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Lot Essay
In the words of François-Paul Journe himself: ‘The combination of 18k rose-gold movements with 38 mm. steel cases makes this set the rarest of all F.P. Journe’s collections.’
Created in 2015, the extraordinarily exclusive ‘38 mm. Steel Set’ was conceived for some of the manufacture’s most dedicated collectors, with prospective buyers personally selected by François-Paul Journe. With the exception of a Grande & Petite Sonnerie striking watch, it marked the first time F.P. Journe had offered its watches in stainless steel. Limited to just 38 sets, each comprised five emblematic models housed together in a specially designed presentation box and, significantly, marked the discontinuation of the manufacture’s original 38 mm. case size.
The present Tourbillon Souverain, reference T, originally formed part of Steel Set no. 27 of 38. Its 38 mm. stainless steel case houses an 18k pink gold movement, creating the unusual combination that distinguishes the collection. While several models within the set employed movements closely related to their regular-production counterparts, the Tourbillon Souverain was given a particularly significant calibre conceived as a tribute to Journe’s earliest tourbillons.
The first-generation Tourbillon Souverain, produced between 1999 and 2003, featured a brass movement incorporating the remontoir d’égalité, but without the dead-seconds indication of later versions. For the 2015 Steel Set, Journe returned to this original architecture, creating a movement mechanically equivalent to the first-generation calibre 1498 but executed with pink gold bridges and baseplate. Produced in only 38 examples for the Steel Set, this distinctive version represents a fascinating link between the earliest years of F.P. Journe and the manufacture it had become by 2015.
The gold dial is equally distinctive, its warm bronze tone providing an elegant backdrop for the indications. The hours and minutes are vertically aligned with the one-second remontoir d’égalité, placing the constant-force mechanism visually at the heart of the composition. Navy-blue printing, exclusive to the Steel Set, provides a subtle contrast, while two generous apertures reveal the tourbillon, remontoir and finely finished movement beneath.
Bringing together the original 38 mm. proportions, a stainless steel case, an 18k pink gold movement inspired by the earliest Tourbillon Souverain and a production of only 38 examples, the present timepiece is one of the most exclusive interpretations of one of François-Paul Journe’s foundational creations.
The Tourbillon Souverain
Introduced at Baselworld in 1999, the Tourbillon Souverain reference T occupies a pivotal position in the history of F.P. Journe as the manufacture’s first series-produced wristwatch, following the initial group of 20 Souscription pieces. It was also the first wristwatch to incorporate a remontoir d’égalité, or constant-force mechanism, regulating the energy transmitted from the mainspring to the escapement and thereby providing more consistent torque to the tourbillon throughout the watch’s 42-hour power reserve.
Created in 2015, the extraordinarily exclusive ‘38 mm. Steel Set’ was conceived for some of the manufacture’s most dedicated collectors, with prospective buyers personally selected by François-Paul Journe. With the exception of a Grande & Petite Sonnerie striking watch, it marked the first time F.P. Journe had offered its watches in stainless steel. Limited to just 38 sets, each comprised five emblematic models housed together in a specially designed presentation box and, significantly, marked the discontinuation of the manufacture’s original 38 mm. case size.
The present Tourbillon Souverain, reference T, originally formed part of Steel Set no. 27 of 38. Its 38 mm. stainless steel case houses an 18k pink gold movement, creating the unusual combination that distinguishes the collection. While several models within the set employed movements closely related to their regular-production counterparts, the Tourbillon Souverain was given a particularly significant calibre conceived as a tribute to Journe’s earliest tourbillons.
The first-generation Tourbillon Souverain, produced between 1999 and 2003, featured a brass movement incorporating the remontoir d’égalité, but without the dead-seconds indication of later versions. For the 2015 Steel Set, Journe returned to this original architecture, creating a movement mechanically equivalent to the first-generation calibre 1498 but executed with pink gold bridges and baseplate. Produced in only 38 examples for the Steel Set, this distinctive version represents a fascinating link between the earliest years of F.P. Journe and the manufacture it had become by 2015.
The gold dial is equally distinctive, its warm bronze tone providing an elegant backdrop for the indications. The hours and minutes are vertically aligned with the one-second remontoir d’égalité, placing the constant-force mechanism visually at the heart of the composition. Navy-blue printing, exclusive to the Steel Set, provides a subtle contrast, while two generous apertures reveal the tourbillon, remontoir and finely finished movement beneath.
Bringing together the original 38 mm. proportions, a stainless steel case, an 18k pink gold movement inspired by the earliest Tourbillon Souverain and a production of only 38 examples, the present timepiece is one of the most exclusive interpretations of one of François-Paul Journe’s foundational creations.
The Tourbillon Souverain
Introduced at Baselworld in 1999, the Tourbillon Souverain reference T occupies a pivotal position in the history of F.P. Journe as the manufacture’s first series-produced wristwatch, following the initial group of 20 Souscription pieces. It was also the first wristwatch to incorporate a remontoir d’égalité, or constant-force mechanism, regulating the energy transmitted from the mainspring to the escapement and thereby providing more consistent torque to the tourbillon throughout the watch’s 42-hour power reserve.