F.P. Journe - The New York Watch Auction: NINE New York Saturday, December 9, 2023 | Phillips

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  • Manufacturer: F.P. Journe
    Year: Circa 2005
    Case No: No. 44/69V
    Model Name: Vagabondage 1
    Material: Platinum
    Calibre: Manual, cal. 1504, 19 jewels
    Bracelet/Strap: Alligator
    Clasp/Buckle: 18K white gold F. P. Journe deployant clasp
    Dimensions: 42mm Length, 36mm Width
    Signed: Case, movement, and clasp signed
    Accessories: Accompanied by two F. P. Journe leather pouches and outer box

  • Catalogue Essay

    F. P. Journe’s Vagabondage collection is a tribute to the ingenious design and mechanical excellence of this master 21st-century watchmaker. The Vagabondage’s story begins in 1997 as a unique timepiece created for a client who requested a watch from Journe’s imagination, reminiscent of what Abraham Louis Breguet would make during his lifetime, but with a twist – a watch that would tell time by means of vagabond, or wandering, hours. This “CarpeDiem” model was a yellow gold, round wristwatch with an entirely new movement fabricated by Journe, featuring an impressive wandering jump-hour display centered around an exposed balanced wheel.

    In 2003, Journe was approached to provide a unique timepiece for a charity auction to benefit the ICM Foundation, which supports neurological research – needed within six months of the request. Due to the limited time frame, he offered a remarkable solution by returning to his unique wandering hour timepiece. Choosing for the first time a tonneau-shaped case instead of the CarpeDiem’s round case, the Vagabondage was born. Three examples were created, one each in yellow, rose, and white gold, all with brass movements, and all three sold for triple their estimates. The watches were so admired following the charity auction with many requests from collectors for a similar example, that Journe created the limited-edition Vagabondage series.

    The Vagabondage 1 was released in 2004 in a limited edition of just 69 examples and features a digital jumping hour with wandering aperture that circles the dial to indicate the minutes. The balance wheel and escapement are prominently seen at the center of the watch, and like the charity timepieces from 2003, and all subsequent Vagabondage models, the brand name is not featured on the dial. The Tortue-shaped case has a brushed finish on the bezel, which is offset by the polished, beveled edges and case sides. The present lot is in excellent condition and was one of the first timepieces produced in this prestigious line of watches.

  • 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.

    View More Works

Σ108

A very rare and fine limited edition platinum tonneau-shaped wristwatch with wandering hours; number 44 of a limited edition of 69 pieces

Circa 2005
42mm Length, 36mm Width
Case, movement, and clasp signed

Estimate
$125,000 - 250,000 
CHF113,000-225,000
€117,000-234,000
HK$976,000-1,950,000
S$170,000-340,000

Sold for $209,550

Contact Specialist

Paul Boutros
Deputy Chairman and Head of Watches, Americas
+1 (212) 940-1293
WatchesNY@Phillips.com
 
Isabella Proia
Head of Sale, New York
+1 (212) 940 1285
iproia@phillips.com

The New York Watch Auction: NINE

New York Auction 9 - 10 December 2023