NOVEMBER 9, 2018 - CHRONOGRAPHE RATTRAPANTE UNIQUE PIECE MADE SPECIFICALLY FOR THE 10TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE PRINCE ALBERT II OF MONACO FOUNDATION AND SOLD DURING THE SINGAPORE CHARITY BALL AUCTION FOR THE EXTRAORDINARY AMOUNT OF SG$ 400’000.

F.P.JOURNE REALIZED WITH MICHAEL TAY A UNIQUE PIECE OF HIS CHRONOGRAPHE RATTRAPANTE GIVEN FOR THE 10TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE PRINCE ALBERT II OF MONACO FOUNDATION AND SOLD DURING THE SINGAPORE CHARITY BALL AUCTION UNDER THE PATRONAGE OF HIS H.S.H. PRINCE ALBERT II OF MONACO.

THIS SEMINAL F.P.JOURNE CHRONOGRAPHE RATTRAPANTE FEATURES A ONE OF A KIND EXECUTION OF A BLUE DIAL WITH ORACLE BONE SCRIPT NUMERALS CHRONICLING THE PASSING OF TIME.

BASED ON CONSULTATIONS WITH RENOWNED SCHOLARS AND SCRIBES, FRANCOIS-PAUL JOURNE RE-IMAGINED THE NUMERALS ON THE CHRONOGRAPH COUNTERS, AND THE HOUR-AND-MINUTE CHAPTER RINGS, WITH CAREFULLY-CURATED EXTRAPOLATIONS OF THE ANCIENT ORACLE BONE SCRIPT AWAKENING THE ANCIENT CHINESE INTELLECT. THIS TIMEPIECE NOT ONLY CELEBRATES THE PASSING OF TIME BUT THE TERM “CHRONOGRAPH’ DERIVES ITS NAME FROM THE GREEK WORDS; CHRONOS AND GRAPHÔ.

THE ORACLE BONE SCRIPT WAS A FORM OF CHINESE CHARACTERS CARVED ON ANIMAL BONES OR TURTLE PLASTRONS, USED MAINLY FOR PYROMANTIC DIVINATIONS. THEY ARE THE OLDEST KNOWN FORM OF CHINESE WRITING. BEGINNING WITH WU DING, WHOSE ASCENSION IS ESTIMATED BY SCHOLARS TO BE BETWEEN 1250 TO 1200 BCE, THIS WRITING FORM OVERSAW A PERIOD SPANNING THE RULES OF THE LAST NINE KINGS OF THE SHANG DYNASTY, DISPLAYING A LEVEL OF MATURITY THAT REFLECTS ITS EVOLUTION OVER SEVERAL HUNDRED YEARS.

HIGHLY-PICTOGRAPHIC IN NATURE, DUE IN PART TO THE DIFFICULTY OF ENGRAVING THE HARD SURFACES, THE LATE SHANG ORACLE BONE WRITING IS DIRECTLY ANCESTRAL TO THE MODERN CHINESE SCRIPT.

CONTRARY TO LATER AND MORE ADVANCED CHINESE WRITINGS IN WHICH WORDS ARE READ FROM RIGHT TO LEFT, ORACLE BONE INSCRIPTIONS OFTEN START NEAR THE CENTER OF THE SHELL OR BONE, AND ARE MIRRORED ON BOTH SIDES, RADIATING TOWARDS THE EDGES. WITH ITS PICTOGRAPHS TAKING ON DIFFERENT MEANINGS WHEN PLACED IN DIFFERING COMBINATIONS, THE ORACLE BONE SCRIPT IS THE RARE FORM OF WRITING THAT IS ROOTED IN HISTORY, YET EXUDES A RARE, FREE-SPIRITED DYNAMIC. THE FACT THAT OUT OF THE THOUSANDS OF ENGRAVINGS FOUND SO FAR, MANY REMAINS UNDECIPHERED ONLY ADDS TO ITS MYTHICAL NATURE.

THE CASE OF 44 MM DIAMETER AND 12.1 MM THICK ENCLOSES THE MONOPOUSSOIR SPLIT SECOND CHRONOGRAPH MOVEMENT WITH A VERY LARGE DATE, MADE IN ALUMINIUM ALLOY.

THIS CHRONOGRAPH FEATURES A POWER RESERVE OF 80 HOURS MAKING IT POSSIBLE TO EFFICIENTLY USE THE CHRONOGRAPH WITH THE RATTRAPANTE FUNCTION AFTER 2 DAYS AND A VERY LARGE DATE IN A WINDOW OF 5.20 X 2.80 MM PROVIDES AN INCREASED READABILITY. THE TACHYMETRIC BEZEL INLAID WITH CERAMIC AND THE NEW TYPOGRAPHIC NUMERAL ARE A REMINDER OF THE 2017 ONLY WATCH TIMEPIECE.

THE LINKS ARE ATTACHED TO THE CASE ARE ALSO ARTICULATED TO ADAPT TO THE DIFFERENT WRIST SIZES WITH AN ADJUSTABLE FOLDING CLASP IN LENGTH OF APPROXIMATELY 5 MM.

A CROWN WITH 3 POSITIONS:
- POSITION 1: WINDING.
- POSITION 2: CORRECTION OF THE VERY LARGE DATE.
- POSITION 3: TIME SETTING.

THE PUSHER ARE MADE IN THE SAME METAL AS THE CASE:
- A PUSHER AT 2H FOR THE CHRONOGRAPH START, STOP AND BACK TO ZERO FUNCTIONS.
- A PUSHER AT 4H FOR THE RATTRAPANTE.

THIS CALIBRE 1518 WITH MANUAL WINDING, CONCEIVED BY F.P.JOURNE, IS AS USUAL ENTIRELY MADE IN OUR MANUFACTURE AND ASSEMBLED BY ONE OF OUR WATCHMAKERS. F.P.JOURNE PERPETUATES THE WATCHMAKING TRADITION AND MAINTAINS EXCLUSIVE CRAFTSMANSHIP SINCE EVERY EXPERIENCED WATCHMAKER PERFORMS ALL THE ASSEMBLY STAGES FROM BEGINNING TO END, A UNIQUE CASE IN THE PROFESSION.

INSPIRED BY THE CHRONOGRAPH MADE FOR ONLY WATCH 2017, THIS NEW MOVEMENT FEATURES A CHRONOGRAPH DIRECT GEARING WITH A ROCKING PINION AVOIDING THE JUMP OF THE HAND AT THE START. AN IMPORTANT DEVELOPMENT WAS REQUIRED TO INTEGRATE THE VERY LARGE DATE IN A TOTAL HEIGHT OF ONLY 6.80 MM, SIGNATURE OF THE F.P.JOURNE BRAND. THE MAGNIFICENT FINISHING AND DECORATIONS OF THE MOVEMENT VISIBLE THROUGH A TRANSPARENT SAPPHIRE BACK ARE ONE OF THE NUMEROUS UNDISPUTABLE QUALITIES OF THE F.P.JOURNE HAUTE HOROLOGY.