F.P. Journe Chronometre Souverain

[Jedi]

The Chronometre Souverain, a manual winding watch, was presented in 2006 by the brand F.P. Journe - Invenit et Fecit. Helmed by its namesake, Francois Paul Journe, it an independent brand, and a complete Manufacture. Every watch is assembled in their Geneva factory, located right in the heart of the city. The motto of the brand means 'invented and made' in French, and to date, every timepiece by them has been conceived of and developed in-house. Monsier Journe himself designs the dials and then designs a movement to fit the dial, thereby guaranteeing full creative control and mastery of the movement. It should be noted that currently, all FPJ watches contain movements crafted from 18k rose gold.




This particular reference is modeled on vintage pocket watches and inspired by French marine chronometers. The power reserve complication at 3 o'clock reads 0 when fully wound and the increasing numbers tell the elapsed time since the watch was last 're-chardged'. A whimsical and fun touch to an elegant piece, derived from a valid historical precedent.

The simplicity of the dial stands out, and upon closer inspection, one finds that the various elements such as power reserve indicator, seconds subdial, are located on their own level, creating an impression of depth and subtle complexity. The textured finish of the centre of the dial is refined and perfectly aligned. Made from a solid disc of silver, the dial is hand painted and inspected individually. The blued steel hands are steeped in haute horlogerie tradition, and possess a form devised by Journe himself, a signature of sorts across his entire range of watches.



The above result in a clear, uncluttered dial, with great readability and harmonious proportions. The arrangement of the various elements are indicative of a high sense of aesthetics. Note the way in which the arabic numerals travel around the dial, diminishing in size around the seconds dial. It also ends up with two '9's on the dial, as the '6' is presented in the same orientation as all other numbers. This 'quirk' was pointed out to Journe early on, but he stuck with it out of a conviction for the completeness of the circle.

Now on to the case. We are talking here about a solid chunk of platinum. Platinum is unique in that it is 'whiter' than white gold, does not require Rhodium plating as it is more durable than white gold and when it scratches, one does not actually remove any of the metal, it is merely displaced. This particular characteristic of platinum is much vaunted by its promoters, enhancing the image of 'the eternal metal'.



In terms of finishing, this little puppy is bred for the show. The lines are crisp and transitions seamless. Polishing of platinum to this degree is seen as craftsmanship of the highest order, and woe betide he who scratches such a case as the repair work will take simply ages to complete. There is a sense of depth under all lighting conditions, and under certain angles, the platinum reflects nothing back, making it feel as if one is staring into a void in space.



With the slight downturn of the perfectly machined lugs, the comfort factor of this timepiece is incredible. Combine this with one of this watch's most understated features, being its thinness, we end up with a case that is weighty due to its material and movement, but yet incredibly slim at 6.3mm.



Time to get to the heart of the matter. The movement beating away inside is the totally in-house designed and built Caliber 1304, with 22 jewels and adjusted in 6 positions. To start, most haute horlogerie movements are adjusted to only 5 positions. The movement itself is only 3mm or so thick. The escapement itself appears to float by itself, beating away while seemingly unattached to the running train. This is one of the innovations behind the Chronometre Souverain, the other being a precision movement designed to keep accurate time utilising a compact and novel design. The balance ring is also larger than most, helping to contribute to more accurate timekeeping, while beating at 21,600vph, a slower rate than most intended to prolong the life of the assembly. The twin barrels provide it with 56 hours running time, but the main purpose of the twin barrels is to provide consistent torque to the escapement under all states of being wound. This translates to consistency in timekeeping so long as the movement has some wind left in it.





The quality of the finishing is exceptional, and would easily qualify for the Geneva Seal certification if Journe had thought to submit his movements for such scrutiny. He also does not care for COSC, preferring to rely on his own methods to test and guarantee the performance of each timepiece. My particular example of this reference keeps time to the astonishing precision of +1sec/week.



I have owned this watch since February and can safely say it is one of my all time favourite pieces. It does nothing but tell the time, with an added useful complication of a power reserve indicator, itself located in a most unconventional location, yet working so beautifully as part of the overall aesthetic composition. It is extremely comfortable to wear, and when I'm home, it often takes it place in the evening when I lay my Rolex down for the day. While it offers a 56 hour power reserve, it is a joy to wind it each morning, as if it's a reminder to spool up for the day ahead so to speak. The importance of this piece in my collection is further emphasised by the fact that I got to meet it's inventor, and the watchmaker who assembled it from scratch, and had the watch presented to me by Journe himself. I was also offered a choice of case number, and I chose 814 due to the significance of 8 being a lucky number for the Chinese, and 14 because I confirmed the purchase of the piece on 14 February during my honeymoon. F.P. Journe as a brand only makes about 800 pieces in total a year, and to have been there when 2 pieces were getting ready to be packed for shipment was just totally awesome.