F.P. Journe Octa Reserve de Marche

So you’ve bought a Patek, maybe an Audemars Piguet, a few Rolexes or a Vacheron Constantin. You think you’ve seen it all and are ready to move on to spicier horizons, and then you stumble on F.P. Journe. Arguably the father of the modern independent watchmaking renaissance, Journe has paved the road for countless other small manufactures to make a name for themselves and share their creative eye with the industry. Journe’s legacy truly extends far beyond the watches he’s designed and executed. Leaving school early to study horology, and working in his uncle’s clock repair shop, Journe discovered his knack for all things horology at a young age. Studying the works of Breguet and George Daniels, Journe had an eye for complication and classicism which would go on to influence the look of his later creations. After completing his studies and designing a number of commissioned pieces for private clients, Journe decided to set out on his own crafting wristwatches. Never slacking off, his earliest designs were tourbillons with constant force remontoirs — mechanically sophisticated and extremely difficult to execute. The ambitious young watchmaker was already punching above his weight, and by the time he started his own eponymous brand, collectors were already getting excited about Journe’s promise. The Octa Reserve de Marche, introduced in 2001, was the first watch released with automatic winding and over 120 hours of power reserve. A guilloché dial center, Journe’s own typeface on the dial, and the funky layout of the watch all come together to present a luxurious, but distinctive look. This example is rendered in platinum, spanning 41mm in width and housing an 18K white gold dial featuring all the distinctive features of the Journe design language to obsess over. This piece features a power reserve indicator at 9 o'clock, displaying its impressive 120 hours of power reserve, outsized date at 11 o'clock, and time at 3 o'clock. In actuality, the watch will remain running for closer to 180 hours. Journe only advertised 120 hours because he wanted to display power for the portion of reserve that the watch would maintain extreme timekeeping precision. Fantastic. A chemin de fer minute track encircles the periphery and all hands have been blued — once more calling upon the look of classic Breguet dials. While there’s certainly a lot going on, the dial doesn’t feel cluttered or messy. Actually, it feels pretty damn elegant. Flipping the piece over, this watch has a lovely rose gold movement finished to perfection by Journe's team. While Journe has a number of more complicated offerings, even his simpler designs have his creative flavor undeniably evident with every minute detail. This watch is truly a celebration of the success of independent watchmaking and Journe’s role in perpetuating it.