F.P. Journe Tourbillon Souverain à Remontoir d'Egalite no. 54/99T | A platinum tourbillon wristwatch with constant force remontoir, power reserve indication and brass movement, Circa 1999 | F.P.Journe Tourbillon Souverain à Remontoir d'Egalite...
F.P. Journe
Tourbillon Souverain à Remontoir d'Egalite
A platinum tourbillon wristwatch with constant force remontoir, power reserve indication and brass movement, Circa 1999
F.P.Journe Tourbillon Souverain à Remontoir d'Egalite
鉑金陀飛輪腕錶備恆動力裝置、動力儲存顯示及黃銅機芯，製作年份約 1999
Dial: white gold
Caliber: cal. 1498 mechanical brass movement, 25 jewels
Case: platinum, sapphire crystal display back secured by six screws
Case number: 54/99T
Closure: platinum F.P. Journe buckle
Size: 38 mm diameter
Signed: case, dial and movement
Box: yes
Papers: yes
Accessories: F.P. Journe presentation box with outer packaging, factory box packaging, International Warranty card dated March 28, 2000, operating instructions booklet, polishing cloth, and Hochfield Jewelers purchase receipt
Condition Report:
Case: The case is in overall excellent condition.
Dial: The dial is in overall excellent condition.
Movement: The movement is running at time of cataloging, however it was not tested for the accuracy of time or duration of the power reserve and may need service at the buyer's discretion. Please note that Sotheby's does not guarantee the future working of the movement.
***Please be advised that the bands on this watch are made of materials derived from endangered or otherwise protected species (i.e. alligator and crocodile) and thus not sold with the watch, they are for display purposes only. We will remove these bands prior to international shipping and the state of California.***
Catalogue Note:
Francois-Paul Journe began his career as a clock restorer in France. Ultimately, the talented watchmaker created his own manufacture in 1999. His innovative approach to watchmaking and great sense of design inevitably made Francois-Paul Journe one of the most acclaimed independent watchmakers and the only one to win the celebrated Aiguille d’Or prize three times.
Launched in 1999, the Tourbillon Souverain d'Egalité marked the first usage of a constant force remontoir in a wristwatch, a timekeeping mechanism that would regulate the uneven force delivered by the mainspring. Despite a tourbillon being the first watch in the Montres Journe collection, Journe has always been a very vocal detractor of the usefulness of the tourbillon for timekeeping precision in a wristwatch. In Breguet's day, watches were lubricated with animal and vegetable oils that had woefully inconsistent characteristics, such as changing viscosity dramatically with temperature. With today's modern synthetic oils, the distribution of lubricants is no longer a problem, so a tourbillon doesn't provide any benefit in that area. Therefore, making a tourbillon today is really a testament to the skill and artistry of a watchmaker. In a similar vein to the tourbillon one could argue that there is little functional value added by introducing a remontoir into a modern mechanical watch. However, it is by combining the remontoir with the tourbillon that acts as a successful tribute to F. P. Journe's technical genius in the creation of complicated modern wristwatches firmly rooted in horological tradition.
The earliest souscription tourbillons were numbered on the dial from “1/20” to “20/20” as well as on the case back beside the crown. After these first 20 examples, the following watches were numbered on the caseback only and the numbering continued where the subscriptions watches ended with No 21. Between No 21 and 34, the were numbered ‘NoXX’ on the caseback, and then from the 35 examples onwards, the were numberd ‘XX/99T” (the ‘99 referring to the production year. For this very first production year, it is believed that approximately 60 examples were made in total.)
The dials of these early watches are broken down into 3 main generations as follows:
1st Generation - (1999) 20 examples, the ‘Souscription’ watches
2nd Generation (1999) estimated run of 16 or 17 examples
3rd Generation (1999) estimated run of circa 30 examples
Most dials from these early watches have yellow gold-plated dials, with considerably less fitted with white gold-plated dials. Rose gold-plated are known, but on only a handful of examples.
The current watch, number 54/99T is from the 3rd generation from 1999, and is fitted with a white gold-plated dial. The watch is presented in superb condition having never been polished and with little to no signs of use. We are pleased to offer this watch, including its presentation box, warranty card and purchase receipt, from the family of the original owner.
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F.P. Journe
Tourbillon Souverain à Remontoir d'Egalite
A platinum tourbillon wristwatch with constant force remontoir, power reserve indication and brass movement, Circa 1999
F.P.Journe Tourbillon Souverain à Remontoir d'Egalite
鉑金陀飛輪腕錶備恆動力裝置、動力儲存顯示及黃銅機芯，製作年份約 1999
Dial: white gold
Caliber: cal. 1498 mechanical brass movement, 25 jewels
Case: platinum, sapphire crystal display back secured by six screws
Case number: 54/99T
Closure: platinum F.P. Journe buckle
Size: 38 mm diameter
Signed: case, dial and movement
Box: yes
Papers: yes
Accessories: F.P. Journe presentation box with outer packaging, factory box packaging, International Warranty card dated March 28, 2000, operating instructions booklet, polishing cloth, and Hochfield Jewelers purchase receipt
Condition Report:
Case: The case is in overall excellent condition.
Dial: The dial is in overall excellent condition.
Movement: The movement is running at time of cataloging, however it was not tested for the accuracy of time or duration of the power reserve and may need service at the buyer's discretion. Please note that Sotheby's does not guarantee the future working of the movement.
***Please be advised that the bands on this watch are made of materials derived from endangered or otherwise protected species (i.e. alligator and crocodile) and thus not sold with the watch, they are for display purposes only. We will remove these bands prior to international shipping and the state of California.***
Catalogue Note:
Francois-Paul Journe began his career as a clock restorer in France. Ultimately, the talented watchmaker created his own manufacture in 1999. His innovative approach to watchmaking and great sense of design inevitably made Francois-Paul Journe one of the most acclaimed independent watchmakers and the only one to win the celebrated Aiguille d’Or prize three times.
Launched in 1999, the Tourbillon Souverain d'Egalité marked the first usage of a constant force remontoir in a wristwatch, a timekeeping mechanism that would regulate the uneven force delivered by the mainspring. Despite a tourbillon being the first watch in the Montres Journe collection, Journe has always been a very vocal detractor of the usefulness of the tourbillon for timekeeping precision in a wristwatch. In Breguet's day, watches were lubricated with animal and vegetable oils that had woefully inconsistent characteristics, such as changing viscosity dramatically with temperature. With today's modern synthetic oils, the distribution of lubricants is no longer a problem, so a tourbillon doesn't provide any benefit in that area. Therefore, making a tourbillon today is really a testament to the skill and artistry of a watchmaker. In a similar vein to the tourbillon one could argue that there is little functional value added by introducing a remontoir into a modern mechanical watch. However, it is by combining the remontoir with the tourbillon that acts as a successful tribute to F. P. Journe's technical genius in the creation of complicated modern wristwatches firmly rooted in horological tradition.
The earliest souscription tourbillons were numbered on the dial from “1/20” to “20/20” as well as on the case back beside the crown. After these first 20 examples, the following watches were numbered on the caseback only and the numbering continued where the subscriptions watches ended with No 21. Between No 21 and 34, the were numbered ‘NoXX’ on the caseback, and then from the 35 examples onwards, the were numberd ‘XX/99T” (the ‘99 referring to the production year. For this very first production year, it is believed that approximately 60 examples were made in total.)
The dials of these early watches are broken down into 3 main generations as follows:
1st Generation - (1999) 20 examples, the ‘Souscription’ watches
2nd Generation (1999) estimated run of 16 or 17 examples
3rd Generation (1999) estimated run of circa 30 examples
Most dials from these early watches have yellow gold-plated dials, with considerably less fitted with white gold-plated dials. Rose gold-plated are known, but on only a handful of examples.
The current watch, number 54/99T is from the 3rd generation from 1999, and is fitted with a white gold-plated dial. The watch is presented in superb condition having never been polished and with little to no signs of use. We are pleased to offer this watch, including its presentation box, warranty card and purchase receipt, from the family of the original owner.
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