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Descriptif du lot
An important and significant new discovery that adds to the scholarship of the F.P. Journe brand, this previously unknown rose gold Octa Lune is the first ‘05L’ (made in 2005) example to be offered at auction and, to the best of our knowledge, the first of its kind known publicly. This beautiful and fresh to the market Octa Lune can be considered a ‘missing link’ capturing a moment in F.P. Journe history as a transitional piece bridging the first and second generations. It features the highly desirable 38mm rose gold case paired with a superb and charmingly mellow frosted 18k white gold dial, the very early use of the F.P. Journe 18k rose gold movement, and the only known use of the early-type brass movement era polished dial frame with ‘bell’ shaped screw plates on a rose gold movement era Octa Lune.
We are extremely excited to present this documentary Octa Lune to international collectors for the first time. A tremendous prize for F.P. Journe enthusiasts and collectors of modern horological masterpieces.
The Octa Lune ‘05L’
The year 2005 was a vital turning point for the F.P. Journe brand. In late 2004, the transition was made from the first era brass movements to the solid 18k rose gold movements that have since become a signature of the brand. The ‘05L’ case houses the pioneering rose gold caliber 1300.2.
Close study and research shows that the present watch, no. 240 of the Octa Lune model was made at a pivotal moment in Octa Lune production, a transitional or crossover piece that retains certain elements of the early ‘brass movement’ era in its construction. As such it is a very exciting discovery and an exceptional documentary piece for historians of F.P. Journe. To place this into context, in 2005, F.P. Journe was still a relatively small independent manufacture. The total production for the entire brand is estimated at just a few hundred pieces annually across all model lines combined. The Octa Lune was available in Platinum (05LN) and Pink Gold (05L) cases, it is believed that the number of pink gold Octa Lunes made in 2005 is very low, probably only around 40-60 pieces at most. Taking this into consideration, it is unsurprising that the manufacture were still using some components from the brass movement era when assembling the present pink gold Octa Lune. In addition to the iconic and long discontinued 38mm case, preferred by many purist collectors, and early use of the 18k gold movement that gives superior structural stability, the dial architecture of this watch is particularly interesting: it is noticeable that the polished steel frame outlining the hours, minutes, and seconds dial has the very distinctive ‘bell’ shaped plates for the securing screws that were only used on watches from the brass movement era. A new design featuring more gently sloped screw plates was introduced for the gold movement era. The present Octa Lune with an 18k gold movement is the only known specimen to feature a dial frame with ‘bell’ shaped screw plates from the early brass movement production.
Octa Lune
The Octa Lune model won one of the most prestigious awards in the watch industry, the ‘Favourite Men’s Watch’ award at the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève in 2003. The name ‘Octa’ was given as a prefix to all F.P. Journe’s automatic watches because in Latin it means ‘eight’ and the figure ‘8’ on its side signifies the concept of limitlessness or infinity.
The design of the Octa Lune dial is asymmetric yet entirely harmonious, it displays several complications without any sense of overcrowding. It was housed in a 38 mm case which is no longer produced today, being subsequently replaced by the 40mm and 42 mm size cases. The gold dial plate is beautifully matte with a separate silvered hours and minutes dial with engine turned centre secured by screws. The power reserve indicator sector of 120 hours with a large date above the moon phases with the inscription ‘Phases de Lune’ inscribed below. F.P. Journe’s signature and the Latin inscription ‘Invenit et Fecit’ (invented and made) runs along the upper edge. The blued steel hands are unmistakably and uniquely F.P. Journe. With 32 jewels, Journe’s caliber 1300.2 18k rose gold movement has an off-centre 22 carat gold rotor. It was the first automatic movement to provide 120 hours of power reserve.
We are extremely excited to present this documentary Octa Lune to international collectors for the first time. A tremendous prize for F.P. Journe enthusiasts and collectors of modern horological masterpieces.
The Octa Lune ‘05L’
The year 2005 was a vital turning point for the F.P. Journe brand. In late 2004, the transition was made from the first era brass movements to the solid 18k rose gold movements that have since become a signature of the brand. The ‘05L’ case houses the pioneering rose gold caliber 1300.2.
Close study and research shows that the present watch, no. 240 of the Octa Lune model was made at a pivotal moment in Octa Lune production, a transitional or crossover piece that retains certain elements of the early ‘brass movement’ era in its construction. As such it is a very exciting discovery and an exceptional documentary piece for historians of F.P. Journe. To place this into context, in 2005, F.P. Journe was still a relatively small independent manufacture. The total production for the entire brand is estimated at just a few hundred pieces annually across all model lines combined. The Octa Lune was available in Platinum (05LN) and Pink Gold (05L) cases, it is believed that the number of pink gold Octa Lunes made in 2005 is very low, probably only around 40-60 pieces at most. Taking this into consideration, it is unsurprising that the manufacture were still using some components from the brass movement era when assembling the present pink gold Octa Lune. In addition to the iconic and long discontinued 38mm case, preferred by many purist collectors, and early use of the 18k gold movement that gives superior structural stability, the dial architecture of this watch is particularly interesting: it is noticeable that the polished steel frame outlining the hours, minutes, and seconds dial has the very distinctive ‘bell’ shaped plates for the securing screws that were only used on watches from the brass movement era. A new design featuring more gently sloped screw plates was introduced for the gold movement era. The present Octa Lune with an 18k gold movement is the only known specimen to feature a dial frame with ‘bell’ shaped screw plates from the early brass movement production.
Octa Lune
The Octa Lune model won one of the most prestigious awards in the watch industry, the ‘Favourite Men’s Watch’ award at the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève in 2003. The name ‘Octa’ was given as a prefix to all F.P. Journe’s automatic watches because in Latin it means ‘eight’ and the figure ‘8’ on its side signifies the concept of limitlessness or infinity.
The design of the Octa Lune dial is asymmetric yet entirely harmonious, it displays several complications without any sense of overcrowding. It was housed in a 38 mm case which is no longer produced today, being subsequently replaced by the 40mm and 42 mm size cases. The gold dial plate is beautifully matte with a separate silvered hours and minutes dial with engine turned centre secured by screws. The power reserve indicator sector of 120 hours with a large date above the moon phases with the inscription ‘Phases de Lune’ inscribed below. F.P. Journe’s signature and the Latin inscription ‘Invenit et Fecit’ (invented and made) runs along the upper edge. The blued steel hands are unmistakably and uniquely F.P. Journe. With 32 jewels, Journe’s caliber 1300.2 18k rose gold movement has an off-centre 22 carat gold rotor. It was the first automatic movement to provide 120 hours of power reserve.