F.P.JOURNE OCTA LUNE L 38MM 18K PINK GOLD

F.P.JOURNE OCTA LUNE L 38MM 18K PINK GOLD

Name: F.P.JOURNE OCTA LUNE L 38MM 18K PINK GOLD
Brand: F.P.Journe
Price: 265000.0 GBP
Availability: InStock

£265,000

THE ESSENTIALS

MAKE: F.P.JOURNE
MODEL: OCTA LUNE
YEAR: 2007
BOX/PAPERS: YES/YES
CASE DIAMETER: 38MM
CASE MATERIAL: 18K PINK GOLD
MOVEMENT: AUTOMATIC

"Invenit et Fecit" - there are few phrases in the watch world today that raise the heart rate of an enthusiast quite like the words François-Paul Journe first signed on his watches in 1999. Some 30 years later, whilst the vast majority of conversations surrounding Journe revolve around the “market” or auction performance, one simply cannot (and should not) overlook that FPJ was a rare case of someone with immense talent taking a risk and truly “inventing and making” products that went against convention in one of the oldest industries in the world.

Fast forward to today, and F.P.Journe is undoubtedly among the most in-demand brands in the world. It is near impossible for a new client to purchase any of the brand’s latest offerings (all few hundred of them each year), and virtually everything bearing the FPJ name, from watches to decorative wall clocks and souvenirs nowadays..., commands a significant premium on the secondary market. At the same time, there are few watchmakers whose early and later productions show such a clear distinction in both construction and collectibility.

The Beginning

The story began with the Souscription Tourbillon project: a simple idea, thanks to FP’s friend Camille Berthet, to raise funds from a select group of trusted clients before the watch was made, in exchange for a 50% discount on the future retail price. This allowed Journe to manufacture his first 20 watches, housed in 38mm platinum cases and powered by rhodium-plated brass movements. They became the foundation of the brand as we know it today.

FPJ officially announced his eponymous brand at Baselworld in 1999. Following the first serially produced model, the Tourbillon Souverain, the Chronomètre à Résonance followed shortly after, featuring two synchronised mechanical engines that help regulate one another: an invention that has since become synonymous with the watchmaker.

Octa

After one of the greatest one-two punches in modern watchmaking history, F.P.Journe introduced his first automatic calibre, the Octa, with a deceptively simple objective: to maximise precision and autonomy in an automatic wristwatch.

Introduced in 2001, the Octa 1300 calibre was the first automatic movement capable of delivering chronometer precision whilst providing 120 hours of power reserve, thanks in part to a mainspring measuring just 1 mm in width and an astonishing 1 metre in length. Originally featured in the Octa Réserve de Marche, the Octa movement would go on to support a wide range of complications whilst preserving its diameter and thickness entirely, a core principle of Journe’s design philosophy.

Octa Lune

Following the Octa Réserve de Marche, Octa Chronographe (2001), and Octa Calendrier (2002)—which won the Special Jury Prize at the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG) that same year—the Octa Lune was introduced in 2003.

Undoubtedly one of the most romantic watches in the FPJ line-up, the Octa Lune features a date aperture at the top and the familiar off-centre dial on the right displaying hours, minutes, and running seconds, similar to the Octa Réserve de Marche. A smaller power reserve indicator was adopted to make room for the moonphase aperture at the bottom.

Early Octa Lunes feature rhodium-plated brasss movements, save for its bi-directional 22k gold rotor, like other FPJs of the period. They were available only in 38 mm platinum or rose gold cases, paired with yellow gold, white gold, or rose gold dials.

The Octa Lune was awarded the Prix de la Montre Homme at the GPHG in the same year. Two years after its introduction, however, the entire 1300-series movement underwent a major transformation, alongside much of the FPJ catalogue, with 18k rose gold replacing brass as the movement material. As a result, only around 150 first-generation Octa Lunes were ever produced.

Around 2004/05, the full rose gold calibre 1300.2 began to be fitted to the second generation Octa Lune, which also became available for the first time in both 38 mm and 40 mm case sizes. The 1300.2 movement remained in production for only another year or two (accounting for roughly 150 additional examples) before the calibre 1300.3 was introduced, now featuring a unidirectional winding rotor better suited to the less active lifestyles of its owners.

In 2014/15, FPJ introduced a third generation, now simply named the “Lune”, which featured a slightly revised dial design and was available in 40 mm or 42 mm cases. In total, only approximately 800 Octa Lunes ever left the manufacturer.

The present example was one of, if not the very first, Octa Lune to feature the calibre 1300.3 movement according to its serial number. The movement features Côtes de Genève decoration, integrated straight-line lever escapement, and monometallic four-arm balance with four timing weights, adjusted to five positions.

The 1300.3 calibre has since undergone no further modification and continues to power the Lune models today. In Journe’s own words: "This movement is accomplished and requires no further modification because of its almost unreal performance."

The "pink on pink" configuration combines a wonderfully proportioned 38 mm 18k rose gold case with a matching rose gold "salmon" dial, featuring the "Invenit et Fecit" and F.P. Journe signatures at the top, and "Phase de Lune" beside the moonphase display.

There's simply nothing quite like a 38 mm Journe on the wrist.

The Set

The watch is accompanied by its original box, accessories, F.P. Journe alligator strap, warranty documents, and service documents. No more than a handful of this configuration has ever appeared on the market. A fantastic creation from one of the most important watchmakers today.

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