Watches

The Third Edition of the Vagabondage Trilogy. A unique combination of jumping hours and seconds to end the Vagabondage saga on an astonishing note: the Vagabondage III.

F.P. Journe presents the third edition of the Vagabondage Series, “Vagabondage III”, produced ina limited series of 69 pieces in Platinum and 68 pieces in 18K red Gold. F.P. Journe is the only Manufacture to design and produce a specific calibre for a series limited to only 137 pieces.

In 2004, François-Paul Journe designed 3 unprecedented new watches with a flat Tortue case, a digital time display and a dial without signature, for the 30th anniversary of Antiquorum. Those 3 watches, one in white Gold, one in yellow Gold, and one in rose Gold, with brass movements, were sold at a charity auction for the benefit of ICM, a research institute for brain and spinal cord diseases (icm-institute.org). The watches captured the interest of the public, and sold for three times the estimate.

In the wake of the resounding success of that auction, F.P. Journe launched in 2006 the Vagabondage I Series. The name Vagabondage comes from the fact that the time is indicated by a wandering digital display; the design itself was “vagabond” in that it was created by François- Paul Journe as a satellite creation, in addition to his regular collections. “Even without promotion or publicity, clients went wild. They snapped them up, and the Vagabondage legend was born,” recalls the Swiss watch manufacture.

The second F.P. Journe Vagabondage Series, the Vagabondage II was created in 2010. It features a manually wound movement with digital hours and minutes displays, as well as small seconds and power reserve displays. The smoked sapphire crystal dial, without the F.P. Journe signature,
reveals the 18 ct. rose gold movement.

F.P.Journe developed a specific barrel and a remontoir d’égalité, providing more efficient energy transmission for the instantaneous jump of the digital minutes and hours.

Collectors have been eagerly awaiting the launch of the Vagabondage III Series. This third edition retains the flat Tortue case, the same size as the Vagabondage II, with a manuallywound movement with a remontoir d’égalité that advances the time train each second.

How about a closer look at the Vagabondage III’s unique display?

The inner smoked sapphire dial, framed by an outer dial with screw-down accents (and stillwithout the F.P.Journe signature), reveals the specially conceived 18K rose gold movement.

A window at 10 o’clock displays the digital hour indications, while another at 6 o’clock indicates the digital seconds; both framed in white. The central minutes are indicated by a white hand, while the power reserve at 1 o’clock featuring a blued steel hand.

“The 3 digital time displays have now been created, making the trilogy complete. Owners of the Vagabondage I and II will be given priority to allow them to acquire the watch with the identical limited series number. Collectors may thus complete their own trilogy and possess a part of F.P. Journe horological history,” says F.P.Journe.

Last month, the F.P. Journe boutique in Hong Kong celebrated its 10th anniversary and for the occasion, F.P. Journe presented the first boutique-exclusive Centigraphe series: the Centigraphe Souverain Anniversaire. Each boutique will have its own numbered series of the Centigraphe
Souverain Anniversaire once it celebrates its 10th anniversary.

The anniversary edition reinterprets the award-winning chronograph in a 40mm polished Titanium case, perfectly paired with a Ruthenium dial with sapphire registers and 18K Gold crown and rocker that complement the dial’s markings.

The F.P.Journe network will continue their celebration in 2017 with the Geneva Boutique in March, followed by Boca Raton in spring. In 2018, it will be the turn of Paris; in 2019 Beijing and New York; in 2022 Bal Harbour; Los Angeles in 2023 and last but not least, Beirut in 2024.