Front view
Dial, hands and bezel as delivered.
Case-back view
Case-back engraving and, where fitted, the sapphire display.
Movement
Calibre with its finishing and decoration.
On the wrist
Worn shot for proportion and strap drape.
F.P. Journe · Tourbillon Souverain
F.P. Journe Tourbillon Souverain 39 mm Meteorite Quartz
Reference 40423OR.21
Reference at a glance
- Brand
- F.P. Journe
- Collection
- Tourbillon Souverain
- Model
- F.P. Journe Tourbillon Souverain 39 mm Meteorite Quartz
- Reference number
- 40423OR.21
- Year / era
- 1999 · 1990s — mechanical revival
- Complication
- Moon phase
- Movement
- In-house manual-winding, hand-finished
- Case material
- Quartz TPT
- Dial type
- Meteorite
- Strap / bracelet
- Rubber strap with titanium clasp
- Water resistance
- 200 m
- Limited-edition status
- Limited edition of 188 pieces
Case, dial & bracelet
- Case dimensions
- 39 mm
- Case thickness
- 11.3 mm
- Case material
- Quartz TPT
- Bezel
- Fixed brushed titanium
- Crystal
- Box sapphire with AR coating
- Dial
- Meteorite
- Hands
- Mercedes hour hand with Chromalight display
- Indexes
- Applied Arabic numerals with luminous coating
- Bracelet / strap
- Rubber strap with titanium clasp
- Clasp / buckle
- Triple-folding clasp with safety catch
- Water resistance
- 200 m
Movement
- Movement / calibre
- Calibre 11A — In-house manual-winding, hand-finished
- Movement type
- Manual-winding
- Frequency
- 21,600 vph (3 Hz)
- Power reserve
- 72 hours
- Number of jewels
- 33 jewels
- Complications
- Moon phase
- Functions
- Flying tourbillon, power reserve
- Watchmaker
- Assembled and regulated by a single watchmaker, who signs off the piece before casing.
Production & market
- Production period
- 1999 – 2004
- Limited-edition quantity
- 188 pieces
- Current market information
- Values have stabilised after the 2022 correction; condition and box-and-papers drive the premium.
Designer
Gérald Genta
Gérald Genta (1931–2011) trained as a goldsmith in Geneva and became the most influential watch designer of the 20th century. Working freelance, he sketched the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak overnight in 1970, followed by the Patek Philippe Nautilus, the IWC Ingenieur SL and the Bulgari Bulgari — defining the integrated-bracelet luxury sports watch as a category.
Historical significance
F.P. Journe Tourbillon Souverain 39 mm Meteorite Quartz sits within F.P. Journe's Tourbillon Souverain line, introduced in 1999. It carries the house codes established since 1999 — quartz tpt case, meteorite dial and in-house manual-winding, hand-finished — and is one of the references collectors use to date the evolution of the collection.
Interesting facts
- The bracelet tapers across its length, which is why the profile looks thinner on the wrist than the specification suggests.
- The reference was originally planned as a one-year run and stayed in the catalogue for well over a decade.
- The movement's bridges are decorated even where they will never be seen once the watch is cased.
The House
F.P. Journe
Brand facts
- Founding year
- 1999
- Founder
- François-Paul Journe
- Headquarters
- Switzerland
- Tier
- Ultra-Luxury & Haute Horlogerie
- Major collections
- Chronometre Bleu, Tourbillon Souverain, Octa, Resonance, Elegante, Linesport
- Signature technologies
- Proprietary case-hardening and polishing · Hand-applied guilloché dials · Composite and ceramic case materials
- Famous movements
- In-house automatic with 22k gold rotor · In-house tourbillon, manual-winding · In-house manual-winding, hand-finished · In-house automatic micro-rotor
- Notable watches
- F.P. Journe Chronometre Bleu 37 mm Silvered Sapphire (1999) · F.P. Journe Chronometre Bleu 38 mm Black 18k (1999) · F.P. Journe Chronometre Bleu 44 mm Ice Platinum (1999) · F.P. Journe Chronometre Bleu 43 mm Skeletonised Sapphire (1999)
Brand history
F.P. Journe has spent more than 27 years refining a single idea: a watch should outlive its owner. From the earliest workshop pieces to today's Chronometre Bleu, the house has balanced technical ambition with a recognisable design language, and its collections remain among the most closely followed by collectors worldwide.
François-Paul Journe established F.P. Journe in 1999, working from Switzerland at a time when precision was measured by hand. The founder's obsession with finishing and accuracy still defines every F.P. Journe calibre produced today.
Historical milestones
1999
François-Paul Journe founds F.P. Journe in Switzerland.
2024
F.P. Journe continues to produce Chronometre Bleu, Tourbillon Souverain, Octa and other icons in limited numbers.
More Tourbillon Souverain
F.P. Journe Tourbillon Souverain 43 mm Green Stainless
Ref. 16157ST.79
F.P. Journe Tourbillon Souverain 37 mm Skeletonised Sapphire
Ref. 14171OR.90
F.P. Journe Tourbillon Souverain 37 mm Skeletonised Ceramic
Ref. 33206OR.20
F.P. Journe Tourbillon Souverain 36 mm Black 18k
Ref. 95576OR.48
F.P. Journe Tourbillon Souverain 41 mm Silvered Platinum
Ref. 25177OR.58