quattro
[Moderator]
6641
F.P. Journe's 38 mm Steel Sets
In 2015, wishing to celebrate the end of the historic 38 mm case after 25 years of existence, F.P. Journe created 38 exclusive collector’s sets containing 5 emblematic and historic watches, each one coming with:
- a gold dial with bronze patina and silver guilloché,
- an 18K rose gold movement
- housed in a 38 mm steel case.
The 5 watches included in these sets named "The Historical Size" and sometimes referred to as the "Coffret Sets" are:
- The Tourbillon Souverain, made from 1999 to 2003, and which had never been made with a Gold movement.
- The Chronomètre à Résonance in its original configuration, (made from 2000 to 2009) with 2 symmetrical analog display dials.
- The Octa Automatique (made from 2002 to 2014), which was the first automatic watch made by F.P. Journe.
- The Octa Calendrier Annuel (made from 2003 to 2014), which is considered as the company’s automatic bestseller since its creation.
- The Chronomètre Souverain (made since 2005), which was included in the set due to its aesthetic purity and its magnificent mechanism ("pure minimalism" says the F.P. Journe press release).
As it's my first post on the F.P. Journe forum, I tried to find something special...
Best, Emmanuel
A/ THE COMPLETE SET
credit: hodinkee
B/ THE FIVE WATCHES ONE BY ONE
1/ Réf. T - Tourbillon Souverain 1498
Case: 38 x 9.9 mm.
credit: hodinkee (1-3) & phillips
2/ Réf. RN - Chronomètre à Résonance - 1499.2
Case: 38 x 9.1 mm
credit: hodinkee (1-3) & phillips
3/ Réf. A - Octa Automatique 1300.3
Case: 38 x 10.2 mm
credit: hodinkee (1) & phillips
4/ Réf. Q - Octa Calendrier 1300.3
Case: 38 x 10.6 mm
credit: hodinkee (1-2) & phillips
5/ Réf. CS - Chronomètre Souverain 1304
Case: 38 x 8.6 mm
credit: hodinkee (1-2) & phillips
C/ PRESS RELEASE PRESENTATION
F.P. Journe's 38 mm Steel Sets
In 2015 , wishing to celebrate the end of the historic 38 mm case after 25 years of existence, F.P. Journe created 38 exclusive collector’s sets containing 5 emblematic and historic watches , each one coming with: a gold dial with bronze patina and silver...
I could not have afforded a set...
But I do wish I'd been smarter and bought the Octa Automatique from it, which I was offered at a very reasonable price that I absolutely could have afforded.
It would have been a good move economically speaking,
but if you didn't buy it, it might be because you didn't absolutely love it. So, in a way, maybe there's no regret to have.
Yes, not a bad one.
But then, one watch would be more than enough for me… Cheers, Emmanuel
I have only seen this set once before (not in person) and never in such detail.
So thank you for this wonderful post so full of information and so many great pictures of these stunning watches. Marc
I’m not overly into fpj like some
But this set is super cool. I like the color combinations, the brass movements. Very nice.
I’m not either,
but, in person, some models really look nice and this set is quite attractive, even if, in this particular configuration, I like the Chronomètre Souverain (the last one) a little less. Best, Emmanuel
My favorite FPJ color combinations as well.
Btw, the originals in 38mm, in early 2000s had brass movements. All watches in this commemorative set have gold movements.
I think the idea wasn't only to be faithful to the "historic size" (and to say goodbye to it),
but also to make something very special combining steel case & gold movement. Have a great week-end. Best, Emmanuel
I love your reviews. I hope you’re going to use them to start a reference site.
Patek and now FPJ. Only the best!
Thank you very much for your kind words, Gary.
In my mind, the reference site is WatchProSite and we're building it right now together! At least, it's how I feel about it... Best, Emmanuel
What a beautiful post dear Emmanuel
I’m so happy you have joined the FPJ community with an other great post from your hand 🤗 The Steel set is truly something special. I remember it caused quite a stir at the time because of the price. Some would break up the sets and sell off the pieces ind...
Thank you, dear Christian!
I completely agree with you on the specific charm of this case size. And your friends are truly lucky to own the complete set: each piece is an achievement in itself, but the series makes so much sense. For whatever reason, I find the Octa Calendar's dial...