The F.P. Journe Vagabondage III Watch Review

The F.P. Journe Vagabondage III Watch Review

The F.P. Journe Vagabondage III Watch Review

François-Paul Journe happens to be a little apart within the watchmaking industry. 

Yet, the majority of his watches are often recognizable and therefore are imbued having a obvious, distinctive DNA. However, a particular number of watches doesn't respect the rule the Vagabondage watches. Entirely different situation, entirely different displays, entirely different philosophy… 2017 marks the appearance of another tortue-cased watch, the F.P. Journe Vagabondage III (which we already demonstrated for you in video here). A marvelous watch and also the first-ever mechanical watch with digital jumping-seconds. Now, we take particular notice in internet marketing.

The storyline from the Vagabondage number of watches is slightly atypical. Never these watches happen to be regular products and the beginning of your way is rather special. To begin with, why this name (that might seem quite weird for non-French loudspeakers)? Actually, “vagabondage” is really a French word that may be converted by “vagrancy” or “wandering“. With that, Fran?ois-Paul Journe desired to express a kind of digression and journey of his mind through an additional way to display time, having a unconventional watch, for both display but for the type of the timepiece itself (that is formed differently than the remainder of his production).

The F.P. Journe Vagabondage III Watch Review

The Vagabondage Series began with 3 watches. Forget about. Prior to the expereince of living from the Vagabondage I, F.P. Journe did indeed create 3 unparalleled watches having a flat Tortue situation (patented model - the unofficial story states this situation was initially created for Cartier, which declined it), an electronic / wandering time display along with a dial without signature (this non-signed dial will stay area of the spirit from the Vagabondage watches later), for that 30th anniversary of Antiquorum (thus in 2004) Journe created 3 Unique Pieces (one out of white-colored Gold, one out of gold, and something in rose Gold), and all sorts of with brass movement. Antiquorum auctioned them in support of ICM, a Paris-based research facility focuses on fighting against brain and spinal-cord illnesses.

After these 3 watches Journe produced two Limited Editions that where made between 2005 and 2006: a ten-piece special edition in platinum and hang with baguette diamonds, along with a 69-piece special edition of the identical watch however without diamonds. Both feature movements in 18k gold, something Fran?ois-Paul Journe has become noted for. In addition to the usual Tortue situation and also the non-signed dial, the Vagabondage I additionally featured a really unpredicted display, something which Journe never did before - the architecture from the movement was rather special. Prominent in the center of the dial may be the controlling organ, which oscillates for a price of 21.600 beats each hour. This can be a regular escapement with no tourbillion carriage fitted (to not be mistaken with another watches with central tourbillon).

Time display from the Vagabondage I is exactly what Journe calls “wandering” (that might explain the specific watch…). It is dependant on first a jumping hour. A window “catches” an hour or so printed on the rotating dvds. Then, both of these (top of the disc using the white-colored window and also the black disc using the hrs) will travel all over the dial for that coming hour, pointing the moment on the classical track around the periphery. It makes sense indeed easy and legible, the technical solutions are not even close to being simple to apply. Yet, François-Paul went further again having a second watch, the Vagabondage II.

The 2nd Vagabondage edition was produced this year - 69 pieces in Platinum, 68 pieces in red Gold and 10 pieces in Platinum with baguette diamonds are created. This Vagabondage II is really a different vision from the “wandering” / “vagrancy” idea of times. Rather of the digital jumping and wandering hour, Fran?ois-Paul Journe produced a wrist watch with jumping indications, for both the minutes and also the hrs, with the aid of three independent dvds. Additionally, the Vagabondage II featured a little second sub-dial along with a power reserve.

The 18k gold movement was partly visible behind a smoked azure very around the dial side. It had been a by hand-wound calibre, this time around with classically-poistioned controlling organ (forget about in the heart of the dial any longer, but on the rear of the timepiece). The indication counseled me enlighten with a silvered-bridge on the top. Due to the complexity of those indications and also the issue of power management, Journe needed to create a specific barrel along with a remontoir d’égalité, supplying better energy management for that immediate jump from the minutes and hrs (a remontoire isolates the torque visiting the balance in the variations within the going train brought on by jumping the disks).

Next, we'd to hold back 7 more many years to begin to see the resurgence from the Vagabondage concept, again another display and digression in order to indicate time. This watch may be the F.P. Journe Vagabondage III, it's massively beautiful and technically impressive, as the first-ever mechanical watch with digital jumping-seconds.

This type of watch deserves to appear for action, thus the recording below provides you with a much better appreciation from the display and also the works of the Vagabondage III.

Prior to going into every detail of the watch (and you will find many), it needs to be states this Vagabondage III is a good watch, both visually and technically. It combines an excellent elegance (not really a surprise…), a powerful technical content (expectable from François-Paul Journe) and enough “controlled originality” to appear like a real “indie watch”, without having to be too offensive. So what exactly is the F.P. Journe Vagabondage III? It's the third iteration in a number of watches that you will find seen aside from all of those other standard collection. As you can tell, it's the same vein because the previous one same tortue situation, same overall style for that dial along with a same concept of the indication of times, according to jumping dvds, with digital indications. However here, it brings something totally new (and unparalleled), an electronic jumping second display. It’s a world’s first, and believe us, whether it has not been done before, for the reason that accomplishing this complication would be a real technical challenge.

No drama here, the 3rd form of this watch is within every point faithful to another watches. Similar to the watches Journe introduced in 2004 and 2010, the situation is dependant on a set tortue shape. The dial and also the bezel take presctiption a same flat level, while being encircled with a large polished bevel that produces the casebands and also the lugs. The contrast between your brushed top of the bezel and also the high-gloss polishing from the surroundings does highlight this unique and stylish shape (that is patented by Journe). The situation is quite small in writing, as calculating 45.2mm x 37.6mm. Yet, of course with formed-watches, the scale should be considered differently. Such watches possess a different presence around the wrist, as confirmed again using the Vagabondage III. Yet, it remains perfectly wearable like a dress watch, despite this distinctive shape that immediately distinguish it.

One surprising specs relating to this watch is all about thickness. Indeed, with your a technical content, you can imagine so that it is rather thick. You’d be wrong. The Vagabondage III measures only 7.84mm, making very well-balanced around the wrist, elegant and wearable like a tuxedo watch. This case’s height is much more impressive considering the thickness from the movement (5.88mm), and therefore the situation and it is azure crystals happen to be reduced towards the minimum, to be able to keep a sleek profile. Many watches having a 3mm thick movement don’t achieve a general thickness of 8mm, making the Journe pretty much created.

The Vagabondage III is available in two tastes: a chilly, almost technical searching 950 platinum version, with matching dial (69 pieces in Pt) along with a warm, very precious 18K red gold version, again having a matching dial (68 pieces in gold). The execution and set up from the situation are extremely precise, refined and enjoyable. No debate concerning the serious from the craftsmanship. Both version seriously a discreet black alligator leather strap with folding buckle matching the situation.

This in which the story starts to be correctly interesting for all of us, watchnerds. The F.P. Journe Vagabondage III indeed features an unparalleled complication, the very first digital jumping second inside a mechanical watch. Indeed, if jumping hrs and jumping minutes are features that happen to be implemented (particularly the jumping hour, that is a nearly regular complication), the jumping seconds has not been used in an analog watch. You've seen some attempts, for example around the Harry Winston Opus 3 (created by Vianney Halter, performed by Renaud Papi), however it was just a jumping seconds countdown during the last four seconds of every minute. The Vagabondage III will it inside a continuous way. Why do the very first mechanical watch with your display? The reply is mainly about energy management and reliability.

In classical mechanical watches, the seconds are displayed using a hands, which rotates once each minute and that's driven directly through the second’s wheel and also the second’s pinion. This wheel and it is pinion are impelled themselves through the escape wheel, which makes it directly built-into the movement, with no need of an additional gear train (a minimum of in many watches). In addition, since it is a hands, it's light. Finally, since it rotates constantly, it doesn’t consume much energy. However, for jumping indications, there has to be a storage of one's along with a release in a precise moment to produce the jump. For example, with regards to jumping hrs, a spring is tensed throughout an hour so when it reaches a particular tension, the power is going to be released, making the disc jump.

For that Vagabondage II, since the jumping indication was the moment, Journe made the decision to include a remontoir d’égalité, which stored energy during about a minute and released it to help make the disc jump. About a minute was lengthy enough to keep energy without having affected the chronometry from the watch. Indeed, creating a disc jump requires a relatively good pressure, which interval of your time was rather lengthy. Yet, with regards to the jump of the disc every second, the offer becomes quite complex.

For that Vagabondage III, Journe depends on the standard construction, having a remontoir d’égalité, that is however controlled to produce its power every second. Yet, this really is complex, due to the fact the interval of your time to keep energy is brief (only one second) which always requires to trap lots of energy on the apparatus train. For your, the movement uses lengthy blade spring, recording and releasing a precise quantity of energy every second, sufficient to help make the disc jump. This remontoir also enables to keep a continuing amplitude within the balance wheel. Another disc, the one which manages the tenth, is driven directly through the primary seconds disc and it has no mechanical link to the movement. Besides this complex mechanism and also the difficult energy control over the Vagabondage III, the movement stores approximately 40-hour power reserve (more than the 30 hrs from the Vagabondage II). It's because the only barrel that encloses two springs rather of 1.

All of those other display is dependant on an asymmetrical architecture

Having a jumping hour disc (enlighten with a trapezoidal window at 9h30) along with a classical minute hands rotating once each hour, having a round minute track circling the dial. Finally, an electrical reserve indicator sits outdoors the smoky dial at 1. Design in some way recalls the current Elegante 48, using the integration of the round dial in to the tortue-formed window (the form of the situation can be used about this watch).

There isn’t any doubt to possess. This display with digital jumping second is captivating. It provides the Vagabondage III a continuing activity and makes your perception for many seconds without any reason whatsoever, expect contemplating the ballet from the seconds disc. With that point, it's a real success. Now, the only real concern we've is all about reliability. Indeed, this type of mechanism is complex, fragile and may potentiality create frictions and put on around the parts (I stated potentially). The 2 watches we handled were perfectly functional so we suppose Journe intensively tested the timepiece.

The movement from the Vagabondage III is dependant on the among the Vagabondage II, yet highly modified to integrate the jumping second function and also the new display. The career of some fundamental elements are identical (balance, escapement, barrel and equipment train) and also the layout from the bridges is quite close. Yet, this movement (Calibre 1514) continues to be deeply modified to possess a one-second remontoir d’égalité, a brand new barrel along with a completely new top module they are driving the display. As stated, power reserve is roughly 40h and also the escapement beats at 21,600vph, having a variable inertia balance wheel.

Within the vein of movements produced by Journe

Bridges and primary-plate are produced from 18k pink gold and decorated meticulously: circular grained base plate, Geneva waves on bridges, chamfered and polished bevels, polished screw heads, chamfered slots… The very best originates from the form, because the movement continues to be created accordingly towards the form of the situation, and from the thickness, below 6mm.