F.P. Journe Octa Lune: The Impact of Strap Choices and Spring Bar Quality

Key Points from the Discussion

• The spring bars supplied with A Collected Man (ACM) straps for F.P. Journe watches were identified as problematic, being slightly too short or having design deviations that led to rattling and insecure fitting, posing a risk of the watch detaching.
• A Collected Man (ACM) acknowledged the spring bar issue with their 20x19 curved straps, apologizing for inconsistencies in quality due to hand-finishing and confirming they removed the problematic straps from sale while seeking improved solutions.
• One solution for ACM strap owners was to replace the supplied spring bars with genuine F.P. Journe spring bars, which are slightly longer and provide a more secure, rattle-free fit, despite F.P. Journe not typically selling spring bars separately.
• For precious metal watches, using steel spring bars can cause wear on the softer gold or platinum lug holes over time, a concern that leads brands like Patek Philippe to use gold spring bars for their precious metal cases to mitigate wear.
• Despite the concern for precious metal cases, F.P. Journe confirmed that the spring bars included with their watches are standard stainless steel and do not have special coatings or 'softness,' contrasting with Patek Philippe's use of white gold spring bars for their precious metal watches.
• The original author, Sgfortino, expressed appreciation for ACM's transparent acknowledgment of the issue and their commitment to developing more stable strap versions, highlighting the community's value in identifying and resolving product concerns.