The Tourbillon Souverain à Remontoire d’Egalité.
No other model has defined the life of a watchmaker in such a manner. It is the model that launched François-Paul Journe’s career as a watch brand with its launch in 1999 as a 20 piece souscription set, but before becoming one of the most influential – and award winning- watchmakers of his era and paving the way to the intense appeal of independent horology, Journe was one of the most gifted watchmakers of his generation making one off creations for a savvy clientele.
The present Tourbillon engraved 15/93 on the dial is the foundation of what Journe was to become, it is the second wristwatch Journe ever made and the first he ever sold.
In 1991 Journe – who up until then had only created complex pocket watches and clocks - decided to create a tourbillon wristwatch but improving on Abraham Louis Breguet’s invention with the addition of a remontoire system - a constant force device used to provide an equal amount of energy regardless of the winding level of the mainspring, resulting in greater accuracy. It was the first time that these innovations had been combined and integrated into a wristwatch.
The first prototype was worn by Journe and remains within his private collection. He made 2 other identical examples in 1993, the present watch and later another engraved 16/93.
Journe’s original tourbillon wristwatch set the blueprint of what his future watches would look like: 38mm case, gold dials and offset indications.
The present example is not only immediately identifiable as a Journe but it features some very unique elements such as movement made in gold (something that Journe featured in his production pieces starting 2004), the dial has a more raw steampunk vibe to it due to the visible elements such as the cone-and-feeler power-reserve indication at 11 o’clock, Breguet hands, strap held with screws, as well as a solid caseback.
All inscriptions on the dial have been meticulously hand engraved and inked. However, the dial is not the only hand made element but the whole watch was handmade by Journe himself adding to the exclusivity of the watch.
In fact only 3 wristwatches were ever fully handmade by Journe himself raising the collectability and desirability of the present timepiece to stratospheric levels.
The dial is engraved 15/93 meaning it is the 15th timepiece ever made by Journe and made in 1993. In Journe's own words "This first tourbillon wtistwatch paid hommage to 5 watchmakers: Breguet as inventor of the tourbillon, Guinand for the shape of the tourbillon cage, Bürgi for the remontoire system, Berthoud for the overall aesthetics and myself as it represents decades of experience and learning".
The importance of this watch is further highlighted by the fact that it is proudly featured on the cover of the book: Invenit et Fecit by Jean-Pierre Grosz, dedicated to Journe’s oeuvre.
This incredibly historic piece has been with the same family since 1993 who have proudly kept all the technical drawings, articles, original invoice and even the sheet of metal from which the tourbillon cage was cut out!
Legend has it that in 1994 when at a restaurant the receptionist noticed the tourbillon Journe was wearing and exclaimed “what a beautiful watch” and this pushed Journe to launch a series production 5 years later in 1999 and the rest, as they say, is history. A history that changed watchmaking as we know it.
The present Tourbillon 15/93 is not only remarkable for its aesthetic beauty but its influence on 21st century mechanical watch culture is undeniable. It is without any doubt, one of the most important and impressive timepieces made by any contemporary independent watchmaker or brand, and consequently one of the most important watches in the world.
F.P. Journe Chronology 1976-1993
1976: Graduates from the Ecole d'horlogerie de Paris
1979: Conceives, at the age of 22, the mechanism of a planetarium for Asprey in London, commissioned by the ateliers P-G Brun in Paris.
1983: After 5 years of work Journe completes his first watch: a tourbillon pocket-watch with spring detent escapement.
1983: Begins his research into the principle of the remontoir, thereby paying homage to the most brilliant 18th century horological interpretations and creates a tourbillon pocket-watch with remontoir.
1984: First Resonance pocket watch.
1985: Sets up his first workshop on the rue de Verneuil in Paris.
1986: Creates an automatic chronometer pocket-watch, with fusée and chain housing a five-second remontoire and a detent escapement. The rock crystal dial reveals the retrograde perpetual calendar mechanism with the equation of time. This creation is inspired by the famous watch ordered from Abraham-Louis Breguet for Queen Marie-Antoinette.
1987: Creates a unique planetary pocket watch.
1988: Creates the Sympathique clock for Asprey London based on the original examples from Abraham-Louis Breguet.
1991 First wristwatch: a tourbillon incorporating a remontoire within a wristwatch for the very first time, the movement as well as the gear-trains are entirely in 18K gold (this is part of Journe’s personal collection).
1993: The present watch, the second wristwatch Journe ever made and the very first that he ever sold.
The present Tourbillon 15/93 was serviced in August 2024 by François-Paul Journe himself.