Following up on the success of the prototype Astronomic Souveraine at the Only Watch charity auction, F.P. Journe presents the final version, a highly complicated timepiece with 18 different functions and complications dedicated to the contemplation of the stars. The grand complication Astronomic Souveraine, unveiled two days ago in Tokyo, features a stainless steel case with tourbillon and minute repeater functions. Above everything, the new model is a tool for the observation of the stars, inspired by a sketch made fifteen years ago by François-Paul Journe’s son, Charls. Six years in the making, and the highly complicated Astronomic Souveraine was born.
The Astronomic Souveraine has a manual-wind calibre that allows for more functions. The design is inspired by a pocket watch with planetarium made by F.P. Journe in 1987, for an anonymous collector of scientific objects. The new astronomic watch retains some of the core functions of the original - such as the mean time and sidereal time, the equation of time, a full calendar, and power reserve – while revealing a contemporary, distinctive personality.
The watch runs on 40 hours of power reserve, supplied by a double barrel system. Furthermore, the tourbillon with remontoir d’égalité, a device used to provide constant force to the escapement, guarantees its perfect isochronism.
All 18 complications are powered by a brand new 18-karat rose gold movement, Calibre 1619. Manually wound with 34 turns of the crown, the movement is finely decorated. On the white gold dial there are sub-dials with clou de Paris decoration, the moon phases with hyper-realistic moon replicated from a NASA photograph, the mean time dial with a blued hand for a second time zone, a sidereal time dial at 9 o’clock… The mean time seconds are shown on a disc next to it, while between the two is the 40-hour power reserve indicator. At 12 o’clock is a sunrise and sunset indicator equipped with metal shutters for lengthening or shortening the duration of the days. The reverse side of the watch shows the equation of time and a full annual calendar encircled by the signs of the zodiac. A sapphire crystal allows the wearer to admire the secret workings of the tourbillon.
In addition, the 758-component movement also strikes the hours, the quarters, and the minutes on demand. Although it powers 18 different functions, the movement is compact enough to fit into a case that is no bigger than 44 mm in diameter and 13.80 mm in height. The complexity of the watch, however, poses one limitation: only a few of these watches can be produced per year.
The new F.P. Journe Astronomic Souveraine is priced at 885,000 CHF (Swiss francs.) For more information, please visit fpjourne.com.
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