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Results for Journe Elegante

635 articles · 4 videos found · page 1 of 22

A Unique F.P. Journe Élégante for Geneva’s MAMCO Art Museum SJX Watches
Patek Philippe Museum Sep 6, 2024

A Unique F.P. Journe Élégante for Geneva’s MAMCO Art Museum

Continuing with its regular support for various charities around the world, F.P. Journe has created the Élégante 48 mm Titalyt MAMCO that will be sold to benefit the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art of Geneva (MAMCO) on September 18, 2024. It’s essentially a variation of the stock Élégante with an engraved bezel and a reproduction of Maurizio Nannucci’s 1994 Art on the dial. While the watch is simple, the number will be big. As an example, the one-off Élégante 48 “Pink” raised over US$400,000 for American breast cancer charity in February this year. MAMCO 30 F.P. Journe has long been a supporter of MAMCO via its sponsorship of the Prix Solo at artgenève, an annual art fair organised by the museum. The one-off Élégante was conceived to raise funds for MAMCO’s renovation, which is part of the institution’s 30th anniversary commemoration this year. Founded in 1994 by a group of prominent bankers and lawyers, MAMCO is Switzerland’s largest museum dedicated to contemporary art. Located in a former factory, MAMCO sits across from the Patek Philippe Museum, and a five minute’s walk from F.P. Journe’s manufacture. The Élégante MAMCO is the larger size of the model, measuring 48 mm lengthwise. It has a titanium case coated in Titalyt, which is essentially a ceramic layer created via chemical oxidation. The case is identical to that on the standard model, save for the bezel that is engraved with “MAMCO” and “30”, a reference to the museum...

Hands On: F.P. Journe Élégante “Gino’s Dream” SJX Watches
Patek Philippe Aquanaut minute repeater Jul 9, 2024

Hands On: F.P. Journe Élégante “Gino’s Dream”

Now a legend in his own time, François-Paul Journe is an independent watchmaker who has created some of the most complicated and most ingenious timepieces in contemporary watchmaking. But having quietly previewed it last year, Mr Journe finally launched a watch that is, on its face, surprising for his brand: the Élégante Gino’s Dream. Many brands have “rainbow” watches in their catalogues, but as is always the case with Mr Journe, his “rainbow” creation is done his own inimitable way. Based on his inventive quartz watch, the Élégante Gino’s Dream is set with synthetic gemstones of glass-ceramic composite. The colours and model name are a tribute to the late Gino Cukrowicz (1959-2021), one of Mr Journe’s best friends and a longtime business partner. Initial thoughts With the popularity – and value – of “rainbow” watches, it seems like every watch brand has one in its line-up, from the Patek Philippe Aquanaut minute repeater in rainbow stones from end to end to Tudor’s special edition for the VCARB Formula 1 team. So an F.P. Journe in those colours isn’t surprising, yet the Élégante “Gino’s Dream” is unexpected. As with much he has done, Mr Journe didn’t do a “rainbow” like anyone else. Instead of an exceptionally expensive gem-set watch – a favoured approach as a sure way to increase revenue without boosting production – he created something entry-level, more or less. And the watch has a deeply personal aspect to it – Gino...

F.P. Journe Creates Unique Élégante Titalyt “Pink” for Charity SJX Watches
F.P. Journe Creates Unique Élégante Titalyt Feb 24, 2024

F.P. Journe Creates Unique Élégante Titalyt “Pink” for Charity

F.P. Journe has just unveiled a unique version of its bestselling quartz sports watch that will be sold to benefit the Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF), an American non-profit that raises funds for medical research. The Élégante Titalyt “Pink” is based on the large 48 mm model with an oxide-coated titanium case. Making it unique is the hour numeral “1” in pink, a detail that is matched by a pink rubber strap. Introduced a decade ago, the Élégante is F.P. Journe’s take on a fuss-free sports watch. Although the Tortue case is historically inspired – and also identical to the case of the Vagabondage models – the Élégante is equipped with the brand’s only quartz movement. Developed in-house, the cal. 1210 features a motion detector that activates “sleep” mode. If the watch is stationary for 35 minutes, the movement goes into hibernation and the hands freeze but the movement continues to keep time. Once the watch is picked up, the hands will travel to show the correct time.  In normal time-telling mode the Élégante will run for eight to ten years on a fresh battery, and in “sleep” mode a battery lasts up to 18 years. The quartz movement of the Élégante has red gold tracks on the circuit board, a reference to the red gold bridges and plates in the brand’s mechanical movements All of the proceeds from the sale of the watch will go to the BCRF. Conducted by Phillips, the auction will take place at a private event on Miami on March 2, h...

F.P. Journe Remembers a Friend with Élégante Gino’s Dream SJX Watches
F.P. Journe Remembers Apr 8, 2024

F.P. Journe Remembers a Friend with Élégante Gino’s Dream

A longtime friend of François-Paul Journe, Gino Cukrowicz (1959-2021) was also one of the watchmaker’s earliest supporters, having been a shareholder in the company since almost the beginning. To remember his departed friend, Mr Journe created the Élégante Gino’s Dream, a “rainbow” version of his clever quartz sports watch. A reference to Cukrowicz’s colourful personality, Gino’s Dream is the larger, 48 mm Élégante model with a bezel set with 52 baguette-cut synthetic gemstones of glass-ceramic. Apart from commemorating Cukrowicz, Gino’s Dream also serves as the 10th anniversary special edition of the Élégante. François-Paul Journe and Gino Cukrowicz in 2003 at the opening of the brand’s Tokyo boutique Initial thoughts A personality with a capital “P”, Cukrowicz was almost inseparable from Mr Journe. The rainbow Élégante is a perfect tribute that captures the man. Beyond the personal significance of the watch, Gino’s Dream is also a perfect addition to the line. Both fun and interesting without being too expensive – availability is another matter – Gino’s Dream continues with the colourful, casual, and affordable focus of the Élégante collection. Rainbow memories Gino’s Dream is a variant of the Élégante with 52 baguette-cut rainbow stones on the bezel. Instead of natural gemstones, the stones are glass-ceramic, a clear, polycrystalline material that can be used to simulate natural gemstones. As a result, Gino’s Dream is more a...

Business News: Movado Selling Ebel To F.P. Journe And Chanel In Deal Heralding Comeback Of Once Mighty Swiss Brand Hodinkee
F.P. Journe Oct 9, 2026

Business News: Movado Selling Ebel To F.P. Journe And Chanel In Deal Heralding Comeback Of Once Mighty Swiss Brand

Ebel, once one of the most successful and top-selling Swiss watch brands, which has fallen into relative obscurity under the ownership of Movado Group, is being sold to a consortium of high-profile buyers, including François-Paul Journe and Chanel, who plan to revive the Ebel marque with hopes of returning it to its former glory.  Vintage Ebel chronographs. Photo courtesy of Phillips; credit: James Kong.  Movado Group, Inc. says it entered into a binding agreement to sell a 95% interest in the Ebel brand for $66.5 million to a strategic buyer group led by Geneva-based Montres Journe SA, with the participation of French luxury house Chanel and Pierre Jacques, a long-time industry executive. Jacques, who previously headed De Bethune for more than a decade, will take over as CEO of Ebel while Movado, with shares publicly listed on the New York Stock Exchange, which purchased the brand from LVMH in 2004, will retain a 5% stake in the business when the deal is completed, the parties said in a statement. The agreement underscores the growing business interest in reviving faded luxury Swiss watch brands once revered by watch consumers. Breitling paid more than CHF 60 million to acquire the Universal Genève brand and archives and relaunched it as a high-end luxury marque earlier this year. Ebel was once a major player in the industry, thriving during the quartz crisis era of the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s under Pierre-Alain Blum, a third-generation leader of the family-owned busi...

Chanel & F.P.Journe acquire 95% stake in Ebel in US$66.5M deal Time+Tide
F.P. Journe will look Oct 9, 2026

Chanel & F.P.Journe acquire 95% stake in Ebel in US$66.5M deal

The House of Brands is looking to restore Gallet and Universal Genéve to their former glory; Kari Voutilainen and Alex Rosenfield relaunched Urban Jürgensen; and now Chanel and F.P. Journe will look to revitalise another cult classic watchmaker: Ebel.   View this post on Instagram   A post shared by Pierre Jacques (@pierre_jacques1) Earlier today, … Continued

Breaking News: F.P. Journe, Chanel Acquire 95% of Ebel for US$66.5 Million SJX Watches
F.P. Journe Chanel Acquire 95% Oct 8, 2026

Breaking News: F.P. Journe, Chanel Acquire 95% of Ebel for US$66.5 Million

In a surprise move, a consortium led by Montres Journe and comprising Chanel and Pierre Jacques, the former chief executive of De Bethune, has acquired Ebel from its longtime American owners, the Movado Group. According to the deal announcement, the consortium is buying 95% of Ebel for US$66.5 million, with the remaining shares to be retained by Movado. The three-party consortium evidently brings different skills to the table, including the financial firepower of Chanel, the watchmaking know-how of François-Paul Journe, and the operational and managerial expertise of Mr Jacques. Movado, on the other hand, might be relieved to have unloaded Ebel, which it unsuccessfully tried to revive over its two decades of ownership. From left: François-Paul Journe, Efraim Grinberg of Movado, Frédéric Grangié of Chanel, and Pierre Jacques. Image – Pierre Jacques Once a high flying brand that was one of the biggest in Switzerland during its 1980s and 1990s heyday, Ebel was famous for its Sport Classique, often nicknamed “wave”, which featured integrated bracelets resembling a wave. Launched in 1977, the model launched Ebel into the stratosphere, with its workforce growing 15 times and revenue reaching nine figures. Ebel was led during this time by Pierre-Alain Blum, grandson of its founders and a shrewd marketer. In the year just after the Quartz Crisis, Ebel was a luxury giant. Amongst the indicators of Ebel’s success and scale during this period: Cartier turned to Ebel to p...

F.P. Journe Supports Paris Brain Institute with Unique Chronomètre Furtif SJX Watches
F.P. Journe Supports Paris Brain Institute Sep 18, 2026

F.P. Journe Supports Paris Brain Institute with Unique Chronomètre Furtif

Having recently unveiled a unique burgundy chronograph to benefit the Fondation Prince Albert II De Monaco, F.P. Journe is back with the unique Chronomètre Furtif ICM that will be auctioned later this month to support the work of the Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle épinièhe (ICM), better known internationally as the Paris Brain Institute. The black enamel dial of the CF ICM. Image – F.P. Journe Initial thoughts F.P. Journe is a watchmaker at the height of its market influence, so its nice to see the brand use its considerable power to continue its longstanding practice of contributing to worthwhile causes. ICM was founded by former FIA president Jean Todt, a longtime friend of François-Paul Journe who also informed the concept behind the Centigraphe. The unique Centigraphe from 2016 featured a blue mother-of-pearl dial with the ICM logo at 12 o’clock. Image – F.P. Journe The Geneva-based watchmaker was the ICM’s first private donor, and has contributed significantly over the past two decades. The brand’s first contributions arrived in 2004 by way of a trio of unique Vagabondage watches auctioned by Antiquorum. The three lots hammered for between CHF63,250 and CHF80,500, with all proceeds going to ICM. A unique Centigraphe was produced for the charity in 2016, when it hammered for the equivalent of about US$136,000 at the time. An impressive sum for that era, but a number that highlights just how much demand for independent watchmaking — and F.P. Journe ...

F.P. Journe Supports Brain Research with Unique Chronomètre Furtif SJX Watches
F.P. Journe Supports Brain Research Sep 18, 2026

F.P. Journe Supports Brain Research with Unique Chronomètre Furtif

Having recently unveiled a unique burgundy chronograph to benefit the Fondation Prince Albert II De Monaco, F.P. Journe is back with the unique Chronomètre Furtif ICM that will be auctioned later this month to support the work of the Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle épinièhe (ICM), better known internationally as the Paris Brain Institute. The black enamel dial of the CF ICM. Image – F.P. Journe Initial thoughts F.P. Journe is a watchmaker at the height of its market influence, so its nice to see the brand use its considerable power to continue its longstanding practice of contributing to worthwhile causes. ICM was founded by former FIA president Jean Todt, a longtime friend of François-Paul Journe who also informed the concept behind the Centigraphe. The unique Centigraphe from 2016 featured a blue mother-of-pearl dial with the ICM logo at 12 o’clock. Image – F.P. Journe The Geneva-based watchmaker was the ICM’s first private donor, and has contributed significantly over the past two decades. The brand’s first contributions arrived in 2004 by way of a trio of unique Vagabondage watches auctioned by Antiquorum. The three lots hammered for between CHF63,250 and CHF80,500, with all proceeds going to ICM. A unique Centigraphe was produced for the charity in 2016, when it hammered for the equivalent of about US$136,000 at the time. An impressive sum for that era, but a number that highlights just how much demand for independent watchmaking — and F.P. Journe ...

F.P. Journe Unveils Unique Chronographe to Benefit Monaco Charity SJX Watches
F.P. Journe Unveils Unique Chronographe Sep 7, 2026

F.P. Journe Unveils Unique Chronographe to Benefit Monaco Charity

F.P. Journe and H.S.H. Prince Albert II of Monaco have announced the creation of the one-off Chronographe Fondation Prince Albert II De Monaco for the monarch’s upcoming charity auction. The Chronographe Fondation evolves the movement architecture of the Chronographe FB and adds the burgundy-and-bone livery that has become a calling card of the brand’s support for the Monaco-based charity. H.S.H. Prince Albert II of Monaco and François-Paul Journe. Image – F.P. Journe Initial thoughts The design is undeniably busy with a mix contrasting colours and fonts. Yet taste is almost beside the point, since rare F.P. Journe watches with striking dials are amongst the hottest watches in the world at the moment. It also arrives amid sustained demand for unique watches created for charity. While unlikely to match the expected result of the Rolex Daytona “Four Seasons” set, it combines several proven ingredients that should supercharge its value. Stylistically, the watch is consistent with F.P. Journe’s three prior creations for the Foundation: the 2018 Chronographe Rattrapante, the Chronomètre Optimum of 2022, and the Chronomètre à Résonance of 2024. The latter hammered for US$2.98 million, setting a lofty precedent. The similar Chronographe FB retailed for CHF90,000 in 2024, but this point of reference is purely academic — uniqueness and charity will determine the result, and the Resonance result suggests both can overwhelm any conventional sense of value. Burgundy...

Auctions: Auction House Phillips Walks Back Claim Early Résonance Delivered in 1999 After F.P. Journe Statement Hodinkee
F.P. Journe Statement Auction house Phillips Aug 31, 2026

Auctions: Auction House Phillips Walks Back Claim Early Résonance Delivered in 1999 After F.P. Journe Statement

Auction house Phillips has walked back and corrected a claim that an early, pre-production Chronmètre à Résonance watch, set to come up for sale in November, was delivered in 1999 after the watchmaker F.P. Journe said it arrived the next year and wasn't the first example of the reference sent to a customer.  "We stand corrected thanks to François-Paul Journe," Phillips said in an Instagram post.  "The "Pre-Production" Chronomètre à Résonance 022/99 to be offered by Phillips in Association with Bacs & Russo on November 7-8 was not delivered in 1999 as we originally believed. Thanks to F.P.Journe we now know the watch was actually delivered on 8 June, 2000," the auction house added.  The Phillips correction followed the publication of a letter signed by F.P. Journe that disputed Phillips' claim that the watch with serial number 022/99 was likely one of the first Résonance watches commercially sold and delivered. In announcing the sale of the watch, which will hit the auction block in November in Geneva, Phillips had said the consignor and original owner of the watch had taken delivery of the piece in 1999. The auction house also suggested in a press release that the watch could be one of, if not the first, commercially delivered examples of the Résonance, often heralded as the signature watch from the French watchmaker. Phillips did not say it had confirmed that the watch was the first of the reference commercially delivered.  In the letter titled "Correction," ...

Auctions: Phillips Announces Sale Of A Pre-Production  F.P. Journe Chronomètre à Résonance In November Hodinkee
F.P. Journe Chronomètre à Résonance Jul 17, 2026

Auctions: Phillips Announces Sale Of A Pre-Production  F.P. Journe Chronomètre à Résonance In November

Here we go again. It's been a blue ribbon auction year so far, particularly for rare examples of timepieces from independents, including F.P. Journe. During a record-setting spring auction season marked by a stunning shift in valuations and collector interest in top-notch independent watchmakers, an early Chronomètre à Résonance (no. 007) fetched a record $13.9 million, making it the most expensive F.P. Journe watch ever sold at auction and the fifth most expensive watch of all time.  Mark wrote up a great piece on the record-breaking result that dives deep into the history of the Résonance and why it's such an important achievement in haute horology, and why it is François-Paul Journe's signature watch. With the prototype produced in 1998, and with 'Souscription' commercial pieces produced and delivered beginning in 2000, Journe's Chronomètre à Résonance marks the first time that the concept of "résonance," combining two movements with separate balances into a single case and bringing them into perfect synchronization, was brought to a wristwatch. For many collectors, the model represents the ultimate expression of Journe's vision and talent as a watchmaker. Just 20 'Souscription' pieces—offered to those who bought Journe's first watch, a tourbillon—were produced, and collectors have come to covet the series, with the earliest watches fetching a premium. When it comes to the Résonance, the earlier the better, it seems. That's why it's newsworthy and worth ...

Home-Made Grande Sonnerie Wins 2026 F.P. Journe Young Talent Competition SJX Watches
F.P. Journe Young Talent Competition Shin Apr 27, 2026

Home-Made Grande Sonnerie Wins 2026 F.P. Journe Young Talent Competition

Shin Ohno is the winner of the 12th F.P. Journe Young Talent Competition. The young Japanese watchmaker clinched the prize with the Fuyu-Geshiki, a small grande et petite sonnerie tourbillon clock inspired by the winter landscape of Nagano, a northern prefecture of Japan. Made by one man with a watchmaker’s lathe, desktop CNC mill, and not a lot of sleep, the ebony-cased timepiece is one of the most impressive works produced by the competition yet. From Nagano Mr Ohno describes Nagano as “defined by the purity of its air, by the flow of spring water, and by melting snow”. It is also the heart of Japan’s watch industry, boasting the country’s largest movement assembly plant (Citizen’s Saku plant) and is home to Mr Ohno’s employer — Seiko Epson. Specifically, Mr Ohno works as an engineer within the company’s watch division, but it should be noted that this timepiece is entirely unrelated to the (now discontinued) Credor Spring Drive Sonnerie and Credor Minute Repeater. Mr Ohno designed the movement from the ground up, citing the creative works of past winner Norifumi Seki and Masahiro Kikuno as key inspirations. A closer look at the tourbillon cage. The teeth are polished to catch the light like slick stones. While he learned how to design watch parts at his day job, it was someone else’s job to manufacture them. With the Fuyu-Geshiki, Mr Ohno had to master production as well as design. He cites his colleague, master watchmaker Ikukiyo Komatsu, as a mento...

Insight: F.P. Journe Répétition Souveraine Smoked Sapphire SJX Watches
F.P. Journe Répétition Souveraine Smoked Sapphire Dec 16, 2025

Insight: F.P. Journe Répétition Souveraine Smoked Sapphire

The Répétition Souveraine is one of the more unusual minute repeaters on the market, combining classical inspiration with an idiosyncratic technical approach that is unmistakably F.P. Journe. Based on the familiar architecture of the Chronomètre Souverain yet fundamentally reworked to accommodate a striking mechanism, it is neither a conventional integrated repeater nor a simple modular add-on. Launched in 2008 with a conventional dial and briefly the thinnest contemporary minute repeater on the market, the latest iteration of the Répétition Souveraine reveals its workings through a smoked sapphire dial, offering a direct view of its flat gongs and strike train while underscoring François-Paul Journe’s distinctive philosophy of clarity, compactness, and mechanical logic. This is our third encounter with the Répétition Souveraine, having already covered the silver-dial variant and the elusive “Black Label” edition. Almost modular Most independents – and many large brands – rely on a handful of external specialists like Le Cercle des Horlogers or decades-old ebauche stocks for their repeaters. As a result, most repeaters take the same, time-tested, approach with only a few exceptions. Most are integrated designs that put the repeater train, hammers, and gongs on the same level as the rest of the movement. The rejuvenation of mechanical matchmaking during the 1980s and 1990s brought with it demand for systems that brands could add to existing movements. Amo...