Comments:
Watchrookie who you credit is a very dear friend of mine, let me play with it just after he took delivery. I believe in early 2023. I don’t know when the rest were delivered. It could have been earlier.
The playful side of F.P. Journe
This is F.P. Journe Octa Lune Manneken Pis, a limited edition of 10 pieces with a 40mm platinum case. According to Luxury Bazar, it was made in 2024, but some of the photos below are from 2023.
credit: @thewatchrookie
credit: Arter architect ou DDGM architectes associés pour coll. Ville de Bruxelles, 2022
credit: Sjx & F.P. Journe
credit: @thewatchrookie
The Manneken Pis (Dutch for 'Little Pissing Man') is a landmark bronze fountain sculpture in central Brussels, Belgium, depicting a ‘puer mingens’ i.e. a naked little boy urinating.
credit: Arter architect ou DDGM architectes associés pour coll. Ville de Bruxelles, 2022
This little boy is replicated multiple times on the watch face:
credit: @thewatchrookie
credit: Arter architect ou DDGM architectes associés pour coll. Ville de Bruxelles, 2022
credit: Wikipedia
credit: Wikipedia
credit: @thewatchrookie
credit: The Journe Guy
Gino Cukrowicz was a joyful, humorous person, never taking himself too seriously.
credit: @thewatchrookie & @shani.watch (last photo only)
F.P. Journe also designed the Élégante Gino's Dream as a tribute to his friend's vibrant temperament (and for the 10th anniversary of the Élégante).
In its fountain environment, the bronze statue is quite small (55.5 cm - 21.9 in) and the naked little boy urinates into the fountain's basin.
credit: Arter architect ou DDGM architectes associés pour coll. Ville de Bruxelles, 2022
Because it was stolen and mistreated several times the original statue from 1619, designed by the Brabantine sculptor Jérôme Duquesnoy the Elder (1570-1641), has been replaced by a replica since 1966 and is kept at the Brussels City Museum.
credit: Wikipedia
The replica displayed in the city is regularly dressed up and its wardrobe consists of around one thousand different costumes.
credit: Wikipedia
So, why did F.P. Journe (or should I say F. Pee Journe?) create such an unusual and playful dial ?
credit: @thewatchrookie
The answer lies in his very close friendship with late Serge (Gino) Cukrowicz (1959-2021), founder of the esteemed Brussels establishment Ginotti, which stood as one of the earliest F. P. Journe retailers circa 1999.
credit: The Journe Guy
Gino Cukrowicz was a joyful, humorous person, never taking himself too seriously.
credit: The Journe Guy
So, the Octa Lune Manneken Pis is an homage to Cukrowicz as well as to Belgian culture, in which humour is also very important.
credit: @thewatchrookie & @shani.watch (last photo only)
F.P. Journe also designed the Élégante Gino's Dream as a tribute to his friend's vibrant temperament (and for the 10th anniversary of the Élégante).
credit: Sjx & F.P. Journe
Thanks for reading.
Best, Emmanuel
Fun FPJ, and the lil boy is lucky... he gets to be by a great motorsports/Ferrari fun store.
Nice to see the fun side of horology.
According to Luxury Bazar, it was made in 2024, but some of the photos above are from 2023.
Here's the Luxury Bazar page: www.luxurybazaar.com
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Best, Emmanuel
Best, Emmanuel
and here I was
secretly expecting you to say that it had been released on Apr 1st ...
Now that’s a truly fun iteration indeed 😊👌🏻👍🏻
Thanks so much for unearthing this one - really like the tongue in cheek attitude of it 😊👍🏻
Only 10 pieces, which have not been advertised at all!
Likely kept for close and meaningful collectors.
Best, Emmanuel
Best, Emmanuel
A pair of scissors? Castrating impulse?
Let the little boy pee in peace, please! ;-)
Best, Emmanuel
Best, Emmanuel
Only 10 were made and, I assume, reserved for very close clients.
Thanks for looking!
Best, Emmanuel
Best, Emmanuel
Thank you Emmanuel for this great post
A really lovely, fun and humorous watch that is also extremely well executed. It has a great effect in that when you see the watch you only see a texture on the dial. It is only when you have a closer look that you discover what the motief is. So in reality, it is less “in your face” than in photographs. Then you take a loupe and discover how extremely well done the engraving is done, even if it is laser engraved.
As you write, it was all thanks to Gino, his larger than life personality. F.P. Himself has a wicked sense of humor. Something not many people are aware of. Gino was Francois Paul’s best and dearest friend and he was also a partner in Montres Journe as he helped get the company off the ground….And he was Belgian, of course 😂
Dearest Emmanuel, Again, thank you for your really wonderful post 🤗
Christian
Thank you so much, dear Christian,
for sharing your knowledge, experience and photos of this unusual and endearing watch!
You are very lucky to have been able to see it in real life and your friend Watchrookie is very lucky to own it!
This watch is a beautiful way to celebrate the memory of a dear friend as well as his joyful way of approaching life.
Best, Emmanuel
My pleasure, Emmanuel
The only reason I didn’t share it was that at the time I was asked not to post it. I didn’t see that he did it himself so Im assuming it’s fine now ☺️ FP And Gino were quite the couple of friends. I heard some very funny stories and I’m sure he would only do something like this for Gino.
It sounds like a great and close friendship!
Of course, if I wasn’t supposed to show these photos (even though they are public on IG), please let me know and I’ll delete the post.