This Chronomtre Souverain* is a quintessential F. P. Journe piece in both its design language and movement. Besides the classic execution of silver dial and blued hands, the watch houses the Calibre 1304, which has an impressive chronometric balance that gives the accuracy Journe is known for.

In 2005, the Chronomtre Souverain won the Favourite Mens Watch award the Grand Prix dHorlogerie de Genve, the most prestigious award ceremony in the watch industry. Housed in a classical 38mm dress watch case, this piece also bears Journes signature flat crown with a rope-like pattern.

An exceptional piece of independent watchmaking, this Chronomtre Souverain has a very classic execution, with a platinum case and silver dial. The dial itself is stamped with a guilloche pattern, providing depth and texture to the piece. A cleanly designed dial layout makes the watch appear deceptively simple, although its technical brilliance is not to be underestimated. The signatureF. P. Journestyle hands are rendered in blued-steel, forming an excellent contrast against the silver tones of the dial.

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, from 56 to 0. This was deliberate byF. P. Journe, who borrowed this 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 since you have wound the watch.

Journe is perhaps better known for his movements, and as part of this collection, the in-house created, manual-winding Calibre 1304 is made entirely of 18k rose gold, which can be seen through the sapphire caseback. The movement has two mainspring barrels in parallel, which work together to power the watch. What is perhaps most impressive is the chronometric balance fitted into the movement, which helps to provide the accuracy thatF. P. Journehas based his watchmaking around. The watch is hand-finished with a mixture of circular graining with sunburst and wave patterns. All screw heads are polished and all edges neatly chamfered with aCte de Genvemotif on the bridges.

The watch is accompanied by its original box and papers, with the paperwork noting that it was first delivered in Japan back in 2016.

Closer look

Condition

This F. P. Journe Chronomtre Souverain is in excellent overall condition. The case and lugs show virtually no signs of wear. The dial, hands, and movement are free from any signs of imperfection. On the caseback and buckle, all engravings and hallmarks remain crisp and well defined.

Warranty

The watch comes with a two-year warranty from A Collected Man, alongside a lifetime guarantee of authenticity.