F.P. Journe- Sonnerie Souveraine

All you really need to know about this watch is that it costs half a million bucks and has a waiting list of two to three years. Requiring ten patents and six years of development (as you can see in the right photo there's some really crazy stuff happening on the inside), the F.P. Journe Sonnerie Souveraine ($560,000) is a grand-strike clockwatch and minute repeater. What does this mean? Basically, it sounds the hours and quarters — like dong, dong, dong... ding-dong, ding-dong for 3:30. This might not sound like a big deal, but it's apparently huge in real watchmaking.

Journe’s Sonnerie Souveraine is much more than ‘simply’ a grand sonnerie; it is a grand et petite sonnerie plus a minute repeater. A sonnerie is a clockwatch; that means that it sounds the time (hours and quarters) in passing - just like an old grandfather clock: although a grandfather clock is likely to strike only the hours or perhaps half hours. A grand sonnerie (full strike) sounds the hours and the quarters at each quarter (every 15 minutes), i.e. at 4.45 we would hear four dongs (hours) and three ding-dongs (quarters). A petite sonnerie (small strike) sounds only the hour at the hour the quarters at the quarters, i.e. at 4.45 we would hear only the three ding-dongs of the quarter hours."

Technical Data:
Calibre 1505: Manually wound. 40 jewels. 400+ pieces in movement
Movement Dimensions: 35mm x 7.8mm
Balance: 4 adjustable weights. 21,600 v/h. Free-sprung.
Power Reserve: 120 hours/5 days without chime. 48 hours with grand strike. 24 hours of autonomy after strike runs down.
Case: Steel. 42mm x 12.25mm

FPJourne - Octa Perpetual shows anniversary

In 2001, P. F. Journe OCTA this collection - consisting of mechanical wristwatches with a winding power reserve exceptional over 5 days (120 hours) with all models have the same thickness, regardless of the complication. A technical challenge to insert all the complications of OCTA collection in the same space.

The Perpetual Octa, 8th creation of the collection bears his name perfectly well and enriched the collection of self-winding caliber signed P. F. Journe -Invenit and Fecit. New challenge that succeeded to insert this time a perpetual calendar in the same space.

Each anniversary, the new Octa Perpetual Titanium celebrates the establishment of network Shops P. F. Journe around the world, with the 5th anniversary of the first Boutique P. F. Journe in Tokyo.

Produced in limited edition of 99 pieces, made his case exceptional titanium for this anniversary is wearing a dial on Ruthenium Or
The winding movement is manufactured in 18K rose gold, like all creations P. F. Journe -Invenit and Fecit. It is built on the caliber exclusive 1300.3, with retrograde date, a one-stop for days, and a second window for months with indication of leap year recorded in the month of February. The transition months of 28, 29, 30 and 31 days is automatically recognize the leap year (indicated).

The Octa Perpetual rotor also features exclusive P. F. Journe decentered dating movement in one direction by a system of self-locking ball bearing. The ceramic ball allow it to move in one direction and blocks it in another. Each small movement is thus maximized for an optimized winding the watch.

The push to secure 8:00 ET for the transition manual for months during the initial adjustment. This push excludes any possibility of accidental actuation, allowing use without special tools.

The Octa Perpetual was premiered May 29, 2009 at the Boutique P. F. Journe Tokyo

Tempus