Exploring the F.P. Journe Chronomètre Souverain 20th Anniversary, and What it Means (Incl. Video)

François-Paul Journe, a talented watchmaker and the founder of the brand F.P. Journe, is mostly known for his Tourbillon Remontoire d’Egalité – it was his first watch – and his take on the resonance phenomenon. We can also mention the Octa, his automatic watch introduced in 2001, and, of course, the fantastic Chronomètre Bleu. But when surveying his career, we certainly need to have a closer look at a more discreet watch, the Chronomètre Souverain. It’s a watch that must not be overlooked, as it is probably as important, if not as complicated, as the models I mentioned above. This year, the Chronomètre Souverain celebrates its 20th anniversary, and we’re taking a closer look at this almost unchanged icon of indie watchmaking in the recently presented Boutique editions. 

Background

Twenty years ago, in 2005, François-Paul Journe presented a pivotal watch, the Chronomètre Souverain. We must remember the context back then. The independent watchmaking scene simply wasn’t what it is today. Twenty years ago, the CS made quite a sensation. It was novel, exciting, and yet it was a time-only watch. If you look at what indie watchmaking offered two decades ago, the focus was clearly on high complications and unusual displays of the time, not on highly executed time-only models as we see today from ateliers like Raúl Pagès or Petermann Bédat. The trend wasn’t the same, and yet, F.P.Journe decided to launch something different.

Remember that in 2005, the brand was still young (only six years old), and the Chronomètre Souverain had an important mission: to be the brand’s classic dress watch, more accessible than other models, yet retain everything collectors loved about the Tourbillon Souverain. And, after two decades, we must say, mission accomplished!

Even today, the Chronomètre Souverain remains one of the simplest watches of the brand, and it has barely changed – except, of course, the variations of dials and colours. But simple doesn’t mean easy… This watch is a Journe after all, and it has a few secrets. The calibre 1304 inside doesn’t have complex features like a constant-force device, but it’s still technically interesting and has classic F.P. Journe features, such as gold plates, elegance, thinness and symmetry. And of course, there’s the invisible gear train. As indicated by its name, the Chronomètre Souverain and its movement were built with chronometry in mind – even though it’s not officially certified as such. The movement is inspired by antique marine chronometers, with two barrels in parallel, and a refined regulating organ, but more on that later.

The first Chronomètre Souverain wasn’t so different from what it is today. It was already a 40mm watch (there used to be a 38mm version, but it’s no longer available), with a thin 8mm profile, made in platinum or red gold, and a silver dial with a clou de Paris pattern. The movement was also already constructed in gold – there isn’t any version of this watch with a rhodium-plated movement.

Over the years, the watch has evolved only gradually. In 2015, for its 10th anniversary, F.P. Journe introduced embossed gold dials, which later transitioned to silver dials with applied 18k gold numerals. But the classic version with a guilloché silver-toned dial and printed numerals, the one that was launched in 2005, is still available. But let’s now talk about the latest version, the Chronomètre Souverain Boutique Edition with a blue dial.

Classic Chronomètre Souverain Elegance

These new 20th anniversary editions, only available from the brand’s boutiques, are essentially the same as other versions of the Chronomètre Souverain, but with a new colour scheme… And it’s for the best, as this watch has not aged a bit. It is still as elegant and refined as when it was launched.

Available either in platinum or 18k red gold, the case is classic Journe and measures 40mm in diameter. It is quite long at 48.20mm, but there are two things to consider. One, it’s only 8mm thick. Second, its lugs are nicely curved, and the strap has curved spring bars. So all in all, it can be categorised as a dress watch and wears beautifully on the wrist. The case is fully polished, with a domed bezel and the signature crown with a rope-like knurling. It has sapphire crystals on both sides, as you don’t want to miss the view of the movement.

The main upgrade for the 20th anniversary is the dial – and the brand has quite some experience with dial making. First and foremost, it returns to the classic guilloché look, with its base made of solid silver and with a Clou de Paris pattern in the centre. It also comes in an elegant, dark, matte blue colour, which we’ve seen on the Divine and Quantième Perpetuel, as well as special editions in the past. The other improvement comes from the numerals, which are no longer printed but applied and made of polished 18k white or red gold. This adds a new dimension to the dial and a more elaborate look. The hands have the brand’s distinctive shape and are made of steel and rhodium or gold-plated.

More on the dial… One of the elements that made this deceptively simple watch appealing was its non-symmetrical display. Indeed, the two additional indications, the small seconds and the power reserve, are located between 7 and 8 o’clock and at 3 o’clock, respectively. And note the scaled-down markers next to the small seconds to avoid cutting them. Small details, but important ones when it comes to visual balance.

Whether platinum or red gold, the 20th anniversary editions of the Chronomètre Souverain are worn on a blue alligator strap with curved ends and a pin buckle matching the case material.

The In-house Calibre 1304 and its secrets

Now, we need to talk about the movement. This calibre 1304 has a lot to tell, more than you’d expect from a simple time-only hand-wound movement. It remains unchanged since the launch of the model in 2005, with its almost symmetrical layout and its main plate decorated with an engine turned motif. And yes, it is, as you’d expect, mostly made of solid gold.

This movement is clever in its conception, one on the side of chronometry, and second, regarding its layout, as it has a few secrets to tell. As said, it has been constructed around the concept of marine chronometers, with two barrels in parallel – meaning that they unwind simultaneously. The idea here isn’t to lengthen the power reserve, but to deliver a more linear torque to the regulating organ throughout the entire 56-hour duration of the power reserve. The energy is delivered to a four-spoke, free-sprung balance paired with a flat hairspring.

But looking closely at this quite large movement, you’ll notice something impossible… Indeed, there is no mechanical connection between the barrels on one side and the regulator on the other. It’s a visual trick: the going train is actually located on the dial side of the movement to give it more elegance and visual balance.

Another interesting technical feature is the power reserve. The indicator is positioned at 3 o’clock, which would normally interfere with the time-setting mechanism operated by the crown. To maintain a slim profile, a standard construction wasn’t possible, so François-Paul redesigned a new, ultra-thin mechanism with a rack and ceramic ball bearings that only measures 0.5mm. A nod to antique marine chronometers, the scale of the power reserve is reversed, as the zero shows when the springs are fully wound, and the rest of the scale indicates the time elapsed since the last winding.

Last but not least, the calibre 1304 is a beautifully finished movement. It features continuous Geneva stripes on the bridges, engine-turning and perlage on the mainplate and polished chamfers.

Thoughts

These new 20th anniversary editions of the F.P.Journe Chronomètre Souverain show one thing… When something is good, don’t try to change it. Twenty years after its introduction, the CS is as appealing as it was in 2005. It’s a classic that doesn’t get old. It is elegant, it wears beautifully, and its movement, besides being appealing to look at, is more complex than it seems at first sight. And that’s something we love at MONOCHROME. Discreet complications, without the need to shout. And as a final note, these blue dials with their new applied markers really elevate the watch to a higher level. Happy birthday, Chronomètre Souverain… And now on to the next 20 years!

Availability & Price

The F.P.Journe Chronomètre Souverain 20th Anniversary Editions are boutique-only models, available from the brand’s own stores and dedicated spaces. These are not limited and retail for CHF 36,600 in gold and CHF 39,600 in platinum. For more details, please visit www.fpjourne.com.