F.P. JOURNE. AN EARLY AND VERY RARE PLATINUM AUTOMATIC FLYBACK CHRONOGRAPH WRISTWATCH WITH BRASS MOVEMENT AND DATE

A prize catch for enthusiasts of the most elusive of F.P. Journe wristwatch models, this awesome platinum Octa Chronographe with pink gold dial provides collectors with the perfect opportunity to obtain one of F.P. Journe’s rarest early pre-2004 brass movement models. Indeed, of the 135 pieces made with brass movements, only 23 examples exhibit exactly the same configuration as the present watch with platinum case, rose gold dial and circular Cotes de Gèneve movement decoration.

Octa Chronographe
The Octa Chronographe was produced in very small numbers and is one of the most intriguing of François-Paul Journe’s early series wristwatches, with only 313 examples ever made across all production. The present watch is particularly rare as part of the early ‘brass movement’ era watches and a model that is hardly ever seen at auction. Technically brilliant, the Octa Chronographe uses the same caliber 1300 as other Octa models but is fitted with an integrated stopwatch mechanism on the dial plate. This allowed the Chronographe to be the same height as other Octa models, a quite remarkable achievement. The Octa Chronographe was replaced by the ‘Centigraphe’ in 2008.