Ravishing in Red: The F.P. Journe Tourbillon Souverain “China 2010”

If you are at all familiar with F.P. Journe, you will know that the independent watchmaker produces an incredibly limited number of watches each year – about 1,000 pieces total across all model lines. This inherently makes every Journe rare, but within this extremely exclusive hierarchy, there are select pieces that are even rarer, even more desirable that connoisseurs of the brand dream of. One such piece is the Tourbillon Souverain “China 2010” released in a limited edition of 5 total pieces to celebrate the 2010 opening of the brand’s boutique in Beijing. Let’s take a closer look at what makes this particular piece so special.

F.P. Journe China 2010 Tourbillon Souverain — F.P. Journe Tourbillon Souverain “China 2010”

History

The origin story of the Tourbillon Souverain dates back to 1978, when a 20 year-old F.P. Journe began work on his very first tourbillon pocket watch. After five years of work, Journe completed his watch which featured a tourbillon, two barrels, and a spring detent escapement. In the ’80s and ’90s, tourbillon wristwatches were relatively rare, but Journe realized there was plenty of interest and unmet demand for them from collectors. Experimenting with the concept, he made his first tourbillon wristwatch in 1991. While a wristwatch with a tourbillon complication is generally an aesthetic addition more than anything, Journe also sought to improve the overall accuracy of the movement. To achieve this, he added a remontoir d’égalité constant force system to help maintain consistent distribution of energy to the escapement from the mainspring as it unwinds.

Having achieved proof of concept, Journe began producing tourbillon wristwatches under the Souscription model beginning in 1999. Twenty examples were made with the production of each additional piece financed by the one before. One characteristic of these early models, primarily the Souscription and the 258 “T” Tourbillons that followed, was the visible remontoir at six o’clock. The T Tourbillons are practically identical to the Souscription models mechanically and are extremely collectible as well. These pieces are some of the earliest manifestations of Journe’s philosophy to ever hit the market.

In 2003, Journe launched the “TN”, which came with a number of aesthetic changes. First, the seconds track that encircled the tourbillon aperture was removed. The power reserve was also repositioned at 12 o’clock to improve dial symmetry. The remontoir d’égalité produces a natural deadbeat seconds (also known as jumping or stop seconds), so to harness this, Journe added a seconds display at 6 o’clock rather than the aperture found on the Souscription and T lines. Finally, Journe stopped using brass for his movements and instead opted for rose gold. The Tourbillon Souverain “China 2010” is a TN variant of the Tourbillon Souverain, which (in our opinion) was pretty much the high point of the collection. Launched in 2010 to celebrate the opening of Journe’s Beijing Boutique, just five examples of the China TN were made.

Design Details

While we’ve discussed the design of the Tourbillon Souverain generally, a number of changes were made to separate the “China 2010” from standard production models. Most noticeably, the China Edition edition features a bright red dial and five yellow stars. This red is the same color as the Chinese flag and the five stars (which are also found on the flag) represent the five regions of China. The stars also replace the standard power reserve scale, which is a nice touch.

Beyond these thematic changes, the layout of the watch is consistent with the TN generation of the Tourbillon Souverain. Power reserve at 12, time display with guilloché and concentric snailed circles at 3, natural deadbeat seconds from the remontoir d’égalité at 6, and the tourbillon aperture at 9. The layout is perfectly symmetrical and truly stunning. The subdials and tourbillon are stabilized by a white gold gasket with visible screws on the dial, which adds some extra visual interest and personality to the dial.

The platinum case is finished in classic Journe fashion with sheer case sides and elongated lugs. Furthermore, the spring bars are curved, allowing for crisper strap integration and a slightly more compact feel on the wrist. A scroll crown with diagonal roping is present and consistent with the design of all other Journe watches. The black strap is fairly traditional, but features a two-sided alligator construction. Most watches with alligator straps have a calf-skin lining on the inside to cut cost, but Journe has spared no expense and used alligator both inside and out. It is a small detail that goes a long way to distinguish the brand from many other high end manufacturers.

Inner Workings

The F.P. Journe Tourbillon Souverain “China 2010” is powered by the manually wound caliber 1403, the same caliber found within all other TN models. Since the limited edition was introduced in 2010, the 1403 movement is executed in full rose gold, which, in addition to being stunning visually, provides a nice contrast to the platinum case.

The 1403 has about 42 hours of power reserve at full wind. We’ve already covered the mechanical components of the movement, but it is interesting to note that many aspects of Journe’s movement design and philosophy were largely influenced by the work of Breguet and other 18th century watchmakers. Breguet, of course, pioneered the tourbillon, but he also worked on a number of constant force systems including the remontoir d’égalité and fusee and chain as well. Thus, it is easy to see why Journe incorporated these technical features when he chose to create his own tourbillon wristwatch.

Versus the Competition

Perhaps the best place to look for alternatives to the Tourbillon Souverain “China 2010” is within the F.P. Journe catalog. There have been a number of highly collectible Journe tourbillon models made since 1999, and we’ll take a look at a few (in chronological order). The most desirable Journe tourbillon (short of Journe’s first pocket watch and the first tourbillon wristwatch) would definitely be the souscription tourbillons (discussed previously). As mentioned, only 20 were made with all offered and sold to early investors in the Journe brand.

Next up is the 2001 piece unique Tourbillon Souverain with Regency dial. This incredible piece was originally intended to be made in 3 examples, but the engraver responsible for creating the dials passed away after making the first, and, therefore, no further pieces were ever produced . Three other examples were made in rose gold, but this is the only one with a platinum case.

If you prefer the layout and aesthetic of the “TN” generation of the Tourbillon Souverain, there are many standard production models we really like. The F. P. Journe Tourbillon Souverain “Dead Beat Seconds” in platinum and on a bracelet is quite rare as very few were fitted with bracelets .

The final limited edition tourbillon to consider is the 99 piece exclusive recreation of Journe’s first tourbillon pocket watch, made in 1983. Launched in 2013, the 30th Anniversary T30 Tourbillon converts the dial and movement formats of the original into a wrist-friendly package. This piece is unlike any of the other Journe tourbillons, which will either make it extremely attractive or utterly unappealing to a collector. The special edition is executed in sterling silver and rose gold, a rather unconventional combination. A hinged caseback reveals a view of the tourbillon and dual mainspring barrels. Regardless of your feelings on this piece, it truly is special.

Personality

For most collectors, this is a piece that is decidedly out of reach. The pricing of a five piece limited edition Journe is steep to say the least, but keep in mind that only two of the five examples remain in private collections. When you are talking about a watch that is that rare, a very particular client will usually be the one to purchase it. And because the watch was released to commemorate the opening of Journe’s Beijing boutique, perhaps the watch is most appealing to Chinese collectors.

The only production tourbillon in Journe’s collection today is a vertical tourbillon. The vertical tourbillon is much thicker and less wrist-friendly, and as a result, these older tourbillons still enjoy strong popularity. The F.P. Journe Tourbillon Souverain “China 2010” represents perhaps the most exclusive TN variant of the model line short of piece uniques. That’s a compelling package for any Journe enthusiast.

Final Thoughts

Whether you are particularly interested in a Chinese-themed F.P. Journe or not, this watch is something special. Considering the rarity of Journe watches globally, pieces that exist outside of the standard production runs are practically impossible to find. Consider for a moment the chances of a watch of this kind coming up for sale. 5 were made, 2 are in private collections. This means that practically, there are two of these pieces in circulation, assuming the owners actually want to sell the watches. The chances of a piece like this coming to market are so small that it is truly a special opportunity to be able to cover this piece at all. If you are looking for a watch like this, it might be a while before one comes up for sale again and you better act fast when it does, because the chance doesn’t come along very often!