F.P. Journe - The Hong Kong Watch Auction: XVII Hong Kong Friday, November 24, 2023 | Phillips
  • Manufacturer: F.P. Journe
    Year: Circa 2002
    Case No: 16/99-02C
    Model Name: Ruthenium Collection, Octa Chronographe
    Material: Platinum
    Calibre: Automatic, cal. 1300, 32 jewels
    Bracelet/Strap: Crocodile
    Clasp/Buckle: Platinum F.P. Journe pin buckle
    Dimensions: 40mm diameter
    Signed: Case, dial, movement and buckle signed
    Accessories: Accompanied by F.P. Journe certificate stamped Montres Journe S.A. 19th September 2019, service invoice, instruction manual, additional F. P. Journe white gold deployant clasp, crocodile strap, loupe, spring bar tool, cloth, fitted presentation box, outer packaging and slip case.

  • Catalogue Essay

    Launched in 2002, the F.P. Journe Ruthenium Collection is comprised of five of the watchmaker’s early brass movement pieces, including the Tourbillon Souverain, the Octa Calendrier, the Octa Réserve de Marche Jour et Nuit, the Chronomètre à Resonance, and most notably, the Octa Chronographe like the present example. Each model was released as a 99-piece limited edition and stylistically, their larger 40mm case diameter closed the door on their predecessors that measured at a traditional 38mm, ushering in the more modern iterations that have drawn admirers of Journe’s craft year after year.

    Though seldom used in watches, ruthenium is rare inert metal that is closely related to the platinum family and is often found in aerospace engineering for its natural resistance to oxidation and impeccable hardness. Each of the pieces in Journe’s Ruthenium collection have their brass movements fully coated in a light-absorbing ruthenium coating. Similarly, the white gold dial is specially coated with the same ruthenium, yet the remarkable sheen and lustre found in Journe’s earliest solid gold dials is preserved. Such Journe dials often display beautiful variations of patina, and in this case, the tarnish-free darkness of ruthenium further enhances the glimmer of the underlying gold dial. The circular Côtes de Genève finishing seen on later iterations of brass movements is visible through the ruthenium coating.

    Produced from 2002 until 2006, the Octa Chronographe was the world’s premier self-winding fly-back chronometer chronograph, boasting an oversized date window. The Octa caliber 1300 is a mere 5.7mm thick, allowing it to fit into the existing Octa case. To achieve this, the typical column wheel was replaced by a cam wheel.

    Numbered 16 of a limited edition of 99, the present Octa Chronographe from the Ruthenium Collection, the watch was first sold in 2003 and acquired by the current owner from the F. P. Journe Patrimoine Service later in 2019. With a production of no more than 45 pieces made per year and a complete service from the manufacture in 2019, the present Octa Chronographe is delivered with its certificate and accessories.

  • Artist Biography

    F.P. Journe

    Swiss • 1999

    Founded by watchmaker François-Paul Journe in 1999, the F.P. Journe brand is relatively young, but already is as highly regarded by collectors as many distinguished manufacturers with centuries-old heritage. In the minds of the world's savviest collectors, Journe is producing some of the finest wristwatches the market has ever seen. Mastering his craft from restoring historical timepieces, he was the first to create a wristwatch incorporating two escapements that benefit from the phenomenon of resonance — the Chronomètre à Résonance.

    Key models include the Résonance, tourbillon wristwatches incorporating a remontoir and the limited edition Vagabondage series. Especially sought-after are his earliest "souscription" watches, made in 1999.

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Σ844

An exclusive, striking, and unusual limited edition platinum flyback chronograph wristwatch with date, ruthenium-coated dial and movement, and presentation box, numbered 16 of a limited series of 99 pieces

Circa 2002
40mm diameter
Case, dial, movement and buckle signed

Estimate
HK$550,000 - 1,100,000 
€66,600-133,000
$70,500-141,000

Sold for HK$1,270,000

Contact Specialist

Thomas Perazzi
Deputy Chairman, Watches, Head of Watches, Asia
+852 2318 2001
WatchesHK@phillips.com

The Hong Kong Watch Auction: XVII

Hong Kong Auction 24-25 November 2023