Manufacturer: F.P. Journe Year: 2005 Case No: No. 60/69 V Model Name: Vagabondage I Material: Platinum Calibre: Manual, cal. 1504, 19 jewels Bracelet/Strap: Crocodile Clasp/Buckle: 18K white gold F.P. Journe deployant clasp Dimensions: 42mm length by 36mm width Signed: Case, dial, movement, and buckle signed Accessories: Accompanied by F.P. Journe Certificate dated August 1st, 2005, original purchase invoice, polishing cloth, fitted presentation box, and outer box
Catalogue Essay
F. P. Journe’s Vagabondage collection is a tribute to the ingenious design and mechanical excellence of this master 21st-century watchmaker. The Vagabondage’s story begins in 1997 as a unique timepiece created for a client who requested a watch from Journe’s imagination, reminiscent of what Abraham Louis Breguet would make during his lifetime, but with a twist – a watch that would tell time by means of vagabond, or wandering, hours. This “CarpeDiem” model was a yellow gold, round wristwatch with an entirely new movement fabricated by Journe, featuring an impressive wandering jump-hour display centered around an exposed balanced wheel.
In 2003, Journe was approached to provide a unique timepiece for a charity auction to benefit the ICM Foundation, which supports neurological research – needed within six months of the request. Due to the limited time frame, he offered a remarkable solution by returning to his unique wandering hour timepiece. Choosing for the first time a tonneau-shaped case instead of the CarpeDiem’s round case, the Vagabondage was born. Three examples were created, one each in yellow, rose, and white gold, all with brass movements, and all three sold for triple their estimates. The watches were so admired following the charity auction with many requests from collectors for a similar example, that Journe created the limited-edition Vagabondage series.
The Vagabondage I was released in 2004 in a limited edition of just 69 examples in platinum and 69 in rose gold and features a digital jumping hour with wandering aperture that circles the dial to indicate the minutes. The balance wheel and escapement are prominently seen at the center of the watch, and like the charity timepieces from 2003, and all subsequent Vagabondage models, the brand name is not featured on the dial. The tortue-shaped case has a brushed finish on the bezel, which is offset by the polished, beveled edges and case sides. The present lot is in excellent condition, numbered 60 of 69, and comes from the collection of the original owner with all of its original accessories.
The corresponding number 60 piece of the Vagabondage II and III will be sold as lots 84 and 85 following this lot.
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.
