F.P. Journe: Chronomètre Holland & Holland

F.P. Journe partnered with Holland & Holland, at the peak of British gun-making for over a century, for a unique watch Limited Series.

The project came up thanks to the discovery of two antique and rare Damascus steel Holland & Holland guns, over one hundred years old.

F.P. Journe immediately saw the possibility of including these barrels in a watch series, while Holland & Holland was attracted by the idea of allowing two of their museum barrels to be used to make magnificent haute horology F.P. Journe timepieces.

The idea was to use bars of two or more different types of steel, or iron steel, one having less carbon content, and forge them together into a single bar. This was done by heating, twisting and hammering as needed, and then folding the bar, hammering and forging it again. The process was repeated a few more times. The result was a bar with layers of steel of different types producing the wavy lines and patterns visible due to the difference in chemical composition between the different bars used.

The technique was first called “pattern welding” and was known to several cultures, from Japanese to Vikings and Celts, from India to the Ottoman Empire and later to Hungary and Spain.

In order to produce the dials, the gun barrels were first cut along their entire length at the Holland & Holland factory and rolled out to form flat strips. These were cut to into smaller strips, which could then be cleaned, polished and reduced to the required thickness. The material was then sent to F.P.Journe’s own dial makers, “Les Cadraniers de Genève” where the dials were cut out. They were sent back to Holland & Holland and “browned”, a traditional gun-making technique that helps protect the steel and highlights the wonderful patterns created during the original manufacture of Damascus barrels. The process is the same today as it was when the guns were made in the late 1800s. Each dial thus has a unique pattern making each watch unique.

Given the Holland & Holland steel dial, F.P. Journe’s most suitable option was to make a 39-millimeter steel case as well.

The sapphire crystal with anti-reflection coating enhances the special wave pattern of the dial. The movement is the manually wound F.P. Journe calibre 1304 in rose Gold, with a power reserve up to 56 hours and Holland & Holland engraving.

The two antique Holland & Holland barrels, bearing the serial numbers 1382 and 7183 only allowed for the making of 38 dials and 28 dials respectively.

The Chronomètre Holland & Holland is accessible to F.P. Journe and Holland & Holland collectors through an application process. (Price CHF 45.000)