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Octa Lune
Octa Lune Octa Lune Octa Lune Octa Lune Octa Lune Octa Lune Octa Lune Octa Lune
lot 29

F.P.Journe

Octa Lune

Estimate CHF 60 000 / CHF 80 000
Starting bid CHF 60 000
Hammer price CHF 125 000
Total bids 15
Buyer’s premium will not be charged

Specification

CasePolished platinum case 950/1000 with a sapphire caseback
StrapBlack original Alligator strap, with a original platinum pin buckle
DialWhite gold dial, silver engine turned time indication with Arabic numerals & small seconds at 3 o'clock, moon phase indication at 7 o'clock, power reserve indication at 9 o'clock, big date indication at 12 o'clock
MovementSolid rose gold 750/1000 automatic movement, with engine turned rose gold rotor, 120 hours power reserve, date, moon phase & power reserve function
Cal.1300/2
Ref.200 L
D=38 mm
Year2006

Condition report

Case:Good, small signs of wear
Strap:Good, signs of wear
Dial:Mint condition
Movement:Very good, all functions working properly
Amplitude (Dial on top/Lift angle 52):Approx 300°
Accuracy (Dial on top):Approx -3 sec/day
Box:Yes
Extract from archives:Yes

Details 

A very rare, attractive and early astronomical platinum wristwatch of the Swiss watch brand F. P. Journe Invenit et Fecit, founded in 1999 by the French watchmaker François-Paul Journe. Supplied to agent retailer in 2006. Case in platinum 950, diameter 38mm, 10.6mm thick, sapphire caseback. Matt textured solid white gold dial, silver sub-dial with clous de Paris guilloché pattern, fine concentric grooves and thin metal frame fixed by screws, F. P. Journe blued steel hands. Caliber 1300.2, thin, self-winding, mainplate and bridges in 18k rose gold, rotor in 22k rose gold, power reserve of up to 160 hours. Functions – indication of time in hours and minutes, small seconds at 5 o’clock, moonphase indication at 7 o’clock, power reserve indication at 9 o’clock, big date indication at 12 o’clock. Black leather strap, F. P. Journe platinum 950 pin buckle. 

Lot essay 

The Octa Lune is one of the early models of the Octa collection, produced since 2003. In the same year, Octa Lune was highly acclaimed by the international expert community and won the ‘Favourite Men’s Watch’ award at the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG). This model remains in production to the present, and the entire production span can be divided into four main generations. 

The first-generation Octa Lune was equipped with an early rhodium-plated brass caliber 1300 and was offered in a 38mm platinum or rose gold case. In 2004–2005, F. P. Journe transitioned the Octa collection to the 1300.2 caliber made of the solid rose gold, which is found in second-generation models like the present example. Along with the transition to solid-gold calibers, a new 40mm case size was introduced. This period was brief, until 2007 when F.P. Journe upgraded the movement from the bidirectional winding of the 1300 and 1300.2 calibers to a unidirectional winding. When the Octa collection was first launched in 2001, its automatic winding mechanism was designed to be bidirectional, which, as it turned out, was less effective than unidirectional winding when the wearer had an inactive lifestyle. The upgraded caliber, referred to as 1300.3, is the main feature of the third-generation Octa Lune, which were produced until 2015. In 2015, the Octa Lune received a new dial design when F. P. Journe dropped the signature “Phases de Lune” that was inscribed below the moonphase indicator, following the circle of its aperture on first-, second- and third-generation models. The design of the dial has also changed in other details, while retaining its visually distinctive appearance. In addition, the renewed Octa Lune Nouvelle models feature 40mm or 42mm cases, the production of 38mm models was discontinued. 

It represents the original 38mm classic design, which is no longer in production, and it is therefore an incredibly rare chance to meet one of the rariest F. P. Journe Octa Lune watches at auction. Due to the nice double-zero case number this lot may be perceived as a lucky charm.

Acollectedman.com published an estimate for all first-, second- and third-generation Octa Lune versions, produced between 2003 and 2014, with less than 800 cases believed to have left the manufacture. They also believe that very few 1300-2 movements were made, during a short transitional period between 1st and 3rd generations. Consequently, it makes these rarer than the first-generation brass-movement pieces, which are currently considered the most attractive collectible. This assumption finds partial confirmation in the distribution of the number of examples of the early three generations that pop up on the market. We believe that the second-generation Octa Lune deserves the most attention, as a very rare version of this model, which will increase in interest over time. 

Reasons to bid 

The F. P. Journe Octa Lune No. 200-L ‘The Second Generation, Platinum’ would be attractive purchase for the collector and F. P. Journe watchmaking expertise aficionado, who will receive a very rare, attractive and early Octa Calendrier watch from this famous watch brand, one of the undoubted leaders in the haute horlogerie watch market. It represents the original 38mm classic design, which is no longer in production, and it is therefore an incredibly rare chance to meet one of the rariest F. P. Journe Octa Lune watches at auction. Due to the nice double-zero case number this lot may be perceived as a lucky charm.