F.P. Journe

Firstly, I might choose actually NOT to repair it.....I have grown, prob from rubbishing it, to tolerate it, and even though I don't wear it, I now actually use it as a conversation piece!!! And Ilove to demo how the date disc jumps!!

Secondly, the 911 u had I assume is the 4 stroke, which is now more collectable then the early 6strokes. There are so few of them. I would love to buy a four stroke engine and plonk into my old bettle. When I get back, I will post a pic of it.

Best, Horo

...if a 'version 0' FPJ tourbillon were to be offered up in trade. Historical significance to one side, it oozes 'Deus ex machina'.

But tell us, Andrew, which one for you? Why?

Cheers,
pplater.

... it's my thread. ;-)

But I promise to tell you. And I have been agonizing over this question since 2004! Luckily, as I said, there is no wrong answer.

Andrew

That you could guess Andrews' answer...



Cheers

would be my choice, but that is a very close decision

Decision is based on aesthetics, only.

Oliver

It has to be specifically with the sparkling champagne dial with the silvery sub dial.
This version may oxidise but I see it more of a beauty. It's the early creation and it just oozed a very organic feel that I'm so in love with.
It is also one piece that will grow old with grace.
But if I have to really pick one, definitely the prototype. I love his vision in the early days.
*CL

...I think ultimately I'd go with the Dead Seconds.  The dial layout is the most pleasing and balanced of the choices IMO.  I like the treatment of the rehaut rings, screws, and movement on that model.  Also, the dead seconds complication is one of my favorites.  Altogether, a most compelling watch!

Cheers,
Daos

I have a very personal problem with jumping seconds, dead or not. They remind me too much of quartz watches. There was a period in my life when I was marginally involved in radio broadcasting and more through its reception on short-wave radio. Then the seconds had to be right on target. Fortunately (or sadly) those days are gone -

None of Journe's watches have a stop (or hacking) seconds function, which he lucidly explains as having a detrimental effect on the oil distribution on the anchor wheel and pallet teeth - and therefore on the overall precision and accuracy. PP has a similar philosophy. So that the only way to regulate his watches at home is through positioning them in the five or six usually accepted ways, if that is realistic or feasible - or if there is anyone here who really cares or bothers about such - for me - non-trivial matters.

Thus I wonder about the visual and audible effects of the DS that may charm so many of our visitors and viewers here.

Best regards for your thoughts,

amerix
This message has been edited by amerix on 2011-01-07 10:59:17 This message has been edited by amerix on 2011-01-07 11:02:50 This message has been edited by amerix on 2011-01-07 11:04:10 This message has been edited by amerix on 2011-01-07 11:06:40

... original pendulum clocks, ticking off the seconds at one Hertz. Tell yourself that it has nothing to do with disgusting soul-less quartz technology. LOL Then consider the history of the DS display, particularly in Asia in the 19th Century. And as others have said, on this particular watch you get the contrast with the adjacent balance wheel and tourbillon cage. F.P.Journe is so anchored in 18th Century horology, that this dead second display is as far from quartz as you could imagine!

Repeat the above twice daily and you will be cured in a week!

Dr Andrew

Ps. Actually I quite agree about solitary DS displays. I commented on Richard's new Habring to this effect as well. His watch has an RdM display. Psychologically I require something else on the dial to 'tell' me it's not quartz. A view of the balance wheel or movement, an RdM display, etc. So you are not alone ...

but don't you think it is an interesting (or at least worthwhile to ponder) statement that the watch makes here? After all we ARE discretizing time with watches (Marcus Handke had some great remarks about this when discussing the UN Perpetual vis a vis the Trilogy of Time watches) and I like that the DS shows both the continuous process with the tourbillon and the steps of time side by side. And also of course there is the whimsical aspect of having a tourbillon look like a quarz watch, the same kind of jest (only subtler) as the Di Grisogno Meccanica. Finally, there is always that delicous play with Journe watches hiding partall under the sleeve cuff. I love that with the Resonance and I think it would be even better with the DS - a quartz watch - pull sleeve back - no wait, its a tourbillon!

 

 

Best

Andreas

I like your very clever idea of the quartz-like seconds and then "oh wait it's a tourbillon"

I neglected to comment on the second part of your answer.

I completely agree that a watch that has so many nods to chronometry (Tourbillon, remontoir, dead second) would benefit from a hacking seconds. It would be the icing on the cake, and perhaps something we might see in the next iteration of the watch. But remember that when this watch was conceived there were no tourbillons with hacking seconds. It took Lange to forge the way here (I think they were the first, but I'm happy to be corrected).

Regards

Andrew

I can certainly appreciate where you are coming from regarding your dislike of the dead seconds, and how its movement around the dial hearkens back to the predominantly quartz-era of timepieces (nothing wrong with liking quartz watches, of course), but I don't see it as a problem myself.  A large portion of the populace probably isn't even aware of what the term "quartz watch" denotes.  Nor are they familiar with, or romanticizing the experience of wearing, a mechanical watch.  So, they wouldn't look twice at a mechanical dead seconds.  As for WIS who might be judging me negatively, thinking I'm wearing a quartz watch, when they see me around town with the Habring², there's nothing to be done about that.  I'll just continue to enjoy my watch, and they can enjoy theirs. 

Cheers,
Daos

I guess it's rather like a concealed Tourbillon in a Laurent Ferrier - a hidden and personal pleasure with a reminder on the front of what beats beneath. You don't need "Tourbillon" (ie. "Dead Seconds") written on the dial because you have a reminder every time you glance at the watch and see the second hand.

And of course, as I said above, the complication harkens back to the pendulum clocks and has a long and interesting history in itself. The complexities of having a dead second display while still maintaining chronometry consumed many an horologist. That's partly what I like about the dead seconds display on the Journe - because it is part of the 1-second remontoir it is completely independent of the escapement and cannot have any detrimental effect on time-keeping.

And of course if a true WIS saw a Habring on your wrist they would be very excited; or they wouldn't be a WIS! I look forward to seeing it one day.

Andrew

...so folks who want to see it can examine the watch! 

Cheers,
Daos

The Prototype oozes Steampunk awesomeness. If it is unavailable, I would go for the DS because I think the dead seconds is a nice philosophical addition to the watch which then has perpetual motion AND the discrete steps of measured time. I will be very glad if I have one in the watchbox before I turn 50 ....

 

best

Andreas

And I agree with your comments.

Thanks!

A

5 years for me! Best, Andreas

... I'll let you wear it at the GTG.

Andrew

No message body

Shall I explain why ? A true Vintage Journe !



Fr.Xavier

Originally my favorite, but as a ownership proposition, I choose the DS.

Best, Horo

Manufactured in 1993? But there can't have been 16 of them that year.

Whatever else you can tell us about the watch would be appreciated.

Thanks for the image!

Andrew

it is the 16th tourbillon made and it was finished in 1993.

When I meet Journe, I will ask him.

The watch belongs to one of the first Journe's clients. The first Journe watches were sold at the Pendulerie, a famous clocks shop in Paris. The boutique was not dedicated to wristwatches but the owner of the shop dedicated a display to the first Journe watches.

Fr.Xavier

Version 1 if I have some of his modern piece ie centigraph, octa lune, etc

Version 2 if I have some of his early piece ie resonance, rdm etc

Finally version 0 if I just wanna own a piece of history. This is an important piece as it marry 3 significant factor: 1. Showcase the masterskill of journe in form wrist watch 2. His influence of breguet 3. Provide funding for journe to start his company which later give birth to the resonance. The best representation journe.

I would happily close my collection of journe with just the resonance and version 0

Best
Tyler This message has been edited by T.Bean on 2011-01-07 17:46:36

... and thanks for bringing it up. What other watches are in the collection, and how a new piece 'fits' into that. I was concentrating on the merits of the specific watch itself, but of course there are other considerations. We lost the YG dial when Journe moved to the RG movements. That Pt with YG dial in the original Tourbillon is something special. And we now have the choice of 38mm or 40mm cases with the DS tourby. So there are other things for an individual to consider before committing to one or the other versions.

Oh, and which Resonance would you choose? Or perhaps that's a story for another thread!

Thanks for the thoughtful reply.

Andrew

Controversial material combination from a controversial watchmaker.

I love that part of story about the resonance.

Best
Tyler