F.P. Journe

François-Paul Journe is one the mavericks of the watchmaking world. An extremely talented watchmaker, MrJourne also has a perfect aesthetic sense, an unusual combination in watchmakers. Every year I always impressed by how his watches look and feel.

This year F. J. Journe unveiled the Centigraphe, a foudroyante chronograph capable of measuring times of up to 1/100th of a second, in theory. The watch is powered by a mainspring which delivers power to two separate gear trains, one for the chronograph and another for the escapement (the same mainspring is used on the Grande SonnerieSouverain). Thus when the chronograph is running, the escapement continues to receive a constant supply of energy, so there is no loss of amplitude in the balance and the resulting loss of accuracy.

The 'lightning' seconds is located at 10 o'clock, it makes one round every second; the hand at 2 o'clock makes one revolution every 20 seconds; and the hand at 6 o'clock completes one round every 10 minutes. Each subdial contains the appropriate tachometer scale.

Another clever innovation is the rocker at 2 o'clock that replaces the pushers found in conventional chronograph. This patented rocker system is more ergonomic and apparently increases the accuracy of the recorded time by reducing the reaction time needed to activate the chronograph.

When I first saw the Centigraphe sitting in the display case, I did not like it, the dial looked too busy. But as with many Journe creations, I changed my mind after I tried it on. It sits perfectly on the wrist and looks elegant enough to work as a dress watch despite the complex dial.

The other two watches presented that afternoon were extensions of the Octa range, the new OctaLune and Octa Power Reserve. Both are now offered with dials similar to that of the ChronometreSouverain. This pair of Octa watches will appeal to those who loved the ChronometreSouverain but want more functions.

Although they offer the same functions as the existing Octa models, the movements has been improved. According to Journe, the new cal. 1300-3 offers a more efficient winding system that is unidirectional, so even the smallest movement in the wearer's arm will wind the watch, as the rotor returns to its neutral position. Power reserve remains the same as before at 120 hours.

Neither of these two Octa watches are groundbreaking in terms of watchmaking or design, but both look sublime - proportions, size and tactile feel are matchless.