F. P. Journe Octa Lune Brass

This brass 38mm platinum F. P. Journe Octa Lune was originally introduced in 2003 and features the quintessential pairing of a platinum case and yellow gold dial. This particular example was amongst the first 55 pieces to leave the manufacture, as confirmed by the 05X-03L serial number. Interestingly, in 2003 the Octa Lune was awarded the prestigious Favorite Men’s Watch award at the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG).

An unconventional pairing 

The combination of a platinum case paired with the shimmery yellow gold dial was the original configuration that F. P. Journe presented at Basel World in 2000. At the time both retailers and collectors were thought to have preferred the more sober white gold dials. The yellow gold dials ‘original configuration’ have become particularly sought after for various reasons. It is important to note that the yellow gold dials were discontinued upon the introduction of the gold based movements in 2004, additionally, the yellow gold dials were strictly used on platinum cases, whereas the white/pink gold dials were used interchangeably on both platinum and rose gold cases. All F. P. Journe dials from the brass era tend to oxidize in their own unique way, in particular, the yellow gold dials tend to turn brownish, almost coffeé like. This particular early dial features hues of brownish-yellow with hints of patina starting to develop.

The movement

The distinction between the manually wound and automatic movements can be divided into the following, Octa (automatic) and Souverain (manually wound). The Octa collection was introduced in 2001 with the introduction of the Octa Reserve de Marche, the caliber 1300 is the backbone of the entire automatic collection (till date). Unlike the marine chronometers the Octa collection, when fully wound, the power reserve reads “120” and will gradually display how many hours of power are left. Naturally, the movement is François-Paul’s unique creation, the ingenuity of the base caliber 1300, allowed him to integrate different complications within the movement whilst still retaining the proportions of the most ‘basic’ models.

This, Octa Lune is fitted with caliber 1300, when fully wound, the Octa Lune delivers chronometric precision for 120 hours. The meter-long mainspring supplies an average 850gr of torque, limiting the loss in balance amplitude to 25% over the five-day period. Beyond that time, the watch will continue to go for another day or two, but the amplitude-loss no longer guarantees precision timekeeping.

What makes this particular example all the more special is the highly coveted brass movement which was only in production from 1999-2003, subsequently, the 38mm cases were also phased out in 2015. From our knowledge, there are only a handful of such examples and we are proud to offer such an example. This example was serviced in 2015 and 2020 by F. P. Journe. 

The Set

This remarkable, F. P. Journe Octa Lune is accompanied with a Certificate of Authenticity dated 2018, original user manual, supporting paperwork, and further service history.

Brand: F. P. Journe
Model: Octa Lune
Movement: Caliber 1300, brass
Case Diameter: 38mm
Year: 2003 (sold)
Box & Papers: Extract & Provenance.