F.P. Journe Centigraphe Wins Gold Hand Award In Geneva

Francois-Paul Journe, a celebrated figure in the world of haute horlogerie, can claim another distinction for his eponymous watch manufacture.  On November 13, 2008 the jury of the prestigious Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Geneve awarded Journe the Aiguille d'Or ("Gold Hand") for his Centigraphe Souveraine watch.  Committee chair Richard Mille, who won the award in 2007, welcomed Mr. Journe onto the elegant stage, and made the official presentation.  Journe then proceeded to give the audience a concise presentation of the Centigraphe's unique technical features.

The F.P. Journe Centigraphe Souveraine was introduced at Baselworld 2007.  A superb example of horological ingenuity, the Centigraphe is the first mechanical chronograph in the world capable of measuring elapsed times from a walking pace of 6 kilometers per hour, to a hyper-speed velocity of 360,000 kilometers per hour.  Among the many fascinating technical elements of the movement include a 1/16th second flying seconds complication, and a patented isolator mechanism that ensures balance amplitude is unaffected by chronograph operation.

F.P. Journe has been a perennial favorite of the glamorous Geneva awards ceremony in recent years.  It received the Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Geneve's Gold Hand twice before, first in 2004 for the Tourbillon Souveraine, and again in 2006, for the highly complex Sonnerie Souveraine.