F.P.Journe releases a stealth chronometer in a 42mm case and bracelet made from Tungsten Carbide. The material is very hard, therefore scratch resistant and very dense.
Press Release information with commentary in italics.
New: F.P.Journe Chronomètre Furtif
The F.P.Journe Chronomète Furtif retails for CHF 85,000 before taxes.
Commentary
Interesting new release by F.P.Journe in their lineSport collection. The case is a rather large(ish) 42mm diameter, and the entire case and bracelet is made of Tungsten Carbide. The material is not frequently used in watches as it is very difficult to machine, and can often be brittle. While pure tungsten not particularly hard (about 7.5 on the Mohrs scale, similar to hardened steel), when combined with carbon to form tungsten carbide, the hardness increases to about 9 on the Mohrs scale, just below to that of diamond. It is therefore very resistant to scratches, but can be brittle. Tungsten carbide rings can often shatter from just being dropped. The alloy is very dense, with the density similar to gold, and has a shiny grey appearance.
As usual, the case and bracelet is made by the F.P.Journe owned case manufacturers: Les Boîtiers de Genève. The dial is in an anthracite coloured grand feu enamel made by the Journe owned Les Cadraniers de Genève.
2. Enamelling − Successive applications and firings of vitrified enamel at high temperatures (800°C ⁄ 1472°F).
3. Polishing − Mirror-polishing for a smooth and deep surface.
4. Matte finishing − Laser frosted numbers, logo and track for a stealth effect.
The aesthetics from the dial side is very subdued. The French “furtif” translates to furtive in English, meaning attempting to avoid notice or attention, typically because of guilt or a belief that discovery would lead to trouble; secretive. An effect very visible in the watch. The the tone on tone dark grey dial makes it almost like a mystery dial with no numerals, but yet, with twist of the wrist, the dial catches the light and reveals the classical Journe numerals and the logo. The slender central seconds hand and the elongated teardrop HM hands, typical of F.P.Journe watches completes this elegant look.
The movement is the Calibre 1522, a new hand-wound mechanical movement in 18k rose gold. Conceived, designed and constructed in-house by F.P.Journe, the movement has an in-line gear train. This is a first for Journe, and the movement is laid out from the 3 o’clock crown position straight across to the 9 o’clock position.
Release details
Now joining the lineSport Collection, the Chronomètre Furtif takes us back to the fundamentals : having the time for yourself alone.
While the unique “Chronomètre Furtif Bleu” Only Watch 2024 piece was the first in the world to feature a Tantalum case and bracelet, the small production run of the Chronomètre Furtif has been designed by François-Paul Journe to have a 42 mm case and bracelet made from Tungsten Carbide (interspersed with Tantalum elements). It is an extremely hard material (approximately 1350 Vickers and 9 on the Mohs scale, which is close to the hardness of corundums such as sapphire), obtained by combining carbon and tungsten at high temperatures ; it is double the density of steel, and almost as dense as gold. Usually used for highly technical applications, it is the perfect option as, in addition to its biocompatibility and low chemical reactivity, it is highly shock-resistant and practically indestructible.
A Dense, Time-Resistant Case
For the design of each of the elements which make up the exterior of this 42 mm timepiece, which is just 9.5 mm thick, the Manufacture was able to rely on the expertise of Les Boîtiers de Genève, a specialist entity owned by F.P.Journe, integrated since 2012, and with workshops located in Meyrin on the outskirts of Geneva.
Perfect mastery of the machining process was essential for tackling a project as audacious as this, as the work is wholly unlike turning components made from steel, titanium or even tantalum, which itself is highly complex to work due to its inherent properties. This is the metal the Manufacture employed for the one-off “Chronomètre Furtif Bleu” piece.
Creating the entire exterior from Tungsten Carbide required access to the latest generation of tooling. Les Boîtiers de Genève boasts a cutting-edge machine park, used to the best of its capacities through complex and innovative processes, allowing them to push the limits of engineering in terms of machining and finishes. As François-Paul Journe explained when speaking about this new timepiece : “I designed the case and we worked with the Manufacture’s design office on its general internal and external dimensions with a view to integrating the calibre.” Then, the engineers and machinists working for Les Boîtiers de Genève, to whom F.P.Journe gives great latitude, were responsible for reworking the entire case middle. They were in charge of the sand-blasted and polished finishes. The same process obviously applied to the bracelet that these specialists developed from the model designed by the F.P.Journe Manufacture’s founder. Thanks to their mastery in working demanding metals, these ultra-specialist craftsmen have successfully overcome the challenge of designing a flat three-row link, also made entirely from Tungsten Carbide.
A Dial Rising from the Flames
In order to do justice to this exceptional casing, F.P.Journe opted to bestow this new watch with a mirror-polished anthracite grey Grand Feu enamel on white Gold dial, designed in the same spirit as the one adorning the unique piece sold at the Only Watch 2024 auction. This fired disc reflects the expertise and creativity possessed by the artists working within Les Cadraniers de Genève, a hub of expert craftsmen owned by F.P.Journe, which shares its building and cutting-edge technology with Les Boîtiers de Genève.
In the workshops, the combined technical and artistic skills allow the level of aesthetic perfection required for such a timekeeping instrument to be achieved. It can be found in all stages of production, from the different layers of powdered enamel to the polishing, separated by numerous firing stages in a kiln heated to over 800°C (1472°F).
These high-risk operations are managed perfectly, but this does not prevent accidents from occasionally happening during production. The colour may not be strictly uniform due to unwanted movements of air in the kiln. The disc may suffer a tiny deformation if the counter enamel is not applied uniformly or is not thick enough. The vitrified surface may crack during the final polishing, or shatter if cooled too quickly once the dial is removed from the kiln, or because of an impurity in the material. Once the inspection of the discs which have passed through these complex trials is complete, their numerals and discreet minute tracks are engraved with a laser. These are elements that only the owners of this watch will be able to see by altering the angle of the dial against the light.
Then, the understated elongated teardrop hands are attached ; these are tinted in a very similar colour to the dial so that they appear to melt into its anthracite grey enamel surface. Lastly, running over the top of these two indicators, a long and lightweight second hand is meticulously driven in, here tinted white so that it forms an ultra-graphic point that draws the eye.
A Calibre Which Goes Straight to the Essential
This coherent whole, with its retro yet contemporary design, houses the Calibre 1522. It is a new hand-wound mechanical movement in 18K rose Gold measuring 33.50 mm in diameter and 5.90 mm thick. Developed in-house by F.P.Journe, it displays the hours and minutes but also the central seconds thanks to a central second hand driven directly into the axis of the dedicated wheel.
This movement has an in-line geartrain : a real first for F.P.Journe. With its 197 components, the Calibre 1522 has a regulating organ equipped with a 15-tooth escapement wheel, a straight-line anchor and a balance with four inertia blocks and a micro-flamed flat Anachron balance spring oscillating at 3 Hertz, or 21’600 vibrations per hour.
Placed horizontally on the 3-9 o’clock axis, in the centre of the round 18K rose Gold main plate finished in line with the highest standards of Haute Horology, it is framed by two useful indicators which complete the free space here. At 12 o’clock sits the power reserve indicator with two barrels mounted in parallel and which, once wound, guarantee 56 hours of operation with chronometric tolerances. The crown used to wind them also allows the time to be set, and, when pulled out to the second position, it is also used to set our natural satellite which is realistically depicted in the moon phase window at 6 o’clock.
Understated, accurate, and time-resistant, the Chronometre Furtif is going straight to the essential, it is a timekeeping instrument designed and realised with strict respect for tradition, but with one eye firmly on the future of Haute Horlogerie.
F.P.Journe Chronomète Furtif Technical Specifications
Movement: Calibre 1522 in 18K rose Gold * Manual winding, 38 turns of the crown * Dimensions of the movement * Overall diameter : 33.50 mm * Overall height : 5.90 mm * Height of winding system : 2.20 mm * Diameter of stem thread : S0.90 mm * Autonomy 56 ± 2 hours * Number of parts Movement without dial : 197 * Cased up with bracelet : 422 * Jewels : 21
Balance * Balance with 4 inertia weights * Flat Anachron microflamed spring * Mobile stud holder * Free-sprung balance * Nivatronic laser-welded to the collet * Pinned GE stud * Frequency : 21,600 v/h, (3Hz) * Inertia : 10.10 mg*cm2 * Angle of lift : 52° * Amplitude : 0 h dial up: 320° * 24 h dial up: 280°
Main Characteristics: Time setting in position 3 and moon in position 2 of the crown
Escapement: Linear lever escapement, 15 teeth
Indications: Dial : hours, minutes and central direct seconds * Back : moon phase at 6 o’clock and power reserve at 12 o’clock
Dial: Mirror-polished anthracite grey Grand Feu enamel on white Gold with frosted numerals * Matte rhodium-plated Steel hour and minute hands * White color Steel seconds hand
Finishing: Mainplate with circular graining and barleycorn decoration * Bridges bevelled, circular grained, with Côtes de Genève * Steel mirror-polished, bevelled, satin finished, or circular grained, depending on the component * Polished screw heads with chamfered slots * Pegs with polished rounded ends
Case Diameter : 42 mm * Total height : 9.50 mm * Tungsten Carbide * Caseback, bumper, bezel ring and crown in Tantalum * Finishing : sandblasted case and bezel, polished caseback, bumper, bezel ring and crown
Bracelet: 3-row flat-link * Tungsten Carbide * Finishing : sandblasted with polished chamfers * Folding clasp in Titanium with polished Tantalum cap
