If the Grande & Petite Sonnerie pocket watch is considered the Himalaya of watchmaking and collecting, then in wristwatch format, we are probably reaching the zenith of the horological stratosphere.
The present F.P. Journe Grande & Petite Sonnerie wristwatch, fresh to the auction market - is stupendous in more ways than one. It is the first ever and only known Sonnerie Souverain with original black dial to grace the auction market. Phillips had the pleasure of offering in our online “Concours de Compléxité” online auction of January 2023 dedicated to the art of F.P. Journe a Sonnerie Souverain with a black dial, however the latter was originally born with a blue dial and the owner having sufficient clout with Journe requested and obtained a black dial.
The present example however was born with a black dial. Originally the Grande & Petite Sonnerie was offered with the signature Journe grey dial but clients could choose a different dial color upon order.
A Grande Sonnerie is a timepiece that automatically chimes the hours on every hour and hours and quarters on every quarter when on petite sonnerie mode the watch will only chime the passing of the quarters.
Not a watchmaker to shy away from a challenge Journe decided to climb his own Himalaya a year after he launched his brand and create his own sonnerie.
6 years and 10 patents later, the Sonnerie Souverain was presented in 2006 and was in production until 2019. Upon its release, it was awarded the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève’s Aiguille d’Or, and was met with praise from all fronts in the field.
Journe states that he developed the movement keeping in mind that it should me made safe to use by an eight year old, meaning not only the watch should be easy to use but also overcome the delicacies of this type of complication hat could easily break if used improperly.
The result is an incredibly easy to use and fool proof complication. In signature F.P. Journe style time is indicated on offset dials on the left, the repeating gongs can be seen via an aperture on the dial. The power reserve is indicated at 12 o’clock. The sonnerie selection is made via the button at 4 o’clock and displayed on the lower portion of the dial: G (Grande sonnerie), S (silence), P (Petite sonnerie). The button located at 2 o’clock activates the minute repeater.
To prevent irreversible damages caused by incorrect usage or setting, the ingenious engineering of this wristwatch restricts time-setting when the gongs are in play by locking the crown, as well as pausing the chiming when the crown is not screwed in properly. Similarly, a system is designed to prohibit the sonnerie from striking in the last 24 hours of power reserve, as the going train and chiming train operate from a single barrel. This precautionary contraption limits the potential damage should there not be enough power to enable the completion of the chiming sequence.
The greatest difficulty in constructing a sonnerie is to achieve full clockwatch capability from limited energy in a wristwatch without compromising the sound and reliability of the chime. In the Sonnerie Souverain, a single mainspring provides energy for 24 hours for the Grande sonnerie, the chiming functions use up close to 60% of the mainspring’s energy. In silence mode, the movement runs for 5 days.
The 408 component movement is housed in a steel case (a first for Journe at the time), a metal that amplifies the sound of the chimes
Adhering to F.P. Journe’s distinct DNA, the hours, minutes and small seconds are indicated on the right of the dial, while the repeating gongs are visible via the openworked aperture at 9 o’clock. Counterbalancing the power reserve indicator at 12 o’clock, the sonnerie functions are displayed at 7 o’clock. The wearer can effortlessly adjust the settings from Grande Sonnerie (G), Silence (S) to Petite Sonnerie (P) via the button at 4 o’clock and activate the minute repeater using the pusher at 2 o’clock.
To prevent irreversible damages caused by incorrect usage or setting, the ingenious engineering of this wristwatch restricts time-setting when the gongs are in play by locking the crown, as well as pausing the chiming when the crown is not screwed in properly. Similarly, a system is designed to prohibit the sonnerie from striking in the last 24 hours of power reserve, as the going train and chiming train operate from a single barrel. This precautionary contraption limits the potential damage should there not be enough power to enable the completion of the chiming sequence.
With approximately four pieces leaving F.P. Journe's workshops each year, this means that after a successful 13-year production run, only north of 50 examples were made. The struggles of producing such a phenomenon, with only two watchmakers qualified to assemble it, affirms the rarity of the Sonnerie Souverain. In favour of a random case number, each piece bears the name of its original owner, demonstrating how personal these watches are to those fortunate enough to own one.
Fresh to the auction market and being offered by its original owner the present Grande & Petite Sonnerie from one of the most revered independent makers is a crown jewel in any collection.