F.P. Journe Chronomètre Optimum Acquisition

First of all, a big thank you to cmmnsens, Christian, Alex83, CR, CL, TJG, Jay, nafetS, deardorff and those who commented on my earlier post. You have shared valuable insights which I am very appreciative of. I must say even though the decision was already somewhat made, the comments helped give me the last push. I intended on writing a lengthy post on this one but decided against it eventually, and would endeavor to keep it concise and short (I will try! lol).

The portfolio of watches has taken a turn in 2019. I started to deconstruct and rebuild at the same time, doing away with mindless purchases and keeping the stable lean (I only have two wrists). At the end of the day I pursue experiences, and with my love for independents it was a no brainer that Journe would be on my horizon. And now that vessel has docked on my shores.

So I concluded, my worries on Journe’s QC had been overruled by my desire to own his creations. The hunt for the quintessential Journe, well, from a philosophical perspective I feel that watch doesn’t exist; it is a unicorn. Every piece he has made, has been made with purpose. And hence my desire to own each of his reference, even though logic would deter me from that. There is no one answer to what the best Journe is out there. However I’ve made my choice. The first Journe for me would be the one FPJ wanted to make for himself.

The Chronometre Optimum is my first because I like the concept of how it is both simple yet complex at the same time. It has this concept of duality, if you know what I mean. A highly technical time only piece — and that is the main attraction for me here. All I really ever needed in a watch is for it to tell time. That’s it. In a highly functional, precise and aesthetically pleasing to look at manner, the CO is the one for me. I also think longer term down the road, the larger time only subdial fills up a bigger part of the dial and would require less squinting from me when I grow old. A Journe for the ages, I’d say. Furthermore, I really love watching the remontoire spin. The remontoire truly is a lovely attribute/function to have in the watch, and feels as though it is one of the hallmarks for Journe. When I think of Journe, I think of tourbillons, clocks, remontoires, precision, tradition and technical prowess amongst other things. Yes, I think of Journe first when it comes to remontoires not Gronefeld. And that my dear purists, largely sums up why I bought it. It will not be the be all and end all, but the beginning of my journey into F.P. Journe.





Thank you for watching Blessed Sunday to all.

Cheers,
G