Explanation of the FP Journe Tourbillon Souverain

Today we present the FP Journe Tourbillon Souverain, an iconic watch from the brand

In 1999, François Paul launched his FP Journe brand and presented his Tourbillon Souverain with constant-force escapement as a wristwatch.

When the balance spring (2) (1) (the heart of the watch) is in working order, it loses energy by contracting and relaxing, which gives the torque necessary to move the hands.

A secondary gear train is positioned to compensate for the energy loss between the beginning and end of the mainspring's travel. The constant-force escapement then regulates the torque transmitted to the escapement, improving the watch's chronometric accuracy.

The Tourbillon Souverain calibre 1403 features the famous constant-force escapement, as well as the inscription "Seconds Dead." The platinum case measures 40mm in diameter and 9.9mm in thickness. Production is limited to approximately one hundred pieces over 15 years.

The deadbeat second is a horological complication invented in the 18th century, designed to "imitate" the movement of a hand on a quartz movement, while remaining entirely mechanical. Conversely, automatic movements have a continuous seconds hand.

Later, the reset function (19th century) was developed and incorporated into chronographs for precise timekeeping. Here is a video showcasing the caliber 1403 equipped with a deadbeat seconds hand.

Thus, in 2004, FP Journe presented his new Tourbillon Souverain equipped with a constant-force escapement and a deadbeat seconds hand. He then won the most prestigious prize at the Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Genève, beating out giants like Jaeger-LeCoultre and Vacheron Constantin.

The Tourbillon Souverain has been produced in various versions, such as the Brass collection (yellow dial), Ruthenium (grey), Heart of Ruby (red), or even in Tantalum (blue), a unique model sold to fight against Duchenne myopathy.