François-Paul Journe, constructor and master watchmaker in permanent quest for precision and innovative horological mechanic discloses a new time measurement – sportive and exclusive. F.P.Journe is launching the first mechanical chronograph of high horology on a wristwatch entirely in aluminum: case, bracelet and movement.
F.P.Journe has chosen the Centigraphe as first timepiece to introduce its new collection, the “lineSport”. A collection of new watches of an astounding lightness, thought and conceived specifically for a proficient sportive activity, and that will include watches with manual as well as automatic winding.
This collection has been inspired by an important collector, aficionado of F.P.Journe watches, who committed himself in numerous marathon and triathlon competitions and wished to have an ultra light sports watch, coupled with a movement of authentic high horology. With its measure of a 100th second, the Centigraphe Souverain seemed to be the perfect match to excel in his activities, where every second is counted.
As in everything he undertakes, the collector goes beyond his ambitions and commits himself with an absolute determination to achieve his goal. In order to outshine in this new field, he changed his lifestyle drastically. From epicurean, he became a master of dietetics and managed to loose a tremendous amount of weight in a record time, while maintaining exceptional health.
F.P.Journe wanted to pay tribute to the mental and physical achievement of this businessman who just like himself, started from scratch to become one of the biggest success stories, and today an extreme sportsman, sacrificing everything to his passion.
F.P.Journe undertook long researches to find an ultra light and resistant material to receive his exceptional calibers; while maintaining the standards of high horology that inhabit his everyday life. The Centigraphe Sport thus presents the very first F.P.Journe wristwatch entirely made of aluminium, movement, case and bracelet, in the search for absolute comfort and extreme lightness. The watch in its totality only weighs 55 grams.
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The passage from 18K rose gold – used for all the F.P.Journe movements – to aluminium was not without difficulty, for obvious technical reasons. F.P.Journe took his research to a higher level in an aesthetical quest to complete an appropriate contrast in colours.
F.P.Journe perfected different methods of special processing in order to make the aluminium scratch resistant and give it anti corrosive and anti-allergic properties.
Rubber inserts are fixed with an outstanding process to the end of each link of the aluminium bracelet, the sides of the case and the titanium crown in order to efficiently protect the watch from any chocks, just like the bumper of an ancient automobile.
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The folding clasp in aluminium, engraved with the F.P.Journe signature is also covered with a rubber coating. In addition, it offers an adjustment system of a half link size (4mm approx.).
While this unreleased collection had not yet been presented to the public nor to the press, François-Paul Journe had offered the first Centigraphe Sport timepiece numbered 001 in favour of the earthquake and tsunami victims in Japan. It was auctioned by Christie’s in their Hong Kong sale of May 20, 2011. The total amount of the sale, including the Christie’s 20% buyer’s commission has been soaring to an amazing HK$ 3,620,000 /US$ 465,170, close to ten times its original estimate. It has entirely been donated to the franco-japanese Foundation de Fère for the project “100maisons100familles” and to Doctors of the World Japan, who will also support this project. The “100maisons100familles” mission of Foundation de Fère has set up a programme constructing 100 temporary anti-seismic wooden houses to relocate family victims of the earthquake and tsunami in the northern city of Tome, near Sendai, province of Miyagi in Japan.
The fund donation ceremony took place at the Embassy of Switzerland in Tokyo on June 3rd, 2011, in the presence of his Excellence the Ambassador Mr. Urs Bucher, Mr. François-Paul Journe, Ms. Yuko Fukagawa from Christie’s Japan, Mr Richard Bliah, founder of the franco-japanese FERE foundation, and the representative of Médecins du Monde. The fantastic result of the Centigraphe Sport charity sale of has allowed financing 7 anti seismic houses.
Godfather of the Centigraphe Souverain, Jean Todt remains the initiator of F.P.Journe’s engagement towards l’ICM – Institute of Brain and Spinal Cord in Paris – to help fight diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and Multiple Sclerosis…”In purchasing the Centigraphe Sport, in line with the Centigraphe Souverain, you are also supporting the medical research carried out by the ICM.”
Along with Professor Gérard Saillant, Luc Besson, Jean Réno, Jean Todt, Michelle Yeoh and Michael Schumacher, amongst others, François-Paul Journe has committed to the ICM in donating 30% of the profits from the sale of each Centigraphe Sport to the ICM, with no time limit. (www.icm-institute.org)
