While today F.P. Journe is somewhat of a household name, in its short but interesting history this wasn’t always the case. The watch brand known as F.P. Journe was founded in 1999 with the release of several chronometers at Baselworld. The launch of F.P. Journe was the culmination of a long career in watchmaking for Frenchman François-Paul Journe, the protagonist of our story.
Along with the chronometers signed “Invenit et Fecit”, that year the brand also released the Tourbillon Souverain. This Tourbillon Souverain was also signed “Invenit et Fecit” meaning “invented and made” in Latin, the motto of the new brand. What made it so special was that it used a remontoire system created by François-Paul in 1982 for a pocket watch and used for the first time in a wristwatch in 1991. The full story of the brand, however, goes back to the late 1950s, when François-Paul was born.
Journe meeting Ray Charles / Credit: The Journe Guy
Born in Marseille, France in 1957, François-Paul started off in the watchmaking profession in his teenage years, studying in the watchmaking school in Marseille. After he was expelled however, he started working with his uncle in Paris, enrolling in l'École d'horlogerie de Paris and graduating in 1976.
Upon graduation, François-Paul worked with his uncle who was a watchmaker, working with many 19th century timepieces. It was in 1977, in fact, that François-Paul reports making his first ever at the age of only 20 years old. The following year he started the production of his first ever tourbillon pocket watch, which he finished five years later. This was also around the time when he opened his first workshop in Paris, after many years of working for his uncle.
Tourbillon Souverain Vertical / Credit: SJX Watches
Throughout the late 1980s François-Paul continued to produced great works from his workshop, receiving several awards as well. In 1991, he made his first wristwatch which then led to the launch of the brand at Baselworld. Following the 1999 releases, in 2000 the Chronomètre à Résonance and the Sonnerie Souveraine were released.
Already rising in popularity, F.P. Journe started opening boutiques around the world, with the first in Tokyo in 2003. Today the brand has 10 boutiques with the latest being opened in Dubai and Miami in 2019. Along with his own success he was also mentored by George Daniels and is often treated as his heir. In 2010, Journe even gifted Daniels a platinum Chronomètre Souverain, which is currently up for auction with a low end estimate of about $250,000!
By: Andres Ibarguen
Read more:
“THE F.P.JOURNE HISTORY.” F.P. Journe, https://www.fpjourne.com/en/invenit-et-fecit.
Clymer, Ben. “Reference Points: The Complete History Of The F.P. Journe Tourbillon, As Told By Francois-Paul Journe Himself.” Hodinkee, September 8th, 2016, https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/reference-points-fp-journe-tourbillon.
“AN IMPORTANT PLATINUM WRISTWATCH WITH POWER RESERVE, MADE AND PRESENTED TO PAY TRIBUTE TO GEORGE DANIEL.” Christie’s, https://www.christies.com/lot/lot-fp-journe-an-important-platinum-wristwatch-with-6320549/sc_lang=en.