F.P. Journe

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Transitional 38mm RDM

A small but fascinating moment in the history of F.P. Journe — a rare 38mm Réserve de Marche Transitional model from 2005.

Produced for only a very brief window, this piece captures the exact point when the brand was moving from one era to the next. By then, the movement had already transitioned to the 18k rose gold caliber (since late 2004), yet the watch still retained the distinctive brass-era dial design that defined the earliest Journe pieces — including the sharp “hump” over 12 on the stainless, black-polished bezel, along with the beautifully grainy dial texture that is no longer present on newer watches.

By 2006, the shape of the hump above 12 became more gradual — a design that continues into current production — and the characteristic grain of the early dials quietly disappeared as well.

It’s this rare overlap — old soul, new heart — that makes the 2005 transitional examples so special. Subtle details to many, but to collectors they represent a fleeting and meaningful chapter in the story of early independent watchmaking, when one era gently gave way to another.