F.P. Journe announced earlier this year that they would cease producing limited edition watches, though the “announcement” was more of a quiet whisper. The company is known for its small annual output of watches , which makes 1,000 mechanical and 500 quartz pieces. However, they would never end a party without a final confetti canon, and this one is in the form of a hand-wound flyback Chronographe FB.
To celebrate the 20th anniversary of their Tokyo location, they’ve introduced this last limited edition. Going forward, they will stop engraving edition numbers on their watches, meaning the 200 Chronographe FB models released will certainly be highly sought after.
The F.P. Journe Chronographe FB
Every year, François-Paul Journe has a tradition of introducing a new calibre every year, and 2024 is no different. This time, the new Chronographe FB is powered by the Calibre 1518,2 with an 80-hour power reserve, the first manually-wound single chronograph. It’s made from 18K rose gold, with a flyback function, and measures a compact 40mm in diameter and 10.4mm in thickness. Just as other watches in the Tokyo series, of which this is a part, the movement is encased in polished titanium, with an 18K 6N gold crown and pushers.
The dial, which is finished in ruthenium, has a Clous de Paris guilloché pattern in the center. Technically, it has a large date display at 6 o’clock, as well as a 60-second counter at 9 o’clock and a 60-minute counter at 3 o’clock with the movement slightly revealed underneath. Completing the look are orange Arabic numerals.
Surrounding the dial is a white chapter ring with a tachymeter scale, which is calibrated for measuring speeds over 1,000 meters. This is accomplished by using a chronograph seconds hand that takes 2 minutes to complete a full rotation, with a scale marked from 300 to 30 rather than the usual 60, which would normally complete a revolution every minute.
Notes on the F.P. Journe Chronographe FB
Fans and collectors of F.P. Journe watches will certainly want to add this to their collection, at least to say they have all the watches necessary to complete the Tokyo Collection. Of course, only 12 full sets will be in existence worldwide, so that makes the incentive even greater (we say that because there were only 12 Chronomètre à Résonances made.)
One surprising thing to note is that, unlike many makers of high-end watches, F.P. Journe has not previously made a manual chronograph, though they are well versed in the area of chronographs. For example, in 2001, F.P. Journe launched the Octa Chronograph, which had an automatic movement. The new flyback chronograph is a first for the brand, but it will also be the last, so that will be a major regret for any fans who fail to acquire one of the 200 pieces.
How much is it, and how can you get it?
This final limited edition F.P. Journe will set you back $106,000 and can be bought at one of the F.P. Journey boutiques worldwide.
