F.P. Journe Historical Anniversary Tourbillon
There are a lot of horological anniversaries in 2013, but one you might not have heard much about yet is the 30th anniversary of Francois-Paul Journe making his very first watch. To celebrate, F.P. Journe is releasing the limited edition Historical Anniversary Tourbillion, a tribute to that very first tourbillon pocket fake watch finished back in 1983. This fake watch looks nothing like F.P. Journe's more recent creations, but it is quite a stunner.
The First F.P. Journe Pocketwatch From 1983
Francois-Paul Journe began working on his first fake watch from scratch in 1977. He had graduated from watchmaking school and was working in Paris with his uncle, Michel, restoring clocks and watches. He was particularly fond of antique tourbillons and decided to set out making his own, using his uncle's tools on nights and weekends. It took a little over five years and in 1983 the fake watch was finally finished.
The Tourbillon-Equipped Movement Of F.P Journe's First Watch
Journe created everything himself, from the gears to the tourbillon cage, and the gold and silver case to the dial, the first one signed "F.P. Journe." He spent the next 8 years making unique replica watches like this before setting up his eponymous manufacture in 1991. Since then he has produced replica watches such as the Chronométre Souverain, Chronométre à Résonance and more recently the Chronométre Optimum.
F.P. Journe Historical Anniversary Tourbillon
Silver Guilloché Hunter Caseback
For his 30th anniversary, F.P. Journe decided to create a modern wristwatch tribute to his original tourbillon pocketwatch. This starts with a 40mm rose gold and guilloché silver case, mirroring the gold and silver case of the original. The grained silver dial's layout is also the same, with a large hours/minute dial intersected by a substantial subsidiary seconds register, the former with Roman numerals and the latter with Arabic numerals. To the left is F.P. Journe's signature and to the right "Invenit et Fecit" replaces the "A. Paris" you can see on the pocket watch.
The Movement Inside The F.P. Journe Historical Anniversary Tourbillon
The real treat comes when you turn this fake watch over. The fully guilloché-decorated hunter caseback opens to reveal a movement that looks nothing like what you typically find in a modern wristwatch. Modeled after the tourbillon pocketwatch movements of the 18th and 19th centuries, it is extremely dramatic. Made of gilt brass that has been given a soft grained finish accented with highly polished and beveled edges, the bridges and plates all look extremely robust. Up top you have the two parallel barrels that power the tourbillon below. Massive blued screws anchor everything and the baseplate in engraved "F.P. Journe Inv. et Fecit."
The F.P. Journe Historical Anniversary Tourbillon is limited to only 99 numbered pieces, priced at $99,000. For more information, visit F.P. Journe online.
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