Tête-à-tête with F.P. Journe, one of the best watchmakers of our time

The master unveils his dreams and latest projects

Thank you Mr. Journe for being with us today.

All our readers know about François-Paul Journe (with no doubt one of the best watchmakers of our era) for his creations, starting from the Chronometre a Resonance, the Tourbillon Souverain, Centigraphe, Optimum, and of course the distinctive Vagabondage Series, that reached its third chapter with the Vagabondage 3 this year.

 

But who is the man behind these incredible creations?

At watchmaking school in Marseille, I was really enjoying working on mechanisms. My only problem was that I was finishing the work very quickly and therefore I was  disturbing the class. I was excluded from the school and I went to the watchmaking school in Paris to finish my studies. I really realize the potential of creativity and satisfaction I could get, when I worked in my uncle workshop – when I wasn’t having class – a very famous restorer in antique horology – in Saint-Germain-des-Prés !

I discover the intellectual process of brilliant minds from 18th century such as Antide Janvier, Abraham Louis Breguet, Ferdinand Berthoud and few others, getting in the heart of their creations, I was amazed to see what they have done with the very limited tools they had at that time. Chronometry was a serious concern at that time ! Watchmakers were considered like scientists, today we call watchmaker a person who can change a battery…

I really became a constructor in chronometric mechanisms at the age of 25, when I finished my first – all handmade- pocket watch with tourbillon and remontoire. I started at the age of 20 and it took me 5 years in my spare time and weekends. You don’t learn this to watchmaking school…”

Each component was made entirely by hand and it took 5 years of all my free time. When it was completed, collectors asked me to do another watch for them and I never stopped since then.

I then crafted unique objects such as Pendules Sympathique, astronomical pocket watches or planetarium, but each made again entirely by hand took at least a year each.

And working with my uncle as curator of the Musée des Art et Métiers in Paris, allowed me to see the most beautiful watches and clocks made by the most extraordinary watch masters. I was never the same afterward and this is probably why I have a different approach and a vast respect of the haute horology tradition which I am defending with my life.

I then received requests from prestigious watch companies in Switzerland to develop movements with complications for them. At the time, watch companies did not have a constructor in-house and called upon independent constructors. But I wanted to create my own brand, with a collection of haute horology precision chronometers that would respect the fundamental principles of haute horology. You know the rest…

Many talented watchmakers spend their lives producing movements and watches for third parties, why did you find the need to create your own brand?

Everything I was constructing, scientific objects and unique timepieces from my atelier in Paris and afterwards complicated movements for Swiss prestigious watch brands in Switzerland was disappearing when I was delivering them. As they had a lot of success, I wanted to produce contemporary haute horology under my name.

Can you tell us how did you finance your brand at the beginning?

When I started, I used the system of subscription for my clients, they were paying 50% of the price in advance, funds that gave me the possibility to finance my work, and the rest was paid at delivery. Every franc was automatically reinvested in my work. When I opened my fist atelier in Switzerland, I made a loan with a bank and I continued to reinvest every franc I made. Little by little, I was able to reimburse the loan.

Beside his atelier, F.P.Journe owns two other manufactures in Geneva: Boitiers de Geneve and Cadraniers de Geneve, respectively producing cases and dials. Almost 100% of the production is entirely in house. Can you tell us more about it?

Independence is part of my genes and it is non-negotiable. I could not work otherwise and this why I wanted to set up my own independent manufacture. I thus keep a total freedom of creation without having to render accounts to financial pressure. I can produce the watches I like and the watches I believe are genuine high horology watches, with the most skilful craftsmanship, combined with the use of modern technologies. As independent, we have a knack for creativity, this is the advantage of small companies.

Many of the challenges I set for myself would be difficult to achieve if I depended on large financial groups. When I create a new calibre, I can modify components as I please in no time as they are made in our Manufacture and I don’t have to depend on a supplier. It goes the same for the production of our dials and cases dials which gives no limits to our creativity. We are producing today 95% of our own components, case and dial included.

I can also be proud of being the only manufacturer that makes its movement in solid 18-carat rose gold, which is even harder than brass. If I only make the same things as everyone else, why bother making them?

For collectors, it is an invaluable quality guaranteeing innovative creations with impeccable finishing of haute horology and great precision. Collectors are not mistaken and know we produce exceptional watches with haute horology movement that only a few companies can produce today, furthermore in limited production guaranteeing their intrinsic values for the collectors.

Even though the brand evolved during the years you kept a limited production, and you are not launching tons of products every year like everybody else. Can you tell us why and what is your goal?

As we are independent, our goal is not produce more timepieces every year to please our shareholders but to continue producing exceptional and innovative timepieces in the respect of haute horology traditions. We are making art, we are making a small quantity of watches. We are not a big brand that has to make big quantities to get results. We are very small, we make unique pieces and we will always have a market.

During the 2016-2017 economic crisis, the surplus of production in industrial watchmaking has put pressure on prices. Wanting to please their shareholders, industrial watch companies had overstocked their retailers to show profits at the end of the year. Not being able to sell this surplus, major brands were heavily discounting their watches resulting in strongly unhappy clients whose watches has lost half of their value.

Through these difficult times, and with our yearly limited production of 900 watches, F.P.Journe could maintain its strength and the authentic value of our watches without promoting any discount in our Boutiques.

F.P.Journe is protecting its brand and its legitimacy, as well as the value of its client’s watches.

What is your creation process ? Do you use a repetitive scheme?

On the contrary to others, I always start the creation of my watches with the dial. I am paying for looks with mechanical ingenuity. Placing the power-reserve indicator in its least favourable position on the dial meant its mechanism had to co-exist with the winding apparatus.

I always envision a watch for imaginary collector, but I must also be able to wear it with satisfaction. The type of model is motivated by an envy, an idea, and a need in the collection. But I do not construct a watch if it doesn’t bring anything original to the history of watchmaking.

Projects and developments remain my property; I initiate and define them 100% including the reliability before giving it to one of my watchmakers.

What part of your job do you love the most?

The creation of course, I am a watch constructor above all. For all other aspect of the company, I surround myself with the best each in their own field and together we can achieve this exquisite and limited haute horology production.

Are you still finding time to restore old clocks?

No I don’t really have the time to do that anymore. But if someone brings me an ancient clock, I know exactly how to repair it.

Tell us more about Antide Janvier and Abraham-Louis Breguet and how their work inspired you.

They are 2 of the greatest master and brilliant minds from the 18th century, beginning of the 19th century. Chronometry was a serious concern at that time, watchmakers were considered like scientists.

Their innovations do not need to be reminded, A.L. Breguet being the inventor of the tourbillon, my fascination since my horology beginnings, amongst other innovations, while Antide Janvier conducted these extensive researches about the Resonance phenomenon, another of my fascination. I am the only contemporary watchmaker who pursued Janvier’s researches on this phenomenon and I created the first wristwatch with the Resonance phenomenon. They are my motto and my only desire is to follow on their footstep and continue creating exceptional time objects like them, in the respect of the haute horology tradition, with an acute sense of innovation and search for precision.

Should they be alive today, my dream would be that they told me while seated at a table for dinner: François-Paul, please come and join us, you one of us…

I heard the Vagabondage 3 will be the end of the Vagabondage series, is it true? And if so, why have you decided on a trilogy and not a continuation of the successful series?

Yes it is true. When I constructed the first Vagabondage, I had decided it would be a trilogy each featuring a digital indication. For the last one, the only digital indication that was missing was the second, and no one had done it before because it was too complicated and needing too much energy.

I solved the problem using a one second remontoire that did the trick.

Can you say something about your future projects?

Continue to create exceptional and innovative watches that genuinely bring something to the history of horology and in the respect of the haute horology traditions. I have constructed a unique Chronograph Monopoussoir Rattrapante developed exclusively for Only Watch and we are the only watch company to develop an exclusive calibre for a unique piece in favor of a charity auctin. Other are only producing a specific dial or a specific case.

Even though it will never appear as such in our collection, I have developed a specific movement from this timepiece, with a specific case and bracelet and it will be presented during our January salon.

I am also working at present on the development of a grand astronomical watch which should be ready by the end of 2018.

What do you think will happen in the watchmaking market, and what will be the role of the retailers?

The F.P.Journe brand necessitate a strong knowledge of horology in order to answer collectors who often now more than sales persons, reason why we are represented by the very few best ones in the world.
Also, as we do not produce over 900 timepieces per year, we cannot have 100 retailers representing us, with only a few watches in each …

We are asking our retailers to commit even more to the brand in opening an Espace F.P.Journe offering a better visibility and more dedication to our brand in order to serve our clients in the best of their interest.

Regarding the future of retailers, I cannot say!

We coundn’t help but notice that you are finally approaching the social media! Why now? What made you change your mind?

I was not convinced at first that social media would be a plus for our clients, and we do not sell our watches on line.

But many of our clients are posting images of their watches on line or talking about our events and we cannot control if what they say is accurate, we thus decided to launch our own official social media on which we would give accurate information. Our clients are happy as they receive information first hand but it does not really increase our sale. It is more a mean to communicate rapidly with our clients.

I know it’s not easy, but what do you think is your most iconic or revolutionary timepiece?

I would of course say all of them but if I have to choose one, I would choose the Sonnerie Souveraine, one of the most complicated timepiece to make. It took me six years of research and the registering of 10 patents to produce this unique timepiece and the only grande sonnerie safe to use in the market.

Looking forward to see your next incredible creations in January, for now that’s all! Thank you very much Mr. Journe!

By Jacopo Corvo