So you’ve bought a Patek, maybe an Audemars Piguet, a few Rolexes or a Vacheron. You think you’ve seen it all and are ready to move on to brighter horizons...and then you stumble on F.P. Journe.
Arguably the father of the modern independent watchmaking renaissance, Journe has paved the road for countless other small manufactures to make a name for themselves and share their creative eye with the industry. Indeed, Journe’s legacy truly extends far beyond the watches he’s designed and executed.
Leaving school early to study watchmaking and working in his uncle’s clock repair shop, Journe discovered his knack for all things horological at a young age. Studying the works of Breguet and George Daniels, he had an eye for complication and classicism, which heavily impacted the look of his later creations.
After completing his studies and designing a number of commissioned pieces for private clients, Journe decided to set out on his own crafting wristwatches. Never slacking off, his earliest designs were tourbillons with constant-force remontoirs — mechanically sophisticated and extremely difficult to execute. The ambitious young watchmaker was punching well beyond his weight, and by the time he started his own eponymous brand, collectors were already excited about his promise.
The Octa collection, introduced in 2001, was Journe's first featuring an automatic, in-house movement. The example we have here, however, is no "mere" Octa — if such a thing can even be uttered aloud! — but an exquisite Octa Zodiaque, a special edition of just 150 pieces that displays the sign of the zodiac via a unique complication.
Housed in a 40mm platinum case with a sapphire crystal, a smooth bezel, and the brand's signature crown, it features a slate-grey and silver dial with stylized 'Arabic' indices, a date aperture between 11 and 12 o'clock, a blued-steel Journe handset, and a rotating outer disc that displays both the month and the sign of the zodiac by jumping automatically once per day.
Flip the case over and you're greeted by a breathtaking sight: Beneath a sapphire exhibition caseback is a rhodium-plated brass movement, the automatic F.P. Journe Calibre 1300. Beautifully finished and fitted with a solid-gold winding rotor, it's an encapsulation of Journe's tremendous horological talents and creativity. Fitted to a signed black leather strap with a platinum pin buckle, this watch comes with its factory goodies and proof of total movement service from the manufacture.
Highly limited, expertly finished, and perfectly balanced, the Octa Zodiaque is a true piece of horological art. If that's the type of wristwear that speaks to you, then stop by our showroom to try this one on — we're sure it won't last long!