F.P. Journe Chronographe FB Review

June 05, 2024

Earlier this year, F.P. Journe quietly announced that they would no longer doing limited edition releases C well, after one last hurrah. The brand produces around 1,000 mechanical watches and 500 quartz watches per year, putting "limited edition" somewhere on a sliding scale of rarity already. One long-standing limited series has been going for 19 years C the Tokyo Boutique Anniversaire Series C and for the 20th anniversary of the Tokyo boutique, the new hand-wound flyback Chronographe FB is Journe's grand farewell to LE's. The Chronographe FB keeps up with Fran?ois-Paul Journe's streak of creating one new caliber a year, this time his first manually-wound single (not split-second) chronograph C the caliber Calibre 1518.2 in 18K Rose Gold C with flyback mechanism and large date at 6 o'clock. Like the rest of the Tokyo series, the movement is cased in polished titanium with 18K 6N Gold crown and pushers, with the package measuring 40mm by 10.4mm. Also matching the rest of the Tokyo series is the ruthenium-coated guilloch silver dial with orange pad-printed Arabic numerals. The dial side features a 60-second counter at 9 o'clock and a 60-minute counter at 3 o'clock, both slightly open to see the movement underneath, and the watch has 80 hours of power reserve. There's one other trick to the new Chronographe FB. Instead of the chronograph hand making a revolution in the traditional one minute, it does it in two minutes (necessitating the 60-second counter). The tachymeter scale, therefore, tells the distance based on 1,000m with a scale that graduates from 300 down to 30. The watch will be produced in 200 pieces. The price: CHF 90,000. What We Think After visiting F.P. Journe's manufacturing facilities earlier this year, I have a newfound appreciation for the brand. When I first saw this new Chronographe FB, I had mixed feelings. The Tokyo Boutique Anniversaire Series is a fitting tribute to Journe's first boutique, with several of the brand's iconic pieces released in the red, grey, gold, and white combination. This series started with a Chronome?tre Souverain (20 pieces) in 2005, then a Chronome?tre a? Re?sonance in 2006 (12 pieces). Next was the Tourbillon Souverain in 2007 (20 pieces) and the Octa Perpe?tuelle in 2009 (99 pieces). Then, in 2016, the brand released a Centigraphe Souverain to celebrate the 10th anniversary of each of its boutiques (with 80 pieces total). So what's the rub for me? I just don't love the colors. Oh well, that's not the end of the world. I've heard from a few Journe collectors that they've thrown their hat in the ring hoping to complete their Tokyo set, which would otherwise be missing this one piece (there is only the potential for 12 full sets in the world), plus many others that want to have the only manually-wound single chronograph from F.P. Journe (thus far). Frankly, the fact that Journe hasn't made a watch like this before might surprise people. A manual chronograph is standard (and often celebrated) fare for most high-end manufactures.? That said, Journe is no stranger to chronographs. The Octa Chronograph was released in 2001, but featured an automatic movement. The Centigraphe Souverain came later, and the LineSport Chronographe Monopoussoir Rattrapante is still near the top of my favorite split-second chronographs. But this new flyback chronograph is the first traditional, manually wound chronograph from F.P. Journe. Unfortunately, for those who don't get one of the 200, the caliber won't be used again in any future watch. The Basics Brand: F.P.JourneModel: Chronographe FBDiameter: 40mmThickness: 10.4mmCase Material: Polished Titanium with 18K 6N Gold crown and pushersDial Color: Ruthenium-coated guilloch Silver dialIndexes: Orange pad-printed Arabic numerals, semi-opened counters, white tachymeter scale; 5N gilt, red lacquered and ivory steel handsLume: NoneWater Resistance: 30 metersStrap/Bracelet: Burgundy alligator leather, 18K 6N Gold folding clasp The Movement Caliber: Calibre 1518.2 in 18K Rose GoldFunctions: Hours, minutes, seconds, flyback chronograph, 60-second counter at 9 o'clock, 60-minute counter at 3 o'clock, Large date at 6 o'clockDiameter: 34.20mmThickness: 5.90mmPower Reserve: 80 hoursWinding: Manual windingFrequency: 3HzJewels: 25Chronometer Certified: No Pricing & Availability Price: CHF 90,000Availability: NowLimited Edition: Yes, 200 pieces and the brand's last limited seriesFor more, click here.