François-Paul Journe has made it his life?s work to invent, design, and produce watches that are accurate and distinctive. Since launching his brand in 1999, more than 28 different models have been produced while keeping production at a maximum of 900 watches per year. The first model was a Tourbillon. Twenty years later, F.P.Journe introduced a revolutionary twist on the Tourbillon to celebrate this important milestone.

In the new Tourbillon Souverain, the tourbillon is mounted perpendicularly to the rest of the movement, revolving vertically once every 30 seconds. To explain why, François-Paul Journe goes back to the original intent of the tourbillon, to use gravity to keep lubricants mixed inside a watch mechanism. In a pocket watch, a traditional design works well, as the watch is mostly in a vertical position. In a wristwatch, however, the position varies wildly through day to day activities but is more often horizontal than vertical. By turning the entire tourbillon, the new model reimagines the original concept specifically for a wristwatch. It is the piece François-Paul Journe would choose to wear if he were able to meet the legendary 18th Century watchmakers that influence all his work.
Like all F.P.Journe watches, the entire watch is hand-assembled by one watchmaker, start to finish, in the heart of Geneva. While most firms have abandoned this technique, the tradition lives on at F.P.Journe to maintain that direct link of craftsmanship between the creato...