I just Bleu myself... Incoming CB!

[tng11]

I love Arrested Development, hence this incoming thread is dedicated to them!

Let's begin with a short background. Very early in my watch collecting journey, I stumbled into the FP Journe boutique in Tokyo in 2008. I was treated like a king, and was amazed by the cool pieces I had a chance to look at, including the Tourbillon with Dead Seconds and the Resonance. Francois himself was also at the boutique and I had a chance to chat with him briefly. In him, I saw a man with a real passion for his craft, despite what some may say about his personality. I left telling myself I must have one of his pieces one day.

Early 2017, I started thinking about a Journe again. But a pure dress watch would not be the best fit for my active and casual lifestyle. And then the idea of a Chronometre Bleu came up. It was sharp, avant garde with the unmistakable Journe design signature without being too stuffy. I decided that I needed one.

And then began the phone calls all around the world. Told the waitlists were years long. Told that I needed to buy another Journe to get the CB. I was disappointed. That is, until another TRF member tipped me off to try the Geneva boutique, a stone I had left unturned in my search.

I called them, and they were striking in their courtesy and professionalism. I was told if I gave them a 30% deposit, it would be mine 3-4 months later. I took a few nights to think about it, and pulled the trigger.

4 months to the date I placed the deposit, I got the email telling me there was a CB waiting for me.

A few work related cancellations later, I set off for Geneva in mid-May with another fellow WIS.



The Journe boutique on Place Longmalle is currently under renovation, and is now located at the 6th floor of a department store:





I introduced myself, and the boutique staff lit up. They had been expecting me! But of course, Geneva hospitality meant they had to offer me espresso and water (which was very welcome after a 4am wake up call in London):



And here she is!







The boutique staff then suggested that I swap the strap for a short strap, which ended up being a better fit. I also inquired about getting an orange and grey strap. After a couple of phone calls, they arranged for them to be available at the factory tour later in the day.

I had them swap the strap for a brown one to match my shoes:



But of course, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to see a few other Journes:









After about an hour of chatter and laughter, I was ready to move on for lunch before starting the factory tour later that afternoon.

I want to give a resounding two thumbs up to the FPJ Geneva boutique who were an absolute joy to deal with and a very memorable pickup indeed (they also threw in one of the straps free and gave me a loupe as well!)

[tng11]

Here are a couple of selected pictures from the manufacture, right in the heart of Geneva:

























On leaving, me and my friend were each given a Grande Sonnerie coffee table book that chimes when you open it:

[tng11]

And of course, some obligatory wristshots:













What makes the CB so unique and magical is simply how much depth there is to the dial. There are so many shades of blue, and the dial is insanely dynamic in different lighting. Sometimes the numbers look like they are floating on water. It goes from a snazzy chrome blue to a very formal and deep blue in different angles. Combine that with the greyish and silver look of the tantalum in different lighting, you have a piece that really has so many different personalities. When you add how strap changes also change up how it looks and wear, the CB really is one of those pieces that manages to be cool enough to handle dress and casual situations. It's quirky and really has a unique personality from the rest of the pack, much more suited to me than any dress watch from Lange or PP, as much as I admire them.

Ready to have lots of fun with these:



The tantalum and 18K RG movement also give the watch the right amount of heft and presence without trying too hard or being a bother.

And of course, the back is just stunning in finish and visual depth despite the thin movement!

I

[imperio]

What an adventure!

[HL65]

Wow very cool and what an experience. Congrats on the CB absolutely love this watch!

[antbkny]

Great pics. Congrats on that beauty!

[puppet]

Looks like an amazing experience! Gorgeous watch! Congratulations

[RollieKid]

Stunning congrats! Looks great on your wrist

May i ask what is your wrist size?

[ap1]

Been busy. Love that 1, enjoy

[Justindo]

Very cool! It looks like you had a fantastic trip. Congratulations.

[JR16]

Great story and perseverance! Thx for sharing!


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[debner4]

Great pics! Congrats!!

How does the fit an finish on the watch compare to your other watches, in particular, the 5164?

Does it look like a high quality watch, like a Patek or ALS, etc., while it is on the wrist (even if it has a different look than those brands)?

[Rogdogg]

A huge congratulations. The CB is an amazing watch. I absolutely love it.

I saw a picture the other day of Robert De Niro wearing one recently. You are in good company.

[KKO]

Looks like you had yourself quite a trip. Thanks for sharing Tom and welcome to the FPJ CB brotherhood!

[Helmi]

Congratulations Tom, that is how watch buying should be, quite an experience. This watch is on my top 5 all-time favorites. Enjoy it to the max

[Flier]

Amazing

[tng11]

Originally Posted by imperio

What an adventure!

Indeed it was! I always love having a story behind the watch, especially a journey or trip - makes it so much more special than just arriving from the FedEx guy!

Originally Posted by HL65

Wow very cool and what an experience. Congrats on the CB absolutely love this watch!

Thanks Ken!

Originally Posted by antbkny

Great pics. Congrats on that beauty!

Thanks Anthony! It would look great next to your D-Blue.

Originally Posted by puppet

Looks like an amazing experience! Gorgeous watch! Congratulations

Indeed it was! Thanks for the congrats!

Originally Posted by RollieKid

Stunning congrats! Looks great on your wrist

May i ask what is your wrist size?

Thanks! My wrist is around 6.5"

Originally Posted by ap1

Been busy. Love that 1, enjoy

Been a crazy month with two hefty incomings!

Originally Posted by Justindo

Very cool! It looks like you had a fantastic trip. Congratulations.

The trip went perfectly - great weather in the 3 cities we were in, and me and my friend also had a mind-blowing experience at the Patek Salon in Geneva (see my other thread on this). Thanks again!

Originally Posted by JR16

Great story and perseverance! Thx for sharing!


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The CB was a watch definitely worth the effort, chase and perseverance! Thanks!

Originally Posted by Rogdogg

A huge congratulations. The CB is an amazing watch. I absolutely love it.

I saw a picture the other day of Robert De Niro wearing one recently. You are in good company.

What can I say, the man has good taste! Thanks!

Originally Posted by KKO

Looks like you had yourself quite a trip. Thanks for sharing Tom and welcome to the FPJ CB brotherhood!

Thanks! This really is a piece that delivered and lived up to all the hype!

Originally Posted by Helmi

Congratulations Tom, that is how watch buying should be, quite an experience. This watch is on my top 5 all-time favorites. Enjoy it to the max

100% agreed! Sometimes it's not all just about paying and getting it dropped off at your door - the story and experience are all parts of it. It was an absolute joy in this instance. And again, I have to thank you personally for suggesting the Geneva boutique route as it led to an experience beyond what I could have imagined!

Originally Posted by Flier

Amazing

Thanks!

[Jay (Eire)]

Super Tom, congratulations. Pretty cool to do it they way you did also, buying through Geneva and being able to visit the manufacture also.

So, your strap selection for the CB is identical to mine! I've been wearing the orange a lot recently but mostly because I've not been wearing the CB regularly. When I wear it for extended periods of time I find the grey strap is the best match for me.

Enjoy it, it's a fantastic watch (I say that being completely biased!).

[1William]

Congratulations. A beautiful watch and a great post.

[tng11]

Originally Posted by debner4

Great pics! Congrats!!

How does the fit an finish on the watch compare to your other watches, in particular, the 5164?

Does it look like a high quality watch, like a Patek or ALS, etc., while it is on the wrist (even if it has a different look than those brands)?

I think the fit and finish on the Journe is absolutely impeccable. Getting a mirror polish like they did on a tantalum case is incredibly difficult - much more so than a gold case. My AP and PP are different in finishing - lots of angles and interplay between mirror and brushed surfaces. The movement is simply mesmerizing in finish and I love how much depth it has despite being so thing.

It definitely feels like a very high quality watch, but whether it looks like one is probably a matter of perspective. It doesn't have a traditional or conventional dial much ALS or PP - some might see it as being cheap, but to WIS it really is a genuine work of art with the 7 layers of lacquer and unending depth. To me, it looks like a million bucks, to someone else, because it doesn't have a silver/flat dial, it could look nothing like a PP or ALS.

[tng11]

Originally Posted by Jay (Eire)

Super Tom, congratulations. Pretty cool to do it they way you did also, buying through Geneva and being able to visit the manufacture also.

So, your strap selection for the CB is identical to mine! I've been wearing the orange a lot recently but mostly because I've not been wearing the CB regularly. When I wear it for extended periods of time I find the grey strap is the best match for me.

Enjoy it, it's a fantastic watch (I say that being completely biased!).

Thanks Jay! It was you who inspired me to get the orange strap - it wasn't a combo that I had thought of, but your pics convinced me otherwise. The boutique staff loved your shots on IG and agreed it worked very well! They threw that one in for free with my purchase - and I paid for the grey strap, which I reckon will match up very well with the smoky tantalum case.

[tng11]

Originally Posted by 1William

Congratulations. A beautiful watch and a great post.

Thanks a bunch! This was such a special experience that I am trying to share as much of it as I can with the community!

[tyler1980]

love that one

[Jay (Eire)]

Originally Posted by tng11

Thanks Jay! It was you who inspired me to get the orange strap - it wasn't a combo that I had thought of, but your pics convinced me otherwise. The boutique staff loved your shots on IG and agreed it worked very well! They threw that one in for free with my purchase - and I paid for the grey strap, which I reckon will match up very well with the smoky tantalum case.

Good stuff! I'm trying to get a Khaki in XS, I think that'll be a good combo too and more wearable day to day than the orange.

So I guess it remains to be seen how deep down the FPJ hole you will fall! Although I will say the CB gives me more satisfaction than any other piece (FPJ or otherwise), so it's very reasonable to stop right there.

[dberman3]

Great sorry, photos, details of your trip and an absolutely beautiful watch. Congratulations on a beautiful piece! Wear it in good health.


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[themast]

Wonderful timepiece and great report. I admire the CB and I would love to add one to my collection one day.

Congratulations and wear yours in good health!

[mfer]

Congrats. I love that watch and wish I could get one.

[indexmatch]

Congrats! Such a great piece. Really like the contrast with the light brown strap, a pretty versatile watch imo as you can easily dress it up or down. Enjoy it!

[tng11]

Part of the mystique behind the CB is that the dial is insanely difficult to capture - what your eye sees is different than what a camera will see.

I caught this cool shot this morning while at the coffee shop that shows the really cool reflective nature of the dial and floating text:

[busytimmy]

Fantastic! Thanks for sharing your journey- this was a pleasure to read.


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