Amongst the twisting alleys and vertiginous landscape of steamy Hong Kong is an outpost of the 1916 Company, one of the world’s finest retailers of new and pre-owned timepieces. Located at 1 Duddell Street in the city’s Central district, the collector’s lounge was the perfect setting in which to experience a retrospective of F.P. Journe’s high-end output in the form of the Icons of Time World Tour. Brimming with obscure and limited-edition modern references as well as historical pieces, the exhibit proved a riveting experience and a tempting playground for the horologically inclined. Robb Report’s Digital Watch Editor Allen Farmelo and I made our way there following an intriguing second full day at the Dubai Watch Week Horology Forum.
Riding the lift to the fourth floor, we were greeted with a veritable feast of haute horlogerie, replete with the types of timepiece that cause collector’s mouths to drop agape and their eyes to water. The cause of all this fervour, of course, is the creative output of François-Paul Journe, the mad genius of his eponymous maison and widely regarded as one of the world’s most gifted watchmakers. Born in Marseille in 1957, young Journe was attending technical college by the age of 14; by 16, he was crafting his first tourbillon-equipped pocket watch; by 22, he had been commissioned to design a planetarium mechanism for famed retailer Asprey in London. By the time he established his wristwatch brand in 1999, he had been making timepieces for over a quarter century.
Today, an F.P. Journe watch is a coveted good on par with a Porsche 911 Turbo or a bespoke Savile Row suit. Owning one requires capital, patience, and knowledge—knowledge of each watch’s movement, its complications, and what makes it special. Having the opportunity to view entire rows of them in one location is a rare treat, as the brand produces less than 1,000 pieces annually, and made significantly less than that during its early years. From simple time-and-date models within the Classique collection to the mind-blowing technological innovation of the Élégante collection (from which the most expensive quartz watch ever sold derives), Journe’s inventions are idiosyncratic, beautiful, and museum-grade. In short, they’re everything one could hope for in a high-end watch—and much more, besides.
Wile there were dozens of Journe watches on display in Hong Kong, below are the 11 that my comrade-with-camera, Allen Farmelo, gravitated to as he basked in the rare privilege of going hands-on with this incredible gathering of timepieces.
F.P. Journe Octa Zodiaque
F.P. Journe 30 Years Anniversary Tourbillon ref. T30
Chronomètre Holland & Holland
F.P. Journe Chronomètre à Résonance ‘Pre-Souscription’ ref. R
F.P. Journe Tourbillon Souverain Third Generation ref. T
F.P. Journe Chronomètre à Résonance Special Edition for Sincere Fine Watches ref. RN
F.P. Journe Chronomètre à Résonance Ruthenium Collection
F.P. Journe Octa Chronograph Ruthenium Collection
F.P. Journe Chronomètre Souverain ref. CS
F.P. Journe Vagabondge I ref. VBI
