ThisF.P. JourneChronomtre Souverainis one of the earlier examples produced by the watchmaker, housed within a 38mm case. It pairs Journe'sfirst designwith the brand's most classically sized case diameter, with bothsince no longer in production.

The Chronomtre Souverain

One of the brand's most pared back pieces,this precision chronometer is inspired by the marine chronometers of the early 20th century. TheChronomtre Souverainspeaks to Journe's long-standing commitment to accuracy andrestrained design.

According to Pierre Halimi, the current General Manager for the brand in North America, Journe wanted theChronomtre Souverainto be the very first watch he would launch in 1999, after establishing his eponymous brand. However, he was shrewd enough to realise that he needed to prove his worth as a watchmaker, before he could pursue a passion project such as this. A few years later, having cemented his reputation, the Chronomtre Souverain became a reality.

In 2005, theChronomtre Souverainwon the Favourite Mens Watch award at theGPHG, orGrand Prix dHorlogerie de Genve,the most prestigious award ceremony in the watch industry. Since then, it has established itself as one of the brand's most popular models, withonly a handful of limited pieces being produced, alongside a small number of custom requests from existing clients.

The Design

The silver dial features a Clous de Paris pattern in the centre, while the outer track holds the embossed decorative Arabic numerals. The signature F.P. Journe style hands are blued, forming an excellent contrast against the silver tones of the dial. Between 7 and 8 oclock, is a subsidiary seconds, with a power-reserve indicator at 3 o'clock, showing 56 hours.

An interesting aspect of this timepiece lies in the power reserve, as when winding, instead of the indicator heading from 0 to 56, it goes the other way, towards 0. This was a deliberate choice from Franois-Paul Journewho borrowed the feature from marine chronometer clocks. The reasoning behind this lies in the idea that the power reserve indicator on this Chronomtre Souverain is not meant to tell you how many hours there are left, but instead how many hours have elapsed since you wound the watch.

The distinctive dial is combined with a 38mm F.P. Journe case in platinum, with the case size since no longer in available in standard production. With all the original F.P. Journe models, from the Tourbillon Souverain to the Chronomtre Rsonance, having first been released in this size, it holds a special place in thebrand's history.

The Movement

While this piece is undeniably attractive, it is the movement that F.P. Journe is famed for. Part of the manual-winding , it captures the spirit of independent haute horlogerie at its finest, with the in-house calibre 1304being made entirely of 18k rose gold. Visible through the sapphire caseback, the movement has two mainspring barrels in parallel, which work together, powering the movement.

Most impressively, is the chronometric balance fitted into the movement, which helps to provide the accuracy that F.P. Journe has based his watchmaking around. The watchmaker himself explains it as such, "chronometrywas invented by the 18th century English and French watchmakers, when their respective governments organised a competition that would reward the first watchmaker capable of making a timekeeper that could be carried on board a ship."

The hand finishing is expertly conducted, mixing a combination of circular graining with sunburst and wave patterns. All screw heads are polished and all edges neatly chamfered with a Cte de Genve motif on the bridges.

The Set

This F.P. Journe Chronomtre Souverain comes with its originalF.P. Journeboxes and guarantee card. It comes fitted to one of ourstraps with curved-ends, and includes the originalF.P. Journe alligator strap and platinum pin buckle.

Closer look