Lot description
PROPERTY OF AN IMPORTANT COLLECTOR F.P. Journe Tourbillon Souverain ‘Ruthenium’ A limited edition platinum tourbillon wristwatch with constant force remontoire and power reserve indication, Circa 2001 Dial: 18k gold coated with Ruthenium Calibre: cal. 1498 mechanical, 25 jewels, coated with Ruthenium Case: platinum, sapphire crystal display back secured by 6 screws Case number: limited edition 23/99-01T Closure: brown F.P. Journe alligator strap and platinum buckle Size: 40 mm diameter Signed: case, dial and movement Accessories: F.P. Journe Certificate, additional black alligator strap, additional 18k white gold folding clasp, instruction manual and presentation box Even though his tourbillon range is today recognised as one of his seminal works, many do not appreciate that the tourbillon complication is not only central to his brand identity, but also the identity of F.P. Journe the man. Journe was expelled from school at a young age for his disruptive behaviour, a personality defect which he would eventually use in his favour, and took refuge in his uncle’s Parisian clock restoration workshop. It was during this time that Journe was exposed to traditional watchmaking from masters like Breguet and Daniels. He would not return to school. At the age of 20, Journe felt confident enough to start working on his own watch, a pocket watch with tourbillon and spring detent escapement, finishing it after five years. A decade later in 1991, he began working on his first wristwatch. It also housed a tourbillon, but this time incorporated a constant force mechanism known as a remontoire. Through these formative years, it is abundantly clear that the tourbillon was a key component of Journe’s development, and is a complication as significant to Journe as the perpetual calendar is to Patek Philippe. The present watch belongs to a highly limited edition of just 99 pieces, made as the final run of the Tourbillon Souveraine reference T, after which the Tourbillon Nouvelle with dead seconds was introduced. To mark the occasion, Journe coated both the dial and movement in Ruthenium, giving this series an instantly recognisable and sleek aesthetic. To possess any Journe is special, but the Ruthenium Tourbillon stands as a significant and rare edition of the model line most dear to the man himself.
