F.P. Journe

Centigraphe Souverain - Nearly Two Years of Waiting, No Longer

 

For the past two years I've had a photo of the Centigraphe on my desk. I've had mixed feelings but each time I would see it in the metal any reservations I had would fade away. For the past month I've worn the Centigraphe almost every day, which I've enjoyed immensely. I have also rigorously used the chronograph function (more on that later) which I'm pleased to report has worked flawlessly.

The excitement began as soon as arrived home. I noticed the presentation box was darker and more granular then ones in the past. The Centigraphe is hidden in the presentation box on the right.

I quickly removed the cover.

With only a brief glance I knew it was worth the wait.

Inside is a special owners manual and DVD that discusses the ICM Institute in Paris which supports research against brain and spinal cord diseases.

The dial is striking and different than any other watch in my collection. The steel plate that surrounds the subdials gleems in the light. In the current production model all the subdials have red titanium hands (the initial press photo had one red hand and two blue). This complimented by the blue hour/minute hands. The hour markers on the dial are perfectly balanced with varying fonts. Only the 2, 6 & 10 are not visible. The dial at 10 o'clock has a flying second hand that rotates once every second. It's quite amazing to watch how quickly it spins around the dial. This in itself is a treat. The dial at 2 o'clock spins around once every 20 seconds. This also is enjoyable and feels somewhat novel since I'm most used to watching a second hand rotate once every 60 seconds. The third dial at 6 o'clock rotates once every 10 minutes. There is a tachometer scale on all three dials. The push rocker to activate the chrono function is ingenious and smooth to operate.

The chrono function does not have a flyback which is why it's nice to know there is a protection mechanism that prevents you from resetting it while it's running. I've always found the chronograph complication a great excuse to play with my watch. Whether I'm timing how long it takes to get to work in the morning or how long to get a taxi. In any case the result measured is in minutes. The Centigraphe changes all of that. Now I find myself timing very short instances which can be measure in seconds. For example how long does it take before the elevator opens, the time to to reach the next floor on an escalator, or when a plane touches down on the runway how quickly before the plane comes to a complete stop. There has been plenty of discussion about the Centigraphe's ability to stop the flying second hand at any point along dial. For my own amusement I often pick a random marking along the dial and try and stop it exactly there. It can be tricky but I manage to do it. Another joy is simply resetting the chronograph and watching all 3 dials reset. The flying second hand will always continue its rotation before resetting. The other two dials immediate jump back counter clockwise. Winding the watch is also a treat. The larger crown has a greater presence on the case. With one pull I'm able to wind the watch. Extremely smooth but with precision. A second pull and I'm able to set the time.

When I take the watch to my ear the beat of the watch is clear and pleasant sounding. Engaging the chronograph makes the sound even that much more pleasurable. Once I turn the watch over I notice the beauty of the movement. The large stacked barrels in the center are impressive. I also noticed the appearance of "Geneva Made" engraved on the movement. This I believe is something new which I haven't seen on other models. I'm always smitten by Journes gold movements and love the circular Geneva strips. The jewel sinks are large and cleanly placed. The finishing is wonderfully done.

I wear my Centigraphe with a deployant and think it's the most sporty of any Journe model. Like all Journe watches it's incredibly comfortable to wear. Once again Journe has come through with an impressive piece. This message has been edited by bs22fly on 2009-04-03 08:14:06