers with centuries-old heritage. In the minds of the world's savviest collectors, Journe is producing some of the finest wristwatches the market has ever seen. Mastering his craft from restoring historical timepieces, he was the first to create a wristwatch incorporating two escapements that benefit from the phenomenon of resonance — the Chronomètre à Résonance.

    Key models include the Résonance, tourbillon wristwatches incorporating a remontoir and the limited edition Vagabondage series. Especially sought-after are his earliest "souscription" watches, made in 1999.

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Σ14

A very attractive, limited edition platinum tourbillon souscription wristwatch with remontoire, accompanied by original invoice and presentation box

1998
38mm Diameter
Case, dial, movement and buckle signed

Estimate
CHF120,000 - 180,000 
€106,000-158,000
$123,000-184,000

Sold for CHF468,500

Contact Specialist
Alexandre Ghotbi
Head of Sale
+41 22 317 81 89
aghotbi@phillips.com

The Geneva Watch Auction: EIGHT

Geneva Auction 10-11 November 2018