I'll probably never be in a position to afford one but they are outstanding.
I was lucky enough to pick this up a few years ago, my best and favourite watch by a mile. Apologies for amateurish pictures.
Caseback, w/ 18K rose-gold movement (the earlier brass movement watches are more valuable!)
Anyone else a fan?
I'll probably never be in a position to afford one but they are outstanding.
'Against stupidity, the gods themselves struggle in vain' - Schiller.
Yes.
Would love a CS 38mm but just not affordable right now
Great watches and I like the brand aesthetic
Absolutely lovely, I’d love an FP. I read somewhere there’s an individual in NewYork buying up as much stock as he can and thus inflating prices. My be rubbish but with such a small brand I assume it’s possible.
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I've heard that WatchBox are buying them up to corner the market, but I don't know for sure. FPJ produce about 800 pieces per year, but there is a plethora of models, two case metal choices (Pt or RG), two size options, and three dial options (RG or WG or black for the boutique editions) for most models. So this cuts down numbers considerably if you are after a specific case metal/size/dial combination.
There's the patrimony service, which could cut costs (but I can't see a price online). They happen to have an example of my watch from 2012. Number made that year = 4.
https://www.fpjourne.com/en/patrimon...erve-de-marche
Looks good
Beautiful thing. How is its timekeeping?
I do love the look of these. What’s the diameter across the minute track, and how’s the legibility?
I spent a bit of last weekend watching videos on FP and on his watches. Classy and interesting.
The "clock-face" silver bezel is 17mm across; the minute track 12mm. It's reasonably legible once you get used to it, but obviously not the best! Having a small seconds away from the minute and hour hands always helps legibility, and the older I get, the more I prefer watches with small seconds.
As far as accuracy goes, it's around -3 sec/day.
My grail of grails is the Chronometer Optimum. I'm not holding my breath, however!
If I remember correctly, the Optimum is what Journe himself wears. It really covers everything good about Journe.
Lovely watches, most are not quite to my aesthetic. The chronometre bleu would be closest to what I'd go for. That ain't happening. Reminds me, 4 or 5 odd years ago I was considering one for just under list (under 20k?) and balked for being too expensive. Those were the days!
Very unusual, but outstanding
Like the brand and appreciate the craftsmanship but prefer watches to have a traditional layout so not for me.
Yes, the "entry-level" (haha) CB seems to have skyrocketed recently. I've never seen one, but by all accounts the dial is stunning. I can almost feel a lottery win coming - we can but dream.
I understand the dial layout is a bit wacky, with a lot of "wasted space" and it's not everyone's cup of tea. Rather like a Lange 1 sort-of seen in a mirror? Thanks for the kind words, all.
I am a fan now. Lovely.
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I’ve mentioned this before, but the VC Overseas dials come from the same factory as the CB and have the same laquer process.....a reason why the VC dials are so good!
The CB itself - the weight is what you notice first. Overall a very fine watch but not worth the price. I’d definitely go for the VC over the CB.
Yea the Journe dials are a bit wacky for a lack of a better word. I’m actually a big fan of the use of space, I have a GO panomatic lunar which I think is great! I rarely wear smart clothing nowadays so wouldn’t really pair well with what I wear!
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Absolutely splendid !
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Just out of interest but are other options for FPJ. Are there any other small independents that compare?
Absolutely, you open up an entire new world when you look at independents. Brands include Laurent Ferrier, Gronefeld, Kari Voutilainen, Akrivia, de bethune, Urban Jurgensen the list goes long. Horses for courses, FPJ stands out due to breadth of variation in his range, so independent options may only offer options against certain complications.
I completely agree, there are so many amazing watches out there, and most of them make Patek Philippe look like mass-produced watches, IMO. Journe are my personal favourite manufacture - but I must admit I don't like their sport watches, that's just my taste.
I love Laurent Ferrier, de Bethune and MB&F, but there is just that "something" about Journe. He is the single most innovative watchmaker, a watchmaking genius in my eyes. If I had unlimited money, I'd build a big collection of them.
The watch I have is pretty lowly in the scheme of all things Journe, but it's archetypal and I count myself extremely lucky to own it. I was poking around among the usual vintage Rolexes, etc. in a shop in Amsterdam a few years ago, when I happened to mention to the lovely sales lady that I admired FPJ. It turned out that they had a pre-owned one in the back room, for half the original asking price. It's quite hard to describe how I felt. If I hadn't mentioned FPJ in the first place, I would never have known that they had it (and were having trouble selling it).
FPJ is only three-time winner of the Aiguille d'Or grand prize from the Fondation du Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Genčve.
https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/re...rne-tourbillon
I've been lucky enough to own two Journe's, the Octa Divine and Octa Sport. Fabulous watches, can't for the life of me think why I sold them!
Wow! I love the Octa Divine.
I'm not sure I could ever let my Octa Reserve de Marche go. I feel like it chose me, rather than me choosing it.
Last edited by Holsterman; 10th April 2020 at 08:55.
Just pass it onto your son, that one is too good to sell.