This Tourbillon Souverain is one of the first 85 made and sold by François-Paul Journe, distinguished by its “08X/01T” engraving on the caseback. It also features a rather unusual rose gold dial, which is rarely ever found amongst the watchmaker’s early pieces.
The Tourbillon Souverain was the very first production wristwatch from Montres Journe, originally made between 1999 and 2003. Produced in 2001, this particular Tourbillon Souverain was one of the first 85 pieces to be made and sold by the manufacture. As such, it reveals physical characteristics only found on the earliest pieces.
The design of the Tourbillon Souverain, building on Journe’s earliest prototypes, has come to define the visual aesthetic of all tourbillons from the manufacture to this day. The dial layout reinforces Journe’s artisanal spirit, with exposed screws and stark, contrasting surfaces. This aesthetic was honed by Journe during the creation of the prototypes building up to the Souscription, which had the sub-dials screwed directly onto the base plate of the movement, made of rhodium-plated brass.
This piece falls within the third generation, which was produced between 1999 and 2001, as shown by the extremely early “08X/01T” engraving on the caseback. The third generation is distinguished by its flat remontoire cock, large screws on the dial and characterful two-tone sub-dial. The piece introduces several features that differentiate it from previous and later generations, such as the larger power reserve numbers and when held in the sunlight, this dial displays an intensity and shimmer typically only found on the earlier examples.
This piece is also distinguished by its remarkably rare rose gold dial. Within the third series, only 6 examples are publicly known with rose gold dials, with yellow and white gold being the most common. Considering F.P. Journe only used rose gold dials from the third series onwards, this makes these pieces even more elusive, with the metal being extremely scarce within the total Tourbillon Souverain production. When held in the sunlight, this piece displays an intensity and shimmer typically only found on the earliest of examples.
Closer look
| Brand: | F.P. Journe |
| Model: | Tourbillon Souverain |
| Movement: | Manual-winding F.P. Journe calibre 1498 |
| Functions: | Tourbillon, hours, minutes, subsidiary seconds |
| Case material: | Platinum |
| Case diameter: | 38mm |
| Crystal: | Sapphire front and back |
| Strap: | from our own collection, blue alligator F.P. Journe strap, platinum F.P. Journe buckle |
| Lug width: | 20/19mm |
| Year: | 1999 (produced), 2001 (sold) |
| Box & papers: | Certificate of Authenticity (undated) |
This F.P. Journe Tourbillon Souverain is in very good overall condition. Superficial marks can be found on the case and lugs, most notably on the bezel, between 12 and 1 o’clock position, consistent with regular wear over time. The rose gold dial in in very good condition, showing little signs of age or oxidation. This translates through to the caseback, with the Côtes de Genève remaining preserved in very good condition. The hallmarks and engravings remain crisp and well defined.
The watch is guaranteed for authenticity and comes with a two-year warranty from A Collected Man.
