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F.P. Journe

Octa Calendrier Black Label "MAPT"

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DETAILS

François-Paul Journe is one of the few watchmakers to have developed a wristwatch with an annual calendar complication, automatic winding and a long power reserve of 5 days. The Octa Calendrier, launched by F. P. Journe in 2002, is the third model in the Octa collection, following the Octa Réserve de Marche (2001) and the Octa Chronographe (2002). All Octa timepieces are powered by the same base caliber 1300 with automatic winding and a remarkably large 10.1 mm diameter balance wheel. This caliber was originally developed by François-Paul Journe to meet the wishes of his customers who preferred a self-winding watch.

He designed a slim caliber that made it possible to incorporate various additional complications without changing the overall thickness of the movement and to ensure that the thickness of the case remained practically the same for all models in the Octa collection. For the caliber, François-Paul Journe developed a large barrel with a mainspring 1000 mm long and 0.1 mm thick, offering a power reserve of around 160 hours, of which 120 hours are required for chronometric rate. The Octa Calendrier's annual calendar function displays the date via the large central retrograde hand and automatically advances the months by 29, 30 and 31 days. In non-leap years, i.e. in three out of four years with February 28, the brand recommends manually advancing the date by one day from February 28 to February 29 by turning the crown. The date then changes automatically from February 29 to March 1.

REASONS TO BUY

The Octa Calendrier “Black Label” with the third-generation caliber 1300.3 is part of the exclusive “Black Label” series delivered only to the brand’s boutiques, which in itself is a sign of high collectability. This watch has an undeniable appeal to the discerning collector, as it is a representative of the third and final generation of this model, whose production began in 2007 and was discontinued in 2015. It is now part of the brand's history, although it is still a very elegant tuxedo watch, with a remarkable black dial combined with a 40 mm platinum case – a rare feature for a F.P. Journe watch. The characteristic design of the dial with the offset main time sub-dial, the Arabic numerals drawn by François-Paul Journe himself and the drop-shaped hands make this watch even more desirable.

ABOUT THIS WATCH

Shortly after its official launch, the Octa Calendrier watch won the Special Jury’s Award at the prestigious Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève in 2002. The early Octa Calendrier watches were equipped with the first generation caliber 1300 in rhodium-plated brass. In 2004, the brand began producing Octa movements in solid 18k gold – the second-generation caliber 1300.2 with bidirectional winding. In 2007, the brand introduced the 3rd generation caliber 1300.3, also in 18k gold, but with unidirectional winding, as in this watch. When the Octa was launched in 2001, its automatic winding mechanism was designed as a bidirectional winding system, which, as it turned out, was less effective than a unidirectional winding system if the watch owner led a rather inactive lifestyle. Production of the Octa Calendrier watch was discontinued in 2015.

Over the years, F.P. Journe produced numerous Octa Calendrier models, mostly with matte gold dials. For its boutiques, the brand produced watches with black dials – the so-called “Black Label Collection”, which is always of great interest to collectors. In addition to the exclusive touch, the black dial gives the watch the image of a tuxedo model that should be worn on the most festive occasions. This seems an appropriate status for an undoubtedly collectible watch.

The caliber 1300.3 of this watch is finished to a high standard and features hand finishing on all parts, including chamfering and polishing, Côtes Circulaires decorations on the bridges, perlage decorations on the mainplate and a rotor with a Grain de Riz guilloché motif. The special feature of the F.P. Journe movements and the present example is that they have been made of solid 18k gold since 2004, so that no protective coatings are required to achieve a flawless and non-patinated surface of the parts.