“Day & Night” met with master watchmaker François-Paul Journe on the side lines of the Dubai Watch Week, where he talks to us of his eponymous haute horlogerie brand
Can you tell us about the Chronographe Monopoussoir Rattrapante Bleu watch that you recently made for Only Watch?
After our Tourbillon Souverain Bleu sold for CHF 550,000 at the Only Watch in 2015, I wanted to create something similar but with a vintage watch. This would not be an invention; it would be a classical movement and case, but in tantalum. The movement would be bigger than the existing movements, a traditional system with a little wheel and bridge; the finishing and polish would be very good with a special dial – something in blue like the 2015 Tourbillon.
I spent a lot of time in the design and ended up with something different but is yet of the F.P. Journe ethos. At the end, I liked it so much that I did not want to sell it, but keep it as part of my personal collection. In fact, before the auction I tried to buy it for CHF700,000. At the actual auction, I did not have the time to even bid properly; the bids started at CHF600,000, and immediately started rising rapidly and ended up at CHF1,150,000 – all within the space of one minute at the most. It was incredible.
Has anyone ever asked you to bring out a line of the Chronograph Monopusher Split Second?
Yes; I have the base movement, the escapement and wheels, which are the same. The chronograph split second is a modern concept; it is not traditional. We will also have a big date, something new not classical.
Is it true that you will be participating in SIHH not as F.P. Journe but as Élégante?
Élégante is our second brand; they are electro-mechanical watches and we hope will not be retailer-exclusive like our mechanical watches. Not only retailers, but jewellers and online platforms have shown interest in marketing the Élégante. It is difficult to sell the mechanical watches as it is more of a niche segment appealing only to the connoisseurs. The Élégante is very easy to sell: it is easy to explain; it is a good watch; and it is easy for us to have different points of sales. That is why we want to have different points of sales for Élégante and F.P. Journe.
Were you surprised by the success of the Élégante when you first launched it?
When we unveiled the Élégante, we did not advertise the watch in the first year. It started with our male aficionados seeing the watch and buying it for their wives, the wives then talking to their friends about the watch they were gifted; the word spread slowly. Now the watch is doing very well and we have increased production. We can augment production because it is not a mechanical watch, it is a good price, and not everybody likes a mechanical watch. I also have a number of ideas for the Élégante, including a perpetual calendar.
When asked for recommendations by people, why do you frequently suggest the Chronomètre Bleu?
I made the Chronomètre Bleu in 2008, when the financial crisis was happening. Because of that, we priced the watch quite low and it sold well. When the situation improved, we still maintained it at that price. Now, all watch lovers know of the Chronomètre Bleu, which is iconic and is also our bestseller. Since we make only around 120 pieces a year, there usually is a waiting list for it.
Can you tell us about the Vagabondage trilogy?
The Vagabondage is a series of three watches – the first one shows the Digital Hours; the second one shows the Digital Jumping Hours and Minutes; and the third one shows the Digital Jumping Hours and Seconds. As of now, I think around 10 or 15 people have all the three watches with the same numbers, while 20 more are on a waitlist. When I made the first one, most people treated it as a joke, but I had already decided to make three watches. The series is like a trilogy of movies, you do not appreciate the beauty of the trilogy until you see the third edition, which completes it.
Why is it that F.P. Journe is no longer participating in the GPHG, especially after winning so many of their awards?
We have won many awards and I am thankful for that. Every year, around 200 brands enter the GPHG; they all spend a lot of time and effort in explaining and promoting their entries. But, at the end of the whole exercise, only a handful of brands and their watches that are listed as finalists get publicity and are repaid for all of their efforts. I do not think it is worth participating in the GPHG.
