F.P. Journe

I am having a difficult time deciding between the Journe CS, the Lange Richard Lange and the Patek 5130 World time (pretty different from the other two I realise).  From an aesthetic point of view I find the Journe particularly appealing, but some reports I've read about problems with reliability are giving me cold feet; perhaps these only concern the more complicated models...  The Lange is also a very handsome timepiece,  and the Patek has a lot going for it as well...  The only watch I own for now is a JLC Master perpetual which has never had any problems and still gives me much pleasure.  I guess what I4m seeking is the reassurance that the Journe is every bit as good as the other two and that I should go ahead and buy it..  Any guidance would be much appreciated.  J

If Manual, then end of the game for the PP 5130, which is the only automatic among these 3.

If you're ok with an automatic movement, and a nice one with a superb micro rotor, and a friendly complication ( World Time ), then the PP is for you.

If you're only on manual movements, then I would rate the Lange upon the FP, as, to me ( let's be clear, this is only my taste, here ), the Lange movement and dial speak louder to me.

But you're playing in the Horological Champion"s League, here.

Nice problem, by the way.



Best,

Nicolas

Manual or automatic are both fine, though come to think of it, I haven't had a manual since I was a little boy (a long, long time ago).

Although I admire all three marks .

I personally wouldn't benefit from the world timer.

The lange is a fantastic brand and the movements are absolutely stunning, but I am not a fan of the dial with its Roman Numerals.

The CS, is a great watch very accurate as well as being reliable and again the movement made from R/G is another very beautiful piece.

I very much like the layout of the dial, especially having a power reserve indicator, which I feel is a good complication to have in a manual wind watch.

And if the wearing on the wrist is anything like the 40mm Calendrier, then it is a very comfortable watch to wear.

As has already been mentioned you are in a very enviable position.

 

.. that you've got a nice problem to have!! Whatever you decide out of these 3 in the end you'll have a great sample from the elite.

Those 3 watches are very different watches so it really depend on what you like. Which metals are you thinking of?

With RL, the look is understated classic. The roman numerals dial make it the best dress watch out of the 3. Langes are VERY solid and feel substantial on the hand or wrist. Craftsmenship is really the best you can get and the finishing is jaw dropping. Need to say no more about "german engineering".

CS, in my opinion are amazingly accurate. The dial design is very unique and "signature" Journe. The CS being it's iconic piece. It'll be thinner and not feel as substantial than the RL though. The rose gold movement is a nice sight to behold.

The 5130 is the most complicated out of these 3, and Patek is afterall Patek. Finishing will also be top notch and easily the most recognisable brand out of the 3.

At the end of the day it really depend on what you want as your second watch after a Master Perpetual. If you want more complications, the 5130 fits the bill. If you want a simpler watch to go with the already complicated Master Perpetual, then RL or CS. Another important factor is whether you want everybody to know your watch or you're the kind of person that like to appreciate it secretly (I'm the latter type). With the 5130, everyone will see a Patek Philippe, but not everyone (apart from us here!) would know about Lange and Journe.

Finally as we always say, the most deciding factor is how you feel about it on your wrist. You'll have to try it all on and see which one sings to you the most! For this amount of money you would want to get the biggest enjoyment out of it! At the moment you sound like you perfer the aesthetic of CS over the other 2 so I assume you have tried them on already. If Journe speaks to your the most, I can't think of a reason for not going for that.

Good luck with your choice and please let us know how it goes!

I would go with Journe CS.  But what about some others, such as Lange 1?

...a complication?  A dress watch?  A unique dial?  Of the choices presented, I have a hard time deciding between the FPJ and the Lange.  For my taste, the Richard Lange is the ultimate simple, solid, beautifully-finished dress watch.  So, if you are looking for a tasteful, timeless piece to wear to the office -- or otherwise, frankly, the RL is my choice.  However, the CS is gorgeous and has that great dial.  It's my favorite Journe.  It's a watch that has real presence on the wrist IMO, despite the fact that non-WIS may not know the brand (as they would Patek, perhaps). 

Ultimately, I'd go with the RL, just because I love its timeless appeal and Lange's sensibility when it comes to movement finishing.  Picking up any of the three watches you mention is going to put a world-class timepiece on your wrist, so don't sweat it.  The "right one" will announce itself to you soon enough. 

Good luck!
Daos

i own both brands as well as others. while i've had to have both my journes (which include a CS) and my langes serviced, the journes are no more likely to need servicing, or need it more often, than the langes, in my experience. The CS is a relatively uncomplicated movement and whatever the issues are with some of the more exotic watches, it should not post any special reliability issues.

Aesthetically, I think the CS is the best of that particular bunch. There are Langes I love, aesthetically, more than the RL, for instance the original Lange 1 in yellow gold and silver dial is simply a timeless classic. But the CS is a very pretty watch, particularly in its red gold dress (imho the platinum doesn't wear as well).  Along the lines of the RL there are watches that do that look just as good or better and may be interesting choices. Breguet comes to mind as well as an offbeat choice, Lange & Heyne out of Dresden. They make some very nice pieces in that mode and they match or beat Lange & Sohne in terms of that Germanic heft thing.

But yet a difficult decision… I would have a bit of a hard time deciding between the Journe and Lange but, at the end, I would probably get the Richard Lange.

 

Whatever's the choice, you will own a superb watch - that's for sure

 

Marcelo

for your informative and helpful comments.  I went back to the Journe shop here in Paris today to take a second look at the CS, then on the way back home stopped by another jeweller's to look at the Lange.  Increasingly I'm tending toward the CS, in its 38mm version.  It sits really well on my wrist, and is very, very appealing.  The Lange is a magnificent watch too, but just a little too bulky for my taste.  As for the Patek, the model that I really liked initially was the clous-de-Paris Calatrava with plain white dial face and Roman numerals.  The problem was the small size, it looked a bit too fey when I tried it on, so I ruled it out in favour of the 5130, the only other Patek watch in my price range that I found pleasing (that statement probably betrays crass ignorance on my part).  But the more I think about it, the more I realise that my preference is for simple, uncluttered designs.  Anyway, as soon as I've come to a decision you'll be the first to know.  Thanks again,

Jea

like Nic, these are my personal opinion base on your choices:

RL has always been on my list, the plat ver is one of those killer watches for me, dead accurate, simple elegance and unsurpassed finishing of any lange watches you can imagine. And guess what, for its price, it's the best value for money piece. Asetheically, it's also perfect for me, I would prefer this than the new PLM

As for Journe, I guess CS is one iconic pieces and timeless in my own opinion and one of those which I haven't read anyone complained of any problem so far. For other pieces, I'm sure a simple search will provide many 'problem' hits. But if you're buying new from an AD, I guess the worse you could get is have it sent back and fix those known problems, but I cannot say this is acceptable to me, but apparently for some, the journey is 'special' . I own one of the most problematic ones, the Resonance. But I have the good fortune of owning a lucky 'perfect' piece, pre-owned, discontinued and tested. I had this for many months now and it's dead accurate, none of those problems happen to my piece (yet ). I'm happy that the previous owner tested it and paid for the depreciation value before parting it to me, what can I ask for ?

5130 is not my piece, sorry, i guess my dual time zone resonance is good enough to fill that gap and it's manual wind! I've preference for it over automatic movement because I love to admire more of the fantastic movements of my lange and journe and I enjoy winding them regularly. I had the JLC Master Geographic, a nice one but all I need is just a dual time zone actually but if I had to choose one, I guess patek is always my preferred choice.

But if you need to get a patek, consider its calatrava range, they're a beauty! My only automatic watch is a 3940 Perpetual, only if it was a manual wind, it could well be my only watch I would own

Just me.

Mech.

Actually, I have the good fortune of owning all three... RL platinum, 5130p, CS Black Label 38mm.

RL PL - has a heft and feel that is unsurpassed. technically incredible
5130p - best world time watch in my opinion.
CS BL - elegant, slim, and amazing movement

Tough choice... but I bought them in the order that I listed but the CS BL was probably the hardest to acquire!

Ok. I know that doesn't help but all three are beauties. However, since this is the Journe forum you know where my bias will be. The Richard Lange has a classic design that is simple and elegant. The movement, like all Langes perfectly executed. However, you will probably get bored with it. The world timer is a favorite of mine and I recently added one to my collection. However I think of it more of a travel watch not one I that I would choose if I had only one watch in my collection. That leaves, well, surprise! The CS. The dial is both classic yet unique particularly with the placement of the power reserve at 3pm (not an easy accomplishment). The movement is also a wonderful design in stunning rose gold. Winding it is a pleasure. As for reliability I haven't come across many problems with the CS. These tend to come up more in the Octa range. The CS is pure with no complications aside from the power reserve indicator. This is probably Journe's most accurate piece yet. Best of luck! This message has been edited by bs22fly on 2009-09-12 03:43:03

I would choose the Journe, then Lange, and then, by many lengths, the Patek. I have not heard of many problems with the CS. If possible, getting a pre-owned CS would be a great value. I think of the tree, the CS kind of stands alone. The Lange is superb. But the CS really is outside of almost all watches in its league. In terms of movement, especially. Am I knocking the Lange? Ha! Not at all. One of the best watches ever made. But...... in this case, the CS pulls ahead. Good luck!