octa

F.P. Journe Octa UTC Watch

When Francois-Paul Journe makes a watch complication, he makes that watch complication right. Never sacrificing function over perceived value, the greatest example of this what when he made the world's most expensive steel watch. Steel was chosen over a precious metal for a minute repeater watch because steel was the ideal choice for a chiming watch to make it sound best. Now F.P. Journe offers a sophisticated GMT watch that takes into consideration timezone differences by those countries that use Daylight saving time.

The watch comes in a 38 or 40mm wide case in 18k red gold or platinum. You can simply choose which size you like. F.P. Journe doesn't like large watches, so 40mm wide is a max for most of his timepieces. The new movement inside is the FPJ 1300-3, done itself in 18 rose gold, and it is an automatic. The movement has the time (shown with the blue hands), and a GMT hand (in gold). You also have a subsidiary seconds dial, 120 hour power reserve indicator, jumping big date indicator, and a UTC (GMT) indicator shown as a globe. The colors on the turning globe help indicate whether a place in the map is in "winter or summer" time. Keeping true to his design ethos, this new Octa UTC watch will certainly be of value to his clients looking for a simple UTC (GMT) function without the clutter of a dedicated world time function.

Ariel Adams publishes the luxury watch reviews site aBlogtoRead.com.

Tags: FP Journe, octa, UTC, watch

F.P. Journe Octa Perpetual Titanium Watch

by Ariel Adams (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Timepieces / Watches

Someone mentioned to me a while ago that F.P. Journe watches were all starting to look the same. I tacitly agreed and then began to give the idea some thought. A watch company (especially one that does not release many models) has a tough task of keeping a brand identity secure, while at the same time delivering innovation in terms of design and function. F.P Journe watches each have a distinct character to them, which is important to preserve in each new watch. Though I do agree that many of the their models were starting to look the same with just the subdials doing new things. This new Octa Perpetual Titanium is a different matter because I sincerely get the feeling that this is a brand new model, but still characteristically a F.P. Journe timepiece.

The dial here features an off-center watch face and emphasis on the perpetual calendar with the retrograde date display taking up most of the dial. There are also windows for the day and month an an almost hidden leap year indicator located inside of the month window. Notice in the image the lower window that reads "BFE." The "B" is actually on a separate disc and is the leap year indicator. "B" stands for "bissextile," which indicators the 4th, and thus leap year (other years simply read "1, 2, or 3"). The time is easy to read in the functional watch dial that is applied over the face and features some light, but tasteful decoration. I further like how the subsidiary seconds dial is built into the design.

Titanium is the metal of choice for the 40mm wide case of the Octa Perpetual Titanium watch, a metal I am not sure that F.P. Journe has used before for cases. Inside the watch is an automatic OCTA Calibre FPJ 1300-3 movement made from 18k rose gold (nice). Having an all gold movement is rather sexy, and you are able to view it through he caseback window. I think that having a heavy gold movement rather defeats the purpose of having a light titanium case, but I am sure that F.P. Journe had their reasons. The watch is also quite thin at about 10mm thick. Overall a very classic looking timepiece that is undeniably F.P. Journe in character with a lot of luxury appointments. It does of course include its quirks, which makes for a well-natured luxury watch.

Ariel Adams publishes the luxury watch review site aBlogtoRead.com.

Tags: fp journe, FpJourne, octa, perpetual, timepiece, titanium, watch