Lot 219

F.P. Journe

Tourbillon Souverain

A stunning, extremely rare platinum wristwatch in practically new condition, with tourbillon, remontoire d’egalité, ruthenium-plated covered gold dial and brass movement, produced in a limited edition of only 99 pieces, of which this is the no. 09! With original ebony box and certificate of authenticity, extra 18k white gold deployant clasp, loupe and cleaning cloth

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By designing this exceptional timepiece, François-Paul Journe was able to create a highly complicated, modern wristwatch that is firmly rooted in the traditional skills of watchmaking. The Tourbillon Souverain with remontoir d'egalité was launched in 1999 as the first wristwatch with constant force remontoire. It is a mechanism that regulates variations in the driving force delivered by the mainspring and transmits a constant force to the escapement. The remontoire serves as a kind of buffer to even out the fluctuations in the transmission of power from the gear to the escapement. In combining it with the tourbillon, which compensates the negative effects of gravity, F.P. Journe’s Tourbillon Souverain is a milestone in horological history.
To finance the launch of the watch in 1999, F.P. Journe reverted to Abraham Louis Breguet’s model of souscription watches and offered 20 timepieces in advance to a selected clientele. These wristwatches featured brass movements and handcrafted dials and were the predecessors of the Tourbillon Souverain series production.
This very early example of the Tourbillon Souverain Remontoir d'Egalité, reference T, is marked as no. 09 of the third and last pre-series and dates from 1999, which was the year the model went into serial production. The movement calibre 1493 is made of ruthenium-plated brass with a flat remontoire cock. The dial is signed "Invenit et Fecit / F. P. Journe" und "Remontoir d'Egalité".
Production ran until 2004, when the model was replaced by reference TN (Tourbillon Nouveau) with a gold movement calibre 1403. The design was also extensively updated except for the tourbillon cage, which remained unchanged.
The very early examples such as this reference T model are regarded as milestones in the history of the brand – and will forever delight the collectors worldwide.