The present watch represents a very rare opportunity to own a limited edition F. P. Journe, which was originally sold as part of a collection of five stainless steel timepieces. Released in 2015, the limited edition of 38 complete sets commemorated the end of the manufacturer’s 38mm diameter case production. When F. P. Journe presented his first wristwatches in 1999, the 38mm case was considered oversized during an era when most brands produced smaller timepieces with 34mm to 36mm sized cases. Today, as tastes have changed, cases measuring 40mm to 42mm in diameter have become the new norm.

Each limited edition set was comprised of five timepieces including: Tourbillon Souverain, Chronomètre à Résonance, Octa Automatique, Octa Calendrier Automatique and like the present example the Chronomètre Souverain. All of these models, with the exception of the Chronomètre Souverain, were discontinued and each represented the only version of these models made in stainless steel. Additionally, the pieces featured a gold guilloché dial, patinated in a bronze hue and pink gold movement.

Among them, the Chronomètre Souverain was the most minimalistic, with an outer hour ring, off-set subsidiary seconds dial and 56-hour power reserve, which measured hours since last wound, opposed to the typical hours left on reserve. The prestigious, 18-karat rose gold movement borrowed a design element from marine chronometry using two mainspring barrels. In excellent unpolished condition, the present watch is elegant, contemporary, and exceptionally rare, appealing to collectors of independent modern horological artisans.