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After the
Tourbillon Souverain, the Chronomètre à Résonance and the Octa, it is now
the turn of the Chronomètre Souverain.
Introduced in 2005 and now the most sought-after model in our
collections, the Chronomètre Souverain is a watch with three hands and a
power reserve indicator. Apparently simple in design, but embodying great
mechanical know-how, this timepiece draws its inspiration from
traditional marine chronometers. In the 18th century, the
governments of Great Britain and France sought to dominate the seas. The
two nations offered substantial rewards in order to incite the greatest
horological minds to invent a method that would allow the determination
of longitude at sea. Since the safety of ships and their crews were of
the utmost importance, these mechanical instruments had to be extremely
precise.
The Chronomètre Souverain perpetuates this quest for chronometric
excellence. Constructed in the purest horological tradition, it is
animated by the 18K rose Gold Calibre 1304, which is extra-flat – only 4
mm thick – and manually wound. The two parallel-mounted barrels deliver a
highly linear force to the escapement for over 56 hours.
One telling detail reveals that history: the placement of the power
reserve hand on the dial at 3 o’clock is a rare occurrence in horology,
for that position interferes with the time-setting mechanism operated by
the crown. The choice was inspired by marine chronometers, which measured
the time elapsed since the last winding. Conventional displays, however,
indicate the remaining power reserve. Here that scale is reversed: it
stands at “0” when the springs are fully wound and progresses as they
unwind.
In order to create a slim and elegant watch, I rethought the power
reserve mechanism, reducing its thickness by more than half to achieve a
mere 0.5 mm through the use of ceramic ball bearings, a patented
innovation.
In celebration of this 20th anniversary, F.P.Journe announces
the Chronomètre Souverain Collection Boutique, with two blue guilloché
Silver dials, exclusively available in F.P.Journe Boutiques and Espaces.
Yours sincerely,
François-Paul
Journe
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