F.P. Journe

F.P. Journe (legally Montres Journe SA) was founded in 1999 by François-Paul Journe in Geneva. Born in Marseille in 1957, Journe graduated from the Paris watchmaking school in 1976 and spent years restoring antique timepieces before establishing his own brand. The company's first production watch was a tourbillon souscription series delivered in 1999. F.P. Journe is the only three-time winner of the Aiguille d'Or at the Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Genève, winning in 2004 for the Tourbillon Souverain, in 2006 for the Sonnerie Souverain (with 10 patents), and in 2008 for the Centigraphe Souverain. The company owns its own casemaker, Les Boîtiers de Genève, and dialmaker, Les Cadraniers de Genève, both housed in Meyrin, Canton of Geneva. F.P. Journe is the only watchmaker still based in central Geneva, with headquarters, manufacturing, and an exhibition space in a converted gaslamp factory. Production is approximately 1,000 mechanical watches annually plus around 500 quartz Élégante models. In 2018, Chanel acquired a 20% stake. Watches are sold through company-owned boutiques and official retail partnerships branded as ESPACE F.P. Journe.