The F.P. Journe Tourbillon Souverain Vertical, One of the Only Tourbillon Wristwatches that Makes Sense

If you’re reading this article and MONOCHROME on a regular basis, you should certainly all about the tourbillon, this device where the regulating organ is placed in a constantly rotating cage, counteracting the negative effect of gravity. But we have to keep in mind that the tourbillon, conceived and patented by Breguet in 1801, was designed for pocket watches, timekeepers spending most of their time vertically in a pocket. But what about tourbillon in wristwatches? Well, it is well known that their relevance remains to be demonstrated, mostly because of how a wristwatch is worn – most of the time in a horizontal position. Enter François-Paul Journe and the Tourbillon Souverain Vertical. And this watch, besides being an absolute mechanical feast, also brings a lot of sense to the tourbillon in a wristwatch. Check our video review to know more!

Gravity affects everything. That’s the law of physics. And, as such, it does affect the regulating organ of a watch, mostly the balance and the hairspring, pulling its weight down towards the centre of planet Earth. Having noted the negative effect of gravity, A.L. Breguet (a genius inventor and one of Journe’s inspirations) developed and patented the tourbillon. By placing the regulating organ in a constantly rotating cage, the effect of gravity in one position was negated by the effect on the next position. And considering that pocket watches were spending most of their time in a vertical position, the concept made a lot of sense. Then came the idea of implementing a tourbillon in a wristwatch – the first attempts date back to the 1930s (Patek and Lip) and the 1940s (Omega). A brilliant idea on paper… But one that isn’t as clever as we’d like it to be.

While the benefits of the tourbillon in a pocket watch positioned vertically are easy to understand, a wristwatch will spend most of its time in a horizontal position (either on a resting wrist, on a bedside table or in a watch box) and, coincidentally, its regulating organ too. But gravity pulls objects down vertically, and at the same time, a single-axis tourbillon rotates on a horizontal plane… See why the whole situation lacks relevance? Of course, multiple-axis tourbillon regulators have been created, and they do a far better job in a wristwatch to counteract gravity. However, when it comes to single-axis versions, meaning most tourbillons on the market, the traditional horizontal position loses its pertinence.

It was this postulate that prompted F.P. Journe decided to update its signature Tourbillon Souverain watch and transform it into the Tourbillon Souverain Vertical. And by watching our video review at the beginning of this article or here on YouTube, you’ll understand why it is one of the few relevant single-axis tourbillon wristwatches on the market! And yes, it is also a spectacular watch, with stunning finishing and classic FPJ looks, as we’ve come to love it.

If you want to dive deeper into the technical side of the F.P. Journe Tourbillon Souverain Vertical, you can also check our in-depth article here. For more details, please visit FPJourne.com.